Local Happenings - Tunnel of Oppression

Nobody is reading this blog yet... but that is alright. Hopefully I'll be able to gather some eyes and minds around the screen to hear what I have to say. Earlier this evening, the first Amnesty International of BSU meeting for the semester happened. It was pretty small, and just a bit awkward (like most first meetings, or maybe just most activist meetings), but definitely worthwhile. I mention it here because it inspired excitement in me for an upcoming event. On Tuesday, November 1st, BSU is hosting the Tunnel of Oppression. An actual, physical tunnel will be constructed in one of the ballrooms of the SUB. Actors will play out different scenes of oppression in the tunnel as guides (one of which will be myself) bring groups of people through to understand oppression in a more intimate fashion than we usually have the capacity for. The experience is supposed to be very eye-opening and emotional. For example, it is rumored that one of the scenes will depict a Fred Phelps anti-homosexual rally (Fred Phelps is the leader of the fiercely anti-homosexual Westboro Baptist Church) and another will stage the preparation for detainee abuse at a Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib. Though there have been serious questions among BSU activists about the organization and execution of the Tunnel of Oppression, I have high hopes for the event. It is a delicate subject, so I can only hope that the people behind the Tunnel are serious and organized. I'll write more about the Tunnel as the date approaches and passes.