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pril 24, 2014 arbiteronline.com
Brandon Walton Staff Writer
“Part of the time I wanted to yell back at all of them,” junior Sarah Drake said. “It’s odd being yelled at by people who know nothing about you and are just making assumptions based on unfounded stereotypes.” Students like Drake were subject to vulgar insults and obscenities at last week’s Tunnel of Oppression. The Tunnel of Oppression event was put on by the Multicultural Student Services Center and is part of their Act Now Project which, in addition to the Tunnel of Oppression, had an art exhibit, a community organization fair, and many other events to bring awareness to human rights. “They have really tried to hone it to something that college-aged students can get attached to, that they may not be able to relate to,” said graduate and Act Now volunteer, Jessica Cooper. “Having them experiencing it humanizes it for them.” For this edition of the Tunnel, the themes of focus were on the Dream Act and the Add the Words campaign. The Dream Act is a bill that
would allow permanent residence for select immigrants who have graduated from high school and lived in the U.S. for at least five years prior to the bill’s enactment. Add the Words is an organization fighting for equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the state of Idaho, in which currently there are none. “I want students to know that discrimination exists in this state,” said activist Emilie Jackson-Edney. “It’s in your face and it’s blatant.” Jackson-Edney, who herself is transgender, has been involved for several years in fighting for the LGBTQIA community. Jackson-Edney hopes that this event will be the start of change. “Changing the laws isn’t going to get rid of discrimination, but the law change will make a statement,” said Jakcson-Edney. “It will say that we honor our citizens for who they are and say everyone should have equal rights.” For many students, going through the Tunnel was a very difficult thing but an eye opening experience as well. “It was a lot more unnerving than I thought it would be,” Drake said. “It definitely
Cody Finney/THE ARBITER
Tunnel of Oppression opens eyes
Past Tunnel of Oppressions have focused on a variety of subjects. made me look at things differently.” Perhaps even more difficult was the experience of the volunteers who acted in the Tunnel and were the ones that were hurling the insults out to students.
“It’s really hard,” said volunteer Amber Hastain. “It really does affect you, even if you think it won’t it does, and at the end of the day you have to tell yourself, ‘that is not who I am’.” Despite the fact that this event takes a toll on them, the
volunteers are glad to be a part of it to help educate students. “It’s really great and I love being a part of the Tunnel of Oppression,” said Hastain. In addition to subjecting students to these issues, the Multicultural Student Services Center and
its volunteers are also hoping to inspire students to make a difference. “Don’t be blind to the issues that are out there,” Hastain said. “If you hear things like what we are acting out, speak up and stand up for people.”
Justin Kirkham Staff Writer
Many backpacks, book bags and purses are filled with staple school necessities, namely notebooks, pens, binders, and textbooks. Nestled within some of these collections of lined paper and pencil lead are devices that house more than text messages and word documents, but rather offer up a home for exchangeable caricatures and avatars, cartoon home redecorators, and monster collectors. These Nintendo 3DS systems flash green when information is exchanged between two separate devices wirelessly, signalling the trade of characters, home designs, in-game items, or currency used to play other minigames. This function, referred to as Streetpass, occurs when both 3DS sys-
tems are closed and in sleep mode while within range of each other. Many students keep their 3DS systems on hand or stowed away while at school, whether it be to count their steps on the device’s pedometer or to gather more Miis in their Mii Plaza to adventure with. By simply placing the system in one’s backpack and leaving it to gather Streetpass information, a gamer is able to collect multiple added bonuses for their games or applications. Gaming enthusiast Kayla Miskiv brings her 3DS with her wherever she might run into a large amount of “young people” that also have 3DS systems. She is then able to reap the rewards of making those wireless connections without having to actually put forth added effort throughout her endeavors.
“When you go to the same place—like school—every day, you’re more likely to run into the same people on Streetpass,” she explained. “This way, you can both help to advance the game of the other person without taking any extra time from your day to do it.” Games like “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” allow players to trade house designs when initiating Streetpass functions. Players can then purchase items that they find in new friends’ houses to flesh out their own home design aesthetics. In addition, when meeting other players on Streetpass with Pokemon X or Pokemon Y in tow, gamers can collect in-game currency to purchase new items or participate in online attractions. Even though it might not look like much is going on
ricardo dearatanha/mct campus
3DS: An increasing trend at BSU
The Nintendo 3DS is making a comeback after poor sales at its launch. at face value, information is consistently being traded between 3DS systems, forging further connections between 3DS users and Nintendo enthusiasts. Streetpass enables players to find oth-
er similar players within their immediate vicinity without having to see another gamer with their 3DS system in sight. Essentially, it creates a way by which players can find and help each other
while going through staple day-to-day activities. “Even though it might be difficult to find other people with a 3DS, the Streetpass helps to build that community regardless,” said Miskiv.
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