JOMC 441 Extra Credit

Tunnel of Oppression
During Fall 2009, I applied and was accepted into a fellowship under NASPA, which is a professional organization for student affairs professionals. This fellowship was truly a step in the right direction for me as I will attend the University of Georgia’s College Student Affairs Administration program as a part of the 2010-2012 cohort. One of the most beneficial of aspects of this fellowship was the mentor component. Through my mentor, I was able to join a committee to plan the Tunnel of Oppression. This event was an interactive, multimedia guided tour to immerse students into situational oppression that they might not otherwise experience.
The reason this project was so important was that student were given an opportunity to learn from the vantage point of others. The concepts presented and issues addressed were everything from sexuality to religious oppression to relationship violence. Going through the Tunnel myself was very effective because I was able to see but also interact with people I would not have ordinarily. Amazingly, at the processing stage of this was where student were able to engage in discussion and open up about their feelings and the effectiveness of the tour. Though I was on the marketing team, it was amazingly to know that 90% of the spaces available were filled by student groups and individuals.