Preview
Creation Date
Spring 2025
Description
Digital photograph of the exterior of the Myrin Library building on the Ursinus College campus. Student photographs of staff, such as Erika Rodenberger, were created for a documentary photography class and temporarily installed around campus as part of the Spring 2025 COSA celebration.
Panel Text
“It was just a month after looking I found Ursinus, and my 15-minute interview ended up being an hour and a half, and I fell in love”.
As you come to do work at the library, Erika from the Bravo Station in Upper Wismer works hard to provide students with a fresh meal that will energize their studies here at Ursinus. Cooking since she was 6 years old with her grandmother, Erika has always experienced a “sense of love and connection around making food”, whether it’s cooking a delicious dinner for Ursinus students or crafting recipes from scratch for her business, “Golden Heart Bakery”. Growing up with her two brothers, grandmother, and parents, her love for community grew from here. As children, she and her brothers used to play together at Green Lane Park and were particularly fond of climbing up the rock Erika leans against in this photo.
While she loves the aspect of being hard-working and passionate in a kitchen, her student connections are what motivates Erika to come here each day, with the “idea of making a meal that I can watch your guys’ faces light up when you read what’s on the glass. That’s my favorite part.” She has become an influential member of this community, now looking forward to events such as graduation and the first day of classes to support each person that she serves.
Outside of Ursinus, Erika goes home to her own community, or “little family”, with her fiancée, best friend, and her best friend’s 9-year-old daughter. These aspects of community continue to fuel her passion for love, relationships, and good food. This is the embodiment of who she is. So next time you are in Upper Wismer, keep an eye out for Erika behind the Bravo station serving up dishes like her favorite marinated chicken thigh tacos or her cheesecake bowl, and say hello. Tell her your name, what you like to do, or how your day is going. She wants to get to know you and provide you with “more than just a meal”.
Rights
Copyright of the underlying work is held by the artist. The digital image presented here is for educational purposes only and is not for commercial use.
Keywords
student art, 2025, documentary photography, Ursinus College, staff portrait, Myrin Library
