Tunnel makes students rethink their roles on campus
Staff Writer
Amidst the recent racial tension on campus, the Tunnel of Oppression came to the Otis A. Singletary Center last night. Sponsored by Residence Hall Association and AWARE, the hour-long event focused on discrimination of all types.
The program aimed at making the audience uncomfortable, was created to jar them into thinking about their role on campus.
"We don't intend for you to leave here comfortable," the narrator read at the presentation's beginning.
The first skit hit an issue that the University has been reeling from recently, race.
After a five-minute historical videography highlighting racism at its worst, a skit opened with the two groups on stage, one white and one black.
A spotlighted soliloquy gave each group a chance to attack the popular misconceptions of race on this campus.
The multi-media presentation, using video, audio and theatrical action allowed the participants hit upon 10 issues of oppression.
The concert hall' s stage was complete with two standing yellow walls full of stereotypical epithets.
Each word inscribed on the wall was focused on in the presentation.
But a small crowd was on hand to witness the presentation.
"Not as many people took advantage of the event, the turnout was not as high as expected, but that reflects the way people are on campus," said Bob Brown, math junior.
Sponsor James Rollins, a social work senior, said he hoped the presentation would push the campus to continue addressing needed issues.
Rollins said it paid special attention not only to race issues, but other issues like homophobia, xenophobia and rape that occur on campus but people don't always know about.
A symbolic ending occurred when the actors came on stage and uniformly tore the yellow wall down.
"It didn't pull any punches," said health administration freshman DaJuane Harris.
The idea to hold the Tunnel came from a presentation at the University of Florida. RHA sponsored it this summer for a high school crowd and it went over so well that they decided to try it for the college crowd, Rollins said.
A reception was held following the presentation. Groups mingled together discussing the presentation.
The small group that mingled talked about doing something about the racial tensions on campus.
"Maybe people might decide to come together and do something about it," Harris said.
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