As the Oscar race comes to a head and the buzz around the civil rights film Selma continues, the Student Center and African American Student Union (AASU) are bringing the conversation about Selma and its issues of race and equality to campus.

As part of Black History Month, AASU and the Student Center have teamed up to bring Tech students a free screening and discussion of the Oscar-nominated movie in one of the very buildings where it was filmed: the Historic Academy of Medicine.

“It’s an honor to have the building be part of such an important film,” said Shawn Stinson, marketing and event manager for the Historic Academy of Medicine. Selma filmed there for several days in June 2014, transforming the building’s meticulously restored rooms into offices, hotel rooms, and even the White House circa 1960.

“It’s like it was meant to be,” Stinson said. “They showed us the historic photographs of the White House, and it was unbelievable how much our space resembled the look that they were trying to achieve. Then to see what they did to the other rooms, I was blown away.”

As part of the National Register of Historic Places, the Historic Academy of Medicine presented an interesting challenge to the film’s production crew. While some parts of the building were ready for filming as is, other rooms needed complex sets built on site; these sets had to then be put up and taken down in a matter of days — all without altering the historic building itself. 

“The sets made some rooms unrecognizable,” Stinson said. “I’ll be interested to see how many rooms people can identify.” Around 10 scenes were filmed in the building.

For organizers, though, seeing the building on the silver screen won’t be the best part of the upcoming film screening. They are most excited for the conversation that will follow.

“It isn’t often that an opportunity like this arises, where a landmark relevant film is both made and screened in a space on campus, and that space can then become a place to discuss the very issues that the film raises,” said Lindsay Bryant, interim director of the Student Center. Following the screening, students will move throughout the building for an open space discussion on the issues central to the film.

"There are a lot of engaging topics about the nature of equality and civil rights that we're excited to discuss,” said Auston Kennedy, student organizer for the event. “We want the discussion to be accessible and inclusive of everyone on campus, in the hopes that this event will jump start other important conversations on campus.”

The event is open to the first 200 students with their valid BuzzCard. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the screening beginning at 6 p.m. The discussion will follow at approximately 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit studentcenter.gatech.edu.

“We feel this will be an important event for Georgia Tech students, as conversations on race and inequality are a big part of our national discourse,” Bryant said. “This is a conversation our students want to have, and we are excited to have the space to host it.”

An additional screening and discussion is being offered by the Department of Housing’s ResLife Diversity Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the Clary Theater, Student Success Center. The panel discussion will feature Stephanie Ray, associate dean of students and director of Diversity Programs, and Andre Dickens, assistant director of outreach initiatives for OMED.