Blaine Larsen's "How Do You Get That Lonely" played softly in the sixth room of the Tunnel of Oppression Monday as a girl sat at her desk to write a suicide note to her family.
"I was stupid to think my ex-boyfriend cared about me," she said, crying. "No one cares whether I live or die. I wish I had never been born. "
The girl walked over to a small table to stare at several of her past pictures and trophies, later approaching a lampstand to grab a bottle of pills. After she took several pills, she turned off the lamp and laid down on a nearby couch.
"It's all going to be over soon," she said as she drifted off to sleep.
Ball State University students walked away slowly from the skit, several wiping away tears. The skit was one of six that focused on issues of diversity and discrimination during Monday's Tunnel of Oppression, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association. The tunnel was the first event of RHA's Diversity Week.
"The tunnel addresses many of the most popular diverse topics," Valarie Davis, RHA representative, said. "People are aware of these issues but ignore them -- kind of push them to the side. This helps them become more aware of it and know how to handle it."
Aaron Galvin, a resident assistant for Schmidt-Wilson, said the suicide skit tailored to many college students.
"At some point, most people do think about suicide, even if it's just wondering what would happen if they were gone," Galvin said. "It's tough to deal with."
Another Tunnel of Oppression skit featured a black man and a white man who walked into a restaurant, where the owner refused to give them a table.
"I don't want to call the cops tonight," the owner said to the white man. "I'm going to have good customers coming in and eating my good food -- I really don't want your friend here."
Tiana Williams, residence hall director for Painter-Whitcraft, said the skit highlights an issue many minorities face when they go to restaurants where they don't feel welcome.
In a skit that focused on body image, a woman returned home from college and sat at a table to eat dinner with her parents. Her parents focused their discussion around their daughter's recent weight gain, questioning why she was not involved with sports and why she hadn't brought a guy home yet. Their daughter left the table and walked toward the bathroom, crying.
In a skit that simulated the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, two masked gunmen shouted and ran into a classroom where two women were learning about religion. The girls rose from their table abruptly, screaming as the men fired their guns. One of the men later asked one of the students whether she believed in God. After she hesitated for a few seconds, the student nodded yes, and the gunman shot her.
All of the Tunnel of Oppression skits encourage students to not only become aware of diversity issues but to stand up and address them, Galvin said.
Davis encourages students to participate in the rest of Diversity Week's events and hopes students become more aware of the issues that are often overlooked in today's society, she said.
"I hope the events continue to go well, and I hope students learn from them and gain some knowledge about diversity," Davis said. "These issues really do occur, and the week is tailored to the issues a lot of college students face."
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