The Tunnel of Oppression LEAD 7100 Community Project Teneshia Arnold & Ashleigh Kellogg April 18, 2013 CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author. I have cited all sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Signature __Ashleigh Kellogg & Teneshia Arnold__________________ Date ___4/18/13___________
Transcript
The Tunnel of Oppression
LEAD 7100 Community Project
Teneshia Arnold & Ashleigh Kellogg
April 18, 2013
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author. I have cited all sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.
Signature __Ashleigh Kellogg & Teneshia Arnold__________________ Date ___4/18/13___________
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Section I: Tunnel of Oppression Overview
When
The Tunnel of Oppression event took place on Wednesday and Thursday, April 10th
-11th
,
2013 from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Where
The Tunnel was held in Ballrooms A, B, and C in the University Center on the University
of Memphis campus.
What
In an effort to promote diversity awareness and respect, the Student Activities Council’s
Ideas and Issues committee hosted the Tunnel of Oppression, a skit-styled walk through issues of
discrimination and hatred. Issues addressed in the skits involved discrimination based on race,
gender, sexual orientation, age, and religion; self-esteem and body image; stereotyping; and
bullying. The skits were written, directed, and performed by students.
The skits were followed by a discussion to help participants process what they saw and
heard. Student affairs professionals and graduate students, Teneshia and Ashleigh, facilitated the
20-minute debriefing discussions (see Appendix A for discussion questions). Students were
asked to share their thoughts and reactions through writing on flip chart posters (see Appendix
C), student evaluations (see Appendix B), and group dialogue.
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Based on these sources, the following learning outcomes were assessed:
1) U of M students will learn the values of stepping out of their comfort zones by
participating in the Tunnel of Oppression.
2) U of M students will gain a better understanding of others through exposure to
diverse perspectives and issues.
3) U of M students will learn about cultures and diversity by interacting and having
meaningful dialogue with others.
Who
The Tunnel of Oppression was part of the greater Respect Me, Don’t Reject Me week
hosted by the Student Activities Council and the Step Up Civility Campaign at the University of
Memphis. Respect Me, Don’t Reject Me was a week of programming focused on respect, ending
discrimination, and breaking down barriers. All events were free and open to the entire campus
community. The week was an opportunity to improve understanding and communication among
all members of the University of Memphis community. As advisors, Teneshia Arnold and
Ashleigh Kellogg oversaw and participated in all of the events, including the Tunnel.
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Section II: Related Readings & Theories
Hugo’s article “Learning Community History”
Learning in the community is a very important way to interact with other individuals and
learn information that may have not been learned previous to the community experience. Hugo
(2002) closely examined the importance of adult learning and the community. Several
illustrations of interactions exist for adults to learn in the community. The three variations of
community learning include autonomous learning, community development groups, and
community action groups (Hugo, 2002). The tunnel was an example of a community
development group. This group provides adult learners the opportunity to experience real-life
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problems identified by the community that may have not been experienced elsewhere. The tunnel
of oppression allowed participants to witness and/or personally experience the various types of
oppression that individuals and groups have encountered over the years. The different scenes
included bullying, discrimination, body image, disabilities, hate crimes, prejudice, and many
more. Almost all of the scenes presented in the tunnel were actual events that took place in our
society.
The learning community that was formed consisted of very diverse individuals.
Participation in the tunnel and discussion was a form of informal education for students that
helps support the campus community. Adults can learn a considerate considerable amount of
information from being in a community with other learners. In the discussion, participants were
able to be part of a community that created a safe environment for them to have dialogue about
the scenes they witnessed. Having the opportunity to interact with people who have a deep
concern about the oppression and discrimination that occur in our society gave participants hope
that they could help create a solution to end discrimination.
The honesty of the participants allowed for others to feel safe and comfortable sharing
their thoughts and opinions about their experiences. The community that was created in
throughout the tunnel and discussion room allowed for individuals to have freedom in their
speech. Participants were also given the opportunity to write down their thoughts and comments
about the tunnel on easel pad sheets. This served as a form of communication for participants
who may not have wanted to verbalize their ideas in front of the group.
Because the tunnel and discussion were voluntary, there were times in which participants
chose not to participate in the discussion following the tunnel. Facilitators and tour guides could
not force participants to stay in the discussion room. Even though the community that was
Comment [B1]: There are so many different aspects to diversity. Please explain, in more detail, what aspects of diversity were represented in the learning community.
