Tunnel of oppression expands outlooks
Program exposes students to various issues,encourages acceptance
Nicole Robinson
Issue date: 11/10/05 Section: Campus News
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| "It's an opportunity to look in and to look out." -Rachel Hawkins MOSAIC president |
MOSAIC sponsored the 11th annual event to alert people about special types of oppression in society. Topics highlighted in this year's program are sexual assault, welfare, non-native English speakers and living between two cultures.
"It's an opportunity to look in and to look out," MOSAIC President and junior Rachel Hawkins said.
The Tunnel of Oppression began Tuesday, and the last session is tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Council Fire Room in Davies Center. Tours are 45 minutes long and begin every 10 minutes.
The purpose of this program, Hawkins said, is getting students to recognize diversity on UW-Eau Claire's campus and also in the rest of the country and the world. She said many people come to get an idea about what they can do to help and to learn about diversity issues.
January Boten, a MOSAIC advisor, said "opportunities to talk about diversity are few and far between," which makes this event important to be held each year.
The tour begins with stereotypes thrown out in a prepared form of "smack" and one-liners to educate listeners about common misconceptions that surround people who are perceived as different, Hawkins said.
Freshman Sarah Bigus said she sympathized the most with the transgender portrayal, since that person really doesn't have a choice.
The second room features a short video clip with interviews of Eau Claire faculty and students on the topic of welfare in the United States.
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