Nicole Robinson

As students filled the upper Davies Center lobby Wednesday night, a tour began, traveling through the tunnel of oppression.

Making Our School an International Community sponsored the 10th annual Tunnel of Oppression at UW-Eau Claire.

Students can sign up to take a 45-minute guided tour through the various rooms in Davies Center from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday this week.

Each room is designed to point out different cultural groups and the ways that they are oppressed in today’s society.

The program encompasses a variety of cultures some foreign and some more local to the area.

“It’s an interactive program by MOSAIC to bring culture to our campus,” sophomore and co-president Rachel Hawkins said.

Hawkins had helped out with the tunnel last year. “It was a cool event – it’s what drew me to MOSAIC,” she said.

The tunnel is geared at teaching students and the community about oppression found in everyday life, she said.

Planning for the event takes place in the summer and involves a big time commitment.

Sophomore Jacea Wimberly attended the tunnel last year and wanted to be a part of it this year. “It was a good way to learn about the issues,” she said. “I wanted to give something back.”

After students take the powerful tour through Davies Center, a debriefing is offered to that group. The students get the chance to discuss the images they had just seen or heard. The group can share their own experiences with oppression and with multicultural stereotypes.

“I hope most people will learn and that it will motivate them to do something about it,” Hawkins said. “It’s really important to see the oppression.”

Freshman Molly Eilers agrees that opening your mind to other cultures is a good thing.

This was her first time going through the tunnel.

“This is 45 minutes out of our day,” Eilers said. “Some people go through this every day.”