Hello all!  

We have been invited to do Tunnel of Oppression this year and I was hoping that some general body members could take part.  The event will take place Monday, Nov 9 and Tuesday, Nov 10.  (3pm-9pm each day HOWEVER you can sign up for just an HOUR or more if you so choose).  

We are really excited about this opportunity and really hope that ALAS members get involved so PLEASE let me know if you are available ASAP.  

Below is the correspondence I have had with Phil Campbell, one of the coordinators of Tunnel of Oppression if you would like to know more.

Thank-you and PLEASE get into contact with me if you are interested!

STEPHANIE BROCK
President, Association of Latin and American Students (ALAS)
Miami University
Spanish and Latin American Studies
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(513) 227-2838
   

From: Campbell, Phillip
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 8:28 AM
To: Brock, Stephanie Nicole
Subject: RE: Tunnel Of Oppression

Congratulations! Your scene proposal has been accepted for Tunnel 2009. Please begin preparing your scene with your organization. We would hope that you are ready to present your scene the week before Tunnel, to allow for any adjustments which need to be made. We are excited about working with ALAS and having your scene be part of the upcoming program.

Please Remember the following dates as they are pertinent to the success of the event:
• Rehearsal: Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 8 p.m. in Williams Hall
• Tunnel: Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 3-9 p.m. each night, Williams Hall

You will need to have your participants in full attendance for each of these time frames.

I would be happy to meet with you to discuss room location, logistics, and other needs of your group. If you do not feel this is necessary, we can keep in touch via email/phone to ensure that the planning is going well. I hope that through this cooperation we can create the best scenes for the Tunnel experience.

If you have any questions, please let me know. I hope you are looking forward to Tunnel.
Thank you for your interest,
Phil Campbell

-----Original Message-----
From: Brock, Stephanie Nicole
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2009 4:40 PM
To: Campbell, Phillip
Subject: Tunnel Of Oppression

Hello!

My name is Stephanie Brock and I am the President of the Association of Latin and American Students (ALAS) and we were hoping to do a scene in the Tunnel.  I tried to open your form but I do not have docx so I will describe it to the best of my ability.  We are hoping to put the students that would be taking the tour in the shoes of Hispanic immigrant workers and have them experience some of the challenges that they go through in everyday life here in the U.S. such as discrimination, intolerance, etc.

We were hoping to have the participants act as cooks and waiters in a restaurant and we (ALAS members) would be the customers.As customers, we would only speak in Spanish and the waiters are going to have to respond using their limited knowledge of Spanish to write down the orders and bring it back for the cooks to make.  If they don't get the order right or take to long to bring drinks the customers will complain.

We wanted to do this because we feel that these are experiences that Latinos go through everyday in the U.S. and it's so common that people can relate to it.

We would need the following props:  A table and chairs for the customers, paper and pens for the waiters, cups (we don't necessarily have to put drinks in them, just using them to represent the drinks), a tray for the cups, plates and perhaps we could get fruits/vegetables or just use different colors of paper to represent the different food items.

Also, either at the end of the scene or at the end of the Tunnel, we would like to pass out this message:

"Latinos...
Did you know that we are very diverse amongst ourselves? We are not all the same.  We all have our different styles, from the way we dress and speak to the foods we eat.  We don't all look alike, we have different skin tones, hair and eye colors, and you might mistake us for another race!
We have a shared history, and we shoud all unite to have a greater voice.  Avoid lumping us together under just one label with associated stereotypes, because we want to also be accepted for the unique individuals that we are!  Some prefer being called Hispanic or Latino, but whatever term you prefer, acknowledge that we share differences and similarities.
I am sure you know that not all Latin American immigrants are Mexicans.  We have immigrants from all over, from all kinds of socio-economic status.  We don't just work in kitchens and are illegal, many of us are LEGAL leaders in our communities, leaders in corporate America, outstanding students in our schools and universities, justices in the supreme court!
So when you hear immigration or latinos or hispanic, know that there is so much more to us than what first crosses your mind.  Stop and get to know us on an individual level.  We may or may not fit with your preconceived notion, but guess what....that's ok."

Please let us know what you think and if you would want to change anything.  Thank-you for your time.

Cordially,

STEPHANIE BROCK
President, Association of Latin and American Students (ALAS)
Miami University
Spanish and Latin American Studies
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(513) 227-2838

For information and upcomming events please visit www.muohio.edu/alas