Tunnel of Oppression, COBE

Blog free write about Tunnel of Oppression:

The Tunnel of Oppression was a truly unique experience. When I first signed up for the event I had no idea what I was getting into, only that it was a powerful, enlightening moment. Outside of that, all I knew was that the purpose was to gain more perspectives on the life that moves around me every day.

Upon arrival, I signed in with my friend Michael and we patiently waited for the doors to open. Until that time came I looked around to observe the people in attendance. It became clear that about half of the people there were there solely for a class that they were enrolled in. It was as if it was marketed for that purpose, signs and sheets for classes and extra credit littered the tables. This frustrated me; I could see the difference in mentalities between the students there for points, and the students there to learn. I had to let all of this go because the event was starting.

Pushed into the first room, packed “like sardines”, I knew the oppression had started. The group of people that I was attending with slowly walked through the doors and was met with another, smaller group of people; the two groups intermingled and made up one large group that continued into the next room. When I looked to my right I saw someone I knew, I knew she was coming to this but she wasn’t out there when I signed in. I leaned over to ask her what was she doing here, as if on cue, she looked up, yelling, “****ing slut”. I looked back to the scene occurring in front of me and I saw a girl, clearly acting wearing a small black dress. Clearly my friend was here to be a part of the tunnel; it made the experience even more powerful. It wasn’t some random girl that was acting to play her part in the tunnel; it was my friend and coworker. I’m sure the experience is impactful regardless of whether the guests knows someone or not, but it just made it real for me. It put the interaction I just witness into perspective immediately, I knew she was acting, but I could see this interaction between two people anywhere, especially at school. My experience was made in this one moment and I spent the rest of tunnel taking every scene and relating it to my life, when and where had I seen that, how could I prevent it, and what could I do to change it? Tunnel of Oppression had a huge impact on me I don’t see that diminishing or changing for years to come.