UI students come together to learn about oppression
The University of Idaho is a place to embrace diversity through awareness and understanding of the struggles our peers face every day, said Julia Keleher, director of the LGBTQA Office.
Boxes and Walls, a UI event promoting such qualities, is a way for students to experience the discrimination others may feel firsthand in a safe and educational environment. Keleher said it’s an event meant to teach students about what it means to empathize.
“Boxes and Walls is an interactive display on oppression and discrimination,” Keleher said.
Boxes and Walls will take place from 1-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, on the first floor of Gooding Hall in the Wallace Complex. According to Keleher, there will be 18 rooms open for the event and each of which will contain a student-made environment illustrating a specific discriminatory issue. For example, a heterosexual student could enter a room and learn about the struggles a bisexual student may face — a feeling they would never be able to experience on their own.
UI students put each room together, Keleher said. While Keleher said most students are volunteers, some students from sociology and gender classes are participating as well.
The topics the rooms will cover this year are poverty and privilege, power-based violence, language, ability and access, and identity and stereotype.
Leathia Botello, coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said one of the great things about Boxes and Walls is it is an opportunity for students to learn from other students, rather than students learning from a professor or a teacher.
“It’s an interactive display where students have the opportunity to create rooms based off of oppressions that they may face, and want to educate other students about those causes,” Botello said.
This weekend’s event marks the second year it’s being put on. Keleher said Boxes and Walls has doubled in size in one year, and is becoming more known to people on campus and in the community. Keleher said groups from all over campus, including ASUI and Green Dot are involved in the planning of Boxes and Walls.
At the event, there will be tours every 30 minutes, each lasting an hour and a half. Students can show up as they please, but it’s recommended they RSVP on the website, uidaho.edu/boxesandwalls to guarantee a spot in their desired time slot.
Botello also said counselors will be available to meet with students after the tours. The creators of Boxes and Walls realize some of the rooms may include triggers for certain students, so any student who feels emotional or unstable after viewing the rooms has a resource available to talk to and get help from.
“Students inform and educate others about oppressions and diversity issues,” Botello said. “We are becoming aware of (the issues) now, and we can help make change.”
Katrina Hicks can be reached at [email protected]