Students entered a darkened tunnel full of twists and turns, featuring a variety of discriminatory scenes in the Botsford-Swinford lounge Monday night.
The Residence Hall Association sponsored its second annual "Tunnel of Oppression" to help students learn and grow from the different scenes, activities chair Adam Gaff said.
"It's a good experience for anybody to step outside their comfort zones," Gaff said. "It's also a good opportunity for student leaders to put themselves in someone else's shoes while acting out the scenes."
About 20 RHA students participated in the six scenes portraying discrimination in body image, domestic violence, discrimination against a minority customer, homosexuality, relationships and suicide.
In the minority customer scene, the cashier refused to accept the minority customer's return. However, the cashier accepted the white customer's return without a problem.
Sophomore Shannon Walters said the store scene surprised her.
"It made me feel uncomfortable ... some things happen that I don't even think about," Walters said. "It's sad that these things happen every day."
Actor Luke Pinkerton said the scene was also about age discrimination.
Pinkerton said many store clerks and cashiers do not take teenagers and college-age students seriously.
"Sometimes I go to return stuff and people say, 'Oh, he's just an 18-year-old kid,'" Pinkerton, a freshman, said. "People just write you off as a troublemaker."
Suicide actor and Edwards hall representative Zeke Wilson said suicide is something many people consider, but people don't widely talk about it.
"I think even if people don't admit it, everyone has had questions about suicide," he said. "I think this will open students' eyes that there are people in this situation"
In his scene, Wilson sat in front of a mirror asking himself what he did wrong in his life. He apologized for being a failure as a son, and he asked God to watch over his family.
"I'm dying inside," Wilson said in character. "The only way out is by committing suicide ... I'm sorry."
Senior Carollee Lantz said the suicide scene touched her because it's an issue that many people don't realize is important.
"In a way, it makes you more sensitive to suicide," she said. "It's good to (attend the "Tunnel of Oppression") to raise our own consciousness about these views."
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