Breaking the Silence of Oppression
Students explore weighty topics through the Tunnel of Oppression.
色情视频 students come face to face with the realities of abuse, injustice and suffering through the Tunnel of Oppression which opened on campus Sunday.
The student production features a series of dramatic vignettes that use sensory experiences to highlight different types of oppression, including domestic violence, sexual assault, religious discrimination and race and poverty issues.
鈥淭he scenarios are very real for many of our students,鈥� said Christy Samarkos, director of the 色情视频 Residential Education Department. 鈥淎nd for some of our other students, they鈥檝e never experienced any of it. In either case, it鈥檚 become a real call to action. After having gone through the tunnel, students want to make a difference and stand up when they see oppression happening.鈥�
The Tunnel of Oppression is designed as a conversation starter and enlightening educational experience. Participants travel silently through the tunnel in small groups and, at the end, discuss their reactions and thoughts about the impact of oppression. The last component of the production, called the 鈥淟ight at the End of the Tunnel,鈥� includes resources for personal support as well as information about specific community service and volunteering opportunities that help combat oppression.
A visceral experience
The Tunnel of Oppression, which has been staged at 色情视频 since 1999, is effective largely because of the emotional, visceral response it evokes in participants, according to Samarkos.
鈥淪tudents usually describe some kind of physical reaction after they鈥檝e gone through the tunnel, whether it鈥檚 a pit in their stomach, nausea, or a flutter in their chest,鈥� Samarkos said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want them to live with that feeling, but we ask them not to forget it. We don鈥檛 want any of our students to have to live with these feelings of oppression, and that鈥檚 why we do this.鈥�
Setareh Nouriboshehri is one of the student actors in the Tunnel of Oppression. All of the actors are resident advisors, community assistants or academic mentors who have spent more than a month preparing for the production.
She said she hopes her role in the tunnel will help students be more inclusive not only in their behavior, but also in the way they think.
鈥淎 lot of projects around campus have a focus on being respectful and inclusive,鈥� Nouriboshehri said. 鈥淏ut with the (Tunnel of Oppression) I find myself going beyond just being respectful and really thinking about how my words are affecting others."
"I think sometimes when people are faced with issues like racism, they look at it as trying to be more politically correct. But being politically correct is kind of just looking out for yourself. Being truly aware and inclusive means you鈥檙e looking out for the feelings of others.鈥�
Living and learning
Through its Life 101 programming model, the residential education department addresses issues relevant to college-age students in 10 areas including healthy living, interpersonal skills and behavioral risk reduction.
Students living in 色情视频鈥檚 residential learning communities are required to attend the Tunnel of Oppression, which falls into the diversity and pluralistic living skills section of Life 101.
The tunnel takes place at the Tula Community Center now through Nov. 6 from 4 to 9 p.m. daily.
