Documentary premiere on history of the Erb Memorial Union

EUGENE, Ore. -- (June 3, 2013) – The University of Oregon Division of Student Affairs will premiere its documentary, “Meet Me at the SU: a History of the Erb Memorial Union,” on June 6, at 6 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.

Erb Memorial UnionWritten and directed by UO journalism graduate, Jonna Threlkeld, the film features interviews with UO alumni representing generations of students dating back to 1945. It tells the story not only of the 25-year struggle to build the student union, but also of the key players who led the campaigns, including the late University President, Donald Milton Erb, for whom the building was named. The title “Meet Me at the SU,” was inspired by a saying commonly used by students in the early 1950s.

Starting at 5 p.m., five-cent ice cream cones and ten-cent root beer floats will be sold in the iconic Fishbowl as they were when it first opened in 1950.  A display of movie stills and video footage from the film will be showcased around the EMU.

Wendy Polhemus, interim director of the EMU, championed the making of the film. At the beginning of the 2011 academic year, Polhemus envisioned an informational video that showcased the relevance of the student union to campus.  She commissioned the EMU marketing department to research and film a short documentary about the history of the building.

What began as a proposed fifteen-minute video, become a nearly hour-long documentary history of the building, the people who made it happen, and its impact on campus and students throughout the years.

For more details on the documentary, visit emu.uoregon.edu/history

MEDIA CONTACT:  Rita Radostitz, director of strategic communication/marketing for Student Affairs. Phone: 541-346-8540. Email: rjr@uoregon.edu

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