Southeastern will continue its Centennial celebrations with the premiere of the documentary titled “Southeastern 100” in the Columbia Theatre.

The premiere is Friday, Oct. 3. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the showing begins at 7 p.m. 

Admission is free; RSVP tickets here. 

SLU President Dr. William Wainwright said he believes the Centennial documentary will offer a powerful glimpse into Southeastern’s impact throughout the century. It includes each decade’s historic milestones, student life and testimonials about the university’s impact.

He said, “I strongly encourage our students to take part in the documentary release and in the event they are unable to do so, there will be other showings on campus throughout the fall semester.”

The SLU community is invited to attend the premiere and celebrate the milestone. 

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Mike Rivault said his team is excited about sharing the documentary with the Southeastern family. He said it is a great moment to revisit and reflect on our collective history and begin envisioning our future.  

“In addition to the premiere next week, it will be shown during Homecoming weekend and will have future showings as well as being available online in the near future,” Rivault said.

With assistance from others in the department, Shelene Bridge, the videographer for marketing and communications, spearheaded the creation of the “Southeastern 100” documentary. Bridge has a background in documentary filmmaking, creating award-winning films for PBS.

Her creative process began in Fall 2023 with plans for a poetic approach to the documentary, which later evolved into a refined historical timeline. She interviewed 200 people, conducted historical research and scanned photos from every edition of the Le Souvenir yearbook with help from student workers and graduate assistant Aleigh Sanders. 

In January 2025, she began post-production by gathering stories from the interviews that weave into the historical timeline. The original cut ran for four hours, so the final months before the premiere were spent refining and reducing the runtime.  

Bridge said, “While no single documentary can capture every moment that has shaped Southeastern, I hope this film will resonate with audiences and convey the enduring spirit of our university.” 

The Lion’s Roar news and Le Souvenir yearbook told much of SLU’s 100-year story, becoming a critical source for the documentary. 

As Southeastern enters into its second century, the centennial documentary pays tribute to the past while stepping toward the future.