It’s amazing how far a paint balloon can go.

The UO was featured in several local news outlets when it gave students a chance to say goodbye to the 1974 wing of the Erb Memorial Union in a colorful way. The May 1 event, called the Sledgehammer Sayonara, gave students a chance to fling paint-filled balloons at the addition, spray paint messages and artwork and then take sledgehammers to some of the concrete stairs.

Check out the video broadcast on KVAL, another from KEZI and the slide show in The Register-Guard.

Dan Geiger, the project coordinator for the EMU expansion of renovation project, called the event an unqualified success. Crowds of students turned out for the chance to express their feelings for the soon-to-be-demolished addition in a physical, and fun, way.

The event marked the formal closure of the addition and its handover to the contractor for the demolition phase of the project. People will see significant changes to the construction zone footprint as that phase picks up speed. Information on the project is available here.