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formed was a safe learning environment for all participants, some individuals opted not to stay
for discussion. However, despite the unwillingness of a few participants, the overall attendance
and results of the tunnel and discussion were more than satisfactory.
Souls of a Citizen: One Step At A Time
Taking one step at a time in moving outside of your comfort zone is very important in
learning and making a change in any community. Loeb (2010) described several situations in the
chapter that explored individuals taking small steps to make a difference in their respective
communities. An aspect of the chapter that had a great deal of relevance to the tunnel of
oppression is not being afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.
Becoming involved in your community begins with individuals taking the necessary steps
to get out of their comfort zone. Identifying the barriers that keep people within their own
boundaries will assist them in overcoming those obstacles. The self-discovery that can occur
when individuals step outside of their comfort zone can cause individuals to become more
engaged in their communities.
The tunnel of oppression was an opportunity for the student actors to get out of their
comfort zones to educate the community of students. The actors and actresses had to re-enact
different scenarios of oppression that they may have never encountered before this opportunity.
Several student actors expressed their discomfort and concern in saying hurtful comments and
slurs to the other participants. These students sometimes felt insecure, because they realized that
they actually use those hurtful words and slurs in their daily dialogue. However, despite their
discomfort in saying such words, student actors were able to understand the powerful experience
of the tunnel and the influential effect the tunnel had on the campus students.
Comment [B2]: In a research paper, be more specific. What does “satisfactory” mean? For example, tell the reader the number of people who went through the tunnel. Then tell the reader the number of people who stayed for the discussion.
Comment [B3]: This is especially interesting. I was expecting comments from people who went through the Tunnel. I was not expecting them from the actors/actresses! Perhaps the Tunnel was even more powerful for them:)
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Another opportunity for students to step outside of their comfort zone occurred in the
discussion following the walk through the tunnel. During the discussion, students were
encouraged to express their concerns and thoughts related to the tunnel. Most of the participants
who toured the tunnel did not know each other prior to this experience. This meant that upon
entering the discussion, participants were having conversations with other individuals that they
may never have known or spoken to otherwise.
Despite the unfamiliarity of the individuals in the room, the community environment that
was created was safe for learning and having dialogue. Participants in the discussion had to be
brave and bold to step outside of their comfort zone and have interactions with the other
participants in the room. After the completion of the tunnel, participants were able to come to a
realization of how they or others may feel when they experience discrimination in our society.
Soul of a Citizen: Pieces of a Vision
Chapter 10 in Soul of a Citizen (Loeb, 2010) encourages citizens to assemble a vision for
bettering the world in which we live. Just as the tunnel of oppression did, Loeb addresses many
issues in modern society and offers potential approaches for creating change. She encourages the
reader to “extend the conversation on common responsibility and suggest that alternatives exist”
(Loeb, 2010, p. 277). In relation, the discussion after the Tunnel challenged participants to think
of ways that they could affect change and examine them with one another.
In addition, Loeb emphasizes the need to for all of humankind to remember “we’re all in
this together” and must work together to solve the problems in our society (p. 286). Similarly,
the tunnel of oppression sought to help create a sense of mutual respect and togetherness. In the
chapter, Terry Tempest Williams states, “our lack of intimacy with each other is directly
Comment [B4]: You’ve mentioned, several times, the safe environment that allowed participants to come out of their comfort zone. Explain what you did to create that environment.
Comment [B5]: The author’s name is Paul Loeb (“He”)
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proportional to our lack of intimacy with the land. We have taken our love inside and abandoned
the wild” (p. 284). Citizens must learn to love one another and our planet in order to improve
society. The tunnel of oppression aimed to achieve the first part of that goal: loving and
respecting one another in order to better the world around us.
Communities of Practice, from “Literacy as a Situated Practice”
In the article “Literacy as a Situated Practice” (Li, 2001), examines the community of
practice in which Amy, a three-year-old Chinese girl, developed language and literacy skills. A
community of practice is essentially a group of people that come together with similar interests
either to share their knowledge and skills with one another or to develop themselves in a
particular area. The University of Memphis as a whole is a large community of practice.
Specifically, those that chose to participate in the tunnel opted to join a more intimate
community of practice in order to gain knowledge surrounding respect and civility.
Like Amy and the customers in her family’s restaurant, the Tunnel participants partook in
discussions to further their knowledge and explore new perspectives. Students later described the
Tunnel and discussions as powerful and eye opening. Similarly, just as Amy was learning a new
language, the tunnel participants learned a new language of compassion and love and hopefully
replaced old terms of hatred with new ones of understanding.
Taylor’s article “Making Meaning of Local NFE”
Learning does not always have to take place inside of a classroom. In fact, a great deal of
learning takes place outside of the classroom. Out-of-class experiences are also known as non-
formal education. The non-formal education and learning that takes place outside of the
Comment [B6]: Describe this group in more detail such as ages, ethnic background, position at U of Memphis (student, faculty, staff)
Comment [B7]: I would like to see a definition of NFE from Taylor’s article. That would strengthen your argument that the Tunnel is, indeed, NFE.
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classroom assists students in their academics and social development. Non-formal education is
often concerned with being responsive to the needs of the learner and the community. Something
unique about non-formal education is that participation is voluntary. Learners are not required to
participate in the non-formal learning settings; however, choosing to participate in the
community allows for interaction amongst a diverse group of people and an opportunity for
learning.
The tunnel of oppression is a great example of a non-formal learning environment. The
tunnel of oppression was free and open to the entire campus body, allowing anyone interested to
attend. Students were able to learn from their peers as they journeyed through the tunnel.
Because of the non-formal learning environment provided, individuals were not pressured to
complete the tunnel and had the freedom to dismiss themselves if other obligations arose.
Since non-formal environments are voluntary, many students chose not to participate in
the tunnel. This is always a challenge that the Student Activities Council faces when hosting this
event. In addition, there were times in which student actors and actresses would choose to leave
the tunnel prior to the completion of their shifts. Since there were alternate actors and actresses
to cover the shifts, this increased the voluntary nature of the tunnel, allowing students to come
and go as they choose.
Another aspect of the voluntary nature of the tunnel was that it was not mandatory for the
participants to stay for the discussion following the tunnel. Even though the discussion was a
very beneficial part of the debriefing process, some people chose not to participate in it.
However, despite the voluntary nature of the tunnel, there was a high participation from students,
faculty, and staff. Overall, the event was a success.
Comment [B8]: Excellent strategy to accommodate the nature of NFE
Comment [B9]: I believe this was mentioned previously.
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Appendix A
Tunnel of Oppression
Discussion Questions
* Which scene affected you most?
* What surprised you the most?
* What did you learn?
* Let’s talk about a couple of specific scenes. (if not already covered)
Hallway slurs
- “I got gypped” (1st scene in the hall)
- How many of you knew that was offensive?
- Who knows what it is referencing?
- Gypsy (Irish Traveler) culture
- Others to think about
- That’s so gay
- That’s retarded
Cat calls
- How many of you have heard someone in Memphis speak that
way to someone?
- How many of you have heard a friend speak to someone that
way?
- How did you respond?
Religion scene
- Were the people in that scene trying to hurt?
- In their eyes, they were “helping”, but if the tables had
been turned how would they react? How would it feel?
- It doesn’t always take a hateful intent to hurt someone
Terrorism
- There tends to be a “face” of terrorism in our culture, but
depending on your point of view and which end of things you are
on, terrorism may look different.
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* What can you do to affect change from here?
(If they don’t say it first, here are some ideas)
Be an example
Speak up when it is safe to do so.
Don’t laugh at jokes that are at the expense of others
Get to know people who are different from you and get to know them
What is your classification? Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Grad Student Law Student Faculty/Staff Community Member
What is your major? ___________________________________ Are you a SAC member? No Yes Committee(s) __________________ What brought you to this event? Helmsman ad Poster Information Table Banner Handbill Website Friend Faculty Member SAC Magnet Other ___________________________
This event exposed me to something new? Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree This event pushed me to step out of my comfort zone? Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree How many SAC events have you attended? 1-2 3-5 6-8 9+
Please rate the following (5=Excellent, 1=Poor): Event Location 5 4 3 2 1 Event Time 5 4 3 2 1 Atmosphere 5 4 3 2 1 Performance 5 4 3 2 1 Overall 5 4 3 2 1 Did this event open you to a new perspective? Yes No If no, why not? ____________________________________________
What suggestions do you have for future events? ______________________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Optional (to help us understand who we are reaching) Age: Under 18 18-23
