COEUR d'ALENE - An interactive exhibit designed to create vicarious feelings of sadness, anger, fear and anxiety is achieving its goal this week at North Idaho College.

"Footsteps: A Journey of Many" is on display in NIC's Edminster Student Union Building through Thursday.

"We wanted this to be an impactful experience that highlights social injustices," said Josh Swan, a student involved in planning the exhibit.

The exercise in empathy takes place in a dark labyrinth created in an event room in the student union building. Viewers are led on a 20-minute guided tour through a maze of displays illustrating issues affecting veterans and people touched by racism, discrimination and homophobia. The exhibit provides a child's view of domestic violence in the United States and that of children forced into labor in factories in South America and India.

"It's very eye-opening," said NIC student Benaiah Cheevers. "It is really shocking because you do experience many of the feelings of the people."

Viewers are shown images and items that enable them to sense what it might be like to be a soldier carrying a more than 50-pound pack through the desert in Iraq. They also get a feel for what it might be like to come upon a roadside bomb designed to detonate when someone picks up something as innocuous-appearing as a piece of fruit.

When the guide, Heather Erickson, challenges one of the viewers to approach the IED and pick up one of two items resting on it, the viewer grabs an orange and a yellow light goes off.

"This whole group was just killed," said Erickson, the college's assistant director of student development.

During a role-playing segment of the tour, gender and sexual orientation issues are addressed. Exhibit viewers get a feel for what it's like for a gay student to be subjected to verbal abuse. The participants face each other and read from scripts: "Weirdo." "You're going to burn in hell." "She-male."

One of the more intensely emotional parts of the tour occurs as the guide provides the narrative of what a child watching domestic violence unfold in his own home might feel. Viewers are taken through a range of emotions, from the dread the child feels as he gets off the school bus and walks up to the front door of his home, to those emotions felt as he leaves the home with his mother after she has been beaten by the child's father.

The final display gives a glimpse into the lives of small children who work in foreign factories producing many highly visible brand name items sold in the United States. The children's recorded voices tell their stories. A little boy in India talks about how his parents sold him to the factory owners in exchange for money, and how he must slave away to pay off their debt. The child sleeps on the factory's roof and is fed insect-infested rice.

"I didn't know what to expect. I was really impressed with the depth that