Valparaiso University junior Anthony Schalk had his eyes opened Tuesday.
Schalk, from Joliet, Ill., walked through the “Tunnel of Oppression” in the Harre Union ballroom on the VU campus, an annual campus-wide exhibit that asks visitors to put themselves in others’ shoes. This year’s theme was “U.S.A. Today: Understanding Social Actions.”
Schalk said it was his first time through the exhibit, which changes themes every year
“A lot of people pay attention to racial stereotypes but not gender and disability (stereotypes). It opened my eyes to a lot of problems today,” he said. “I expected it to be eye-opening, but a lot of people don’t see other stereotypes. It’s kind of sad to see this stuff going on and the amount it goes on.”
This year’s exhibits were geared toward social action, said senior Deb Metcalf, of Grand Rapids, Mich. She put together two exhibits, one on interfaith dialogue at the university and the other on QAIP, or queer, asexual, intersexual and pansexual, the lesser-known factors of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning community.
The goal of the program, Metcalf said, is to “promote awareness and spark conversation on campus, so people are more aware of what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.”
The entrance to the display, which continues through Wednesday, in the a mostly darkened ballroom featured pictures of people with common stereotypes written on them, as well as definitions of terms including audism, which is discrimination against the hearing impaired, and heterophobia, reverse discrimination based on sexual identity.
Beth Fuechsl of Valparaiso came to check out the exhibit with her son Adler, 8 months. She comes every year and stopped at a display on fraternities in the news recently for racist chants, something she wasn’t aware of and found depressing.
“Tunnel of Oppression” had an impact on her.
“It helps you be more aware of what’s happening in the world, and maybe errors in what you may be doing, and how you can make yourself better,” she said.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter.
