The University Center at The University of Montana will host the third annual Tunnel of Oppression from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, March 19-21, in the UC Ballroom.

Tunnel of Oppression is an interactive event that highlights contemporary issues of oppression. It is designed to introduce the concepts of oppression, privilege and power. Participants are guided through a series of scenes that aim to educate and challenge them to think more deeply about issues of oppression.

At the end of the tour, participants are provided with the opportunity to discuss their experiences with each other. Facilitators help participants reflect on their experiences and put their newfound knowledge to use in their everyday lives.

Tunnel of Oppression is a campus grassroots diversity program that originated in 1993 at Western Illinois University. Using the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles as a model, the tunnel strives to give people a way to experience oppression in a hands-on way. By engaging emotions of the participants, it allows for the accounts expressed in the program to be truly effective.

Many people may have never been placed in these types of situations, and they obtain a sense of what it actually feels like to be oppressed or discriminated through the sights and sounds they experience. While the tunnel may be disturbing, it is an effective tool used to teach people about how it really feels to be in the various situations.

The success of the tunnel is dependent on campus commitment to diversity issues and community building. Student groups and individual volunteers are needed to help make this year’s event a success. To volunteer call Jamar Galbreath at 406-243-5776 or email jamar.galbreath@mso.umt.edu.

For more information about the Tunnel of Oppression, visit http://www.umt.edu/uc.