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by JULIA HARR
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
While walking through the Tunnel of Oppression, actors from Hillel, the Jewish student organization, started screaming, “Men on the right, women on the left!”
Viewers were separated and given instructions to imagine a gas chamber and a concentration camp before moving to the next scene.
Racial slurs, derogatory phrases, curse words, violence and darkness: this is what greets participants as they enter the Tunnel of Oppression.
The tunnel,
sponsored by Student Government Organization, was held Monday evening
in Plemmons Student Union’s New River and Linville Falls rooms.
The
Student Government Organization sponsored this year’s tunnel and
various organizations, including diversity scholars participated
throughout the event.
Guides silently lead viewers through the tunnels.
Davonte
L. McKenith, freshman journalism major and Michelle M. Stewart,
freshman undecided major, acted out a scene where the aggressor,
verbally and physically threatens his partner’s life while she is
pregnant.
“We wanted to make people aware of how serious these issues are,” Stewart said.
“We hope that we can make an impact on how people view domestic violence and how often it occurs,” McKenith said.
He wrote the script for the skit.
The next scene dealt with body image.
Ellice J. Blanton, junior Spanish major, wrote and acted out a piece about a woman who suffers from an eating disorder.
“I hope
people get more from this scene than I do,” Blanton said. “Eating
disorders are something close to me, there is so much pressure to look
and act a certain way.”
A.
Tyrell Harrell, senior music industry studies major and Mathew J.
Bernier, senior exercise science major presented a scene dealing with
class and color discrimination.
In this scene, a construction worker (Harrell) is denied health care by his provider (Bernier) because he cannot afford it.
“I felt
this was a message that needed to be heard,” Harrell said. “Stuff like
this always irritates me. As a society, we don’t really act like
humans, we’re selfish.”
Bernier participated because Harrell asked him to, but was happy to help.
“This gives me a chance to touch people about an issue that I think is not well reported, or under reported,” Bernier said.
Additionally,
April B. Torres, a sophomore exercise science major performed a
monologue, in a wheelchair, on physical disability and feelings of
jealousy and resentment the disabled have about having their mobility
restricted.
The
Black Student Organization presented a skit on racial oppression and
the awkwardness of being the only minority in a classroom.
Actors were shown sitting in class having an internal struggle about whether or not they want people to sit near them.
A skit
by TransACTION showed the wrongful firing of a person because they have
transitioned from life as a man to life as a woman.
The
Native American Council showed a monologue about a Native American
chief and his grief over the loss of his land and his heritage.
When
people had walked through the entire tunnel, viewers were offered the
chance to talk about their feelings with a group facilitator or to
write something on a piece of paper.
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