The Tunnel of Oppression gave UT students an insight into previous and current issues facing the world. Concentrating on prejudices, discrimination, hate crimes and corrupt policies, the exhibit focused on how these problems shape our world. On Friday, Oct. 27 in Fletcher Lounge, Residence Life joined with a handful of groups such as P.E.A.C.E., Diversity Fellowship, Muslim Student Association and more to provide students and faculty with an overview of problems plaguing the world.
The first stop on the tour uncovered Ableism, ADHD, schizophrenia, OCD and other mental illnesses, as well as how people who suffer from these diseases are facing discrimination.
The tunnel’s next stop was the Holocaust. This site showed detailed pictures of corpses piled up, concentration camps and starving people.
A TV with the movie “Schindler’s List” played nearby as participants read statistics about the genocide.
Continuing on, a variety of areas included gay rights, racial tension, body image, Muslims receiving a poor reputation in America and homelessness. These issues were discussed in great detail through the use of statistics, props, startling pictures and multimedia devices.
Sabrina Griffith represented Residence Life and coordinated the Tunnel of Oppression.
“This is the first time we have done this, and we’re talking about doing this for spring,” she said. She stressed the importance of addressing these issues. She felt this experience will bring “an awareness of some situations people experience.”
The Tunnel of Oppression seemed to do just that, with students congregating around various TV screens while others found themselves amazed at the startling facts about hate crimes toward gays.
By having a thorough understanding of these issues, the world can eradicate the racial, ethnic and cultural tensions, stereotypes and myths attributed to many groups.