First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityAt his twelfth birthday party, Abood pops a balloon. Members of the Kent State chapter of the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, the organization that brought Abood to the United States to receive free treatment, threw the party. By the end of the night, Abood popped all the balloons in the room, laughing and making jokes each time.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityAbood reacts in embarrassment after Hanadi points out that a note he drew and proudly displayed contained a backwards “N”.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityClutching at his blanket as he watches “Little Rascals” in English, which he does not speak, with his host Yousef Mousa and Yousef’s sister, Sama, Abood mocks Donald Trump after seeing him appear on screen. On Abood’s hand is written “I (heart) Palestin.” Before he was able to move well on his prosthetic, he told Hanadi that all he wanted to do was go home and die for his country.” As time went on, he grew happier, and told her that was no longer his dream.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityAbood does pushups on his crutches in the Mousa’s family room.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityAbood pulls on Yousef’s arm as they leave prayer, trying to get his attention. The two shared a close relationship during Abood’s time in the United States, one Yousef compared to brotherhood.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityYousef Mousa pulls Abood from the swimming pool. Abood did not want to leave, and had been refusing to get out of the water.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityThe Mujahed brothers pick up Abood, carrying him in response to his complaints about walking, as Abood pretends to celebrate a soccer goal.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityNoor Bahhur tearfully kisses Abood goodbye before her father drove him to the airport, telling him to stay in touch. For the last few weeks of his time in the United States, Abood lived with the Bahhur family, growing very close to Noor and her brother Omar. “I think he saw us as siblings,” Noor said. “For a boy who’s 11, who lost his leg, he never had a dull moment. I’ve never seen him without a smile — even though he’s thousands of miles away from his family.”
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State University
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityPeople enjoy a late summer sunset n Westport, WA. on August 8, 2018.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityJuan Lugo angrily shadow boxes in the locker room after losing his bout with Brian Cotts by split decision at the Charity Brawl in Elyria, Feb. 19, 2018.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityThe base of the Coleman Glacier on Mt. Baker, WA, is seen as a rain storm approaches, August 3, 2018. According to Mauri Pelto, author of "North Cascade Glacier Retreat", the glacier retreated 1,443 feet between 1980 and 2006.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityAfter suffering a heart attack, Eva Rettig tells her husband Matthias to “go home and rest”, May 4, 2018, as her daughter Barbara (far left) and granddaughter Julianna visit her.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityA dog retrieves a bird shot by Grant Delancey (not pictured), returning it to guide Jennifer Nign (right, kneeling), one of two guides on the hunt at Monigold's Upland Bird Hunting in Newcomerstown, Ohio. Hunter's pay for the birds, and then hunt the fields where they are placed, using dogs to flush and retrieve the birds. "If the dogs are too far ahead, they're not gonna get their birds, like just happened," said guide Greg Nign after a dog flushed a bird too far ahead of the hunters, leading to missed shots.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityJuan Lugo focuses before his bout with Brian Cotts at the Charity Brawl in Elyria, Feb. 19, 2018, as his coach George Mills adjusts his headgear. Lugo spent much of the evening preparing for his match, which he then lost by split decision after three rounds. As he adjusted Lugo's headgear, Mills told him to stay calm throughout the match. "Stay focused out there, don't get scared. Those other guys, they're getting nervous. I'm seeing them hyperventilating, and I'm like 'You're in shape! What's the deal?' You're gonna be fine. Now get out there."
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityCowboys who had already completed their ride watch the final bull rider at the Ennis Rodeo in Ennis, MT, on July 4, 2018.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State University A young boy, 5, plays dead outside of Tent City in Akron, on April 26, 2018. Both of the boy’s parents are homeless, and his father is a resident of Tent City, where roughly 50 of Akron’s homeless live in tents behind a building owned by Sage Lewis." Throughout 2018, roughly 50 of Akron's homeless lived in tents behind 15 Broad St. After a long, drawn out legal battle and multiple City Council hearings, the settlement was deemed illegal, and an eviction notice was posted in December 2018.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityDustin opens the door of his tent to retrieve his bible. Many of the homeless who live at Tent City complain that too many of the charities helping homeless people in the Akron area force religion. Dustin is not one of them.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversitySmoking a hand rolled cigarette inside his tent, Dwight recounts his life of addiction. "I've been all over man. Just go panhandle around the bars. Being honest, tell them I want a beer. Get some beer, go back to the woods and get drunk. I'm past that now. Trying to get back on my feet here."
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityPeople, all homeless, spend their evening outside the front entrance to 15 Broad St., home to Tent City. Multiple complaints have been made by nearby residents about people loitering on the sidewalk.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityPaul Buchanan, 73, sits in his workshop at Tent City. Paul suffers from severe arthritis, and became homeless when he lost his home in a fire. He now runs maintenance for Tent City. "Homeless, it's not hopeless. I'm working on getting another place right now. They can evict me from a house, an apartment, my front porch, but there ain't no way in hell I'm getting evicted from no damn tent," Paul said when discussing ongoing contention between Tent City and the City of Akron.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityKevin, who is legally blind and suffers from seizures, sleeps in his tent, while Willie stands outside talking to other residents. Both have been residents of Tent City for over six months, though neither make any attempts to find permanent housing.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityA man carries a tarp he retrieved from the woods behind Tent City. He used the tarp to waterproof the roof of another resident's tent during a heavy rain storm. During especially cold months, residents insulate their tents with donated blankets. However, the humidity created by sleeping in the tent can cause mold to grow, which poses a health risk.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityHerman smokes a cigarette outside the entry to Tent City. Residents and non-residents alike, most of whom are homeless, gather at Tent City during the day. Many smoke throughout the day, littering the ground with cigarette butts. "Most people ask why the homeless are always smoking, why they don't just quit and stop wasting their money. I always want them to think, how easy would it be for you to quit? It's not that easy," Herman said. A retiree, Herman lived at Tent CIty for months before finding an apartment he could afford. He now volunteers at Tent City.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityThe sun sets on Tent City, showing light coming from security lamps installed by the low income apartment building next door. Multiple complaints about Tent City were filed by residents of that building, ranging from smells, to fights, to drug use and theft.
First Place, Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship - Nathaniel Bailey / Kent State UniversityCarrying their belongings, Krystal Emch and Michael Smith leave Tent City. The City of Akron issued an eviction notice on Dec. 6, 2018, giving the residents 30 days to leave. After City Council voted to close Tent City, a push was made to house the residents. However, not everyone was housed, and those who were not living at Tent City when the vote was taken were not given the opportunity to receive housing. Krystal and Michael were not on the original list, and thus were forced to move back into the woods.
