Story and Photos by Summer Luu
The grand opening reception of Past Present was held in the Erb Memorial Union’s Aperture Photographic Gallery this past Thursday on October 13^th. The Aperture Gallery will host the historical photography exhibit through November 17^th, 2011. The exhibit highlighted the University of Oregon’s rich diversity of culture, social movements, experiences, personalities, and knowledge to enlighten current university faculty, staff, and students to visually learn more about the community to which they belong.  Over the past 60 years, major changes have been applied to the EMU. The exhibition showcased the EMU’s evolution of student life through definitive photographs pulled from University Archives. Photographs represented events such as student petitions before the amphitheater was built, the film of Animal House inside the fishbowl, the memorable erection in 1850 and the constant utilization of the EMU by students.
The primary drive for this reception is the upcoming referendum. This November, students will directly vote on a special survey to pay $100 per term to renovate and expand the EMU for the next thirty years. With support from the UO School of Journalism and sponsored by the Cultural Forum, co-curators Sarah Onyshuk and Savannah Euhler proudly produced this reception to voice the significance of the referendum and historic EMU. According to Onyshuk, the gallery gave an insight on how the EMU has been an impactful longstanding building to student life on campus.
Arriving at the fishbowl entrance, the elongated glass windows protecting the EMU’s Fishbowl were adorned with large black and white photograph prints. These photographs of student life at the EMU ranged anywhere from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Wire hung from its panels, all prints differentiated in theme from one another but still contained the same aestheticism. The idea to hang these oversized prints in the windows was to emphasize its grandeur at night. The monochromic prints looked spectacular against the black ominous sky as the evening progressed.
Perusing through the Fishbowl and ultimately finding the gallery was not difficult to do. The reception drew in spectators with its sophisticated yet modern appeal. The Aperture Gallery had transformed itself from an area to view student photography artwork into an elegant function displaying commemorative prints of the longstanding EMU. Tables which students usually ate their Subway sandwiches on were encased in white tablecloths and topped with translucent vases of white and lavender flowers. Though general admission was free, the exhibition offered complimentary appetizers and refreshments provided by the EMU’s catering services. Viewers and guests trickled in while most passer byers looked intrigued by the exposition’s artwork.
Fluorescent lights shimmered on the black and white photographs. These photographs evoked a mixed feeling of nostalgia and optimism for future alterations. House Committee Chair of the EMU Board of Directors, Yeojin Niehaus, noted about the remarkable gallery opening, “It’s great to be able to reflect on the past and understand the role the EMU has played on campus. [The] current students have an incredible duty to implement their own student identity and culture into the future EMU.” The purpose of the gallery was to house characteristic photographs of the EMU and show the university’s community that the referendum this November is a vital change to UO students, faculty and staff. The beating heart of campus life is within the EMU and these photographs were meant to illustrate the importance of having a crucial building that housed significant events, student unions, academic information and source of sustenance. Current students have a chance to revamp and expand the EMU to a larger building for future students but the question is whether or not it is worth the extra monetary fees every term for the next 30 years. The Past Present photography retrospective visually directs existing UO students of how essential the EMU has been to student life and will be to future students lives. As we look at these historic photographs in their black and white authenticity, we must remember that the creation of the EMU and its expansion were past students’ visions of making it better for future students and the UO. Now, we have a decision to make.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Remembering Days Gone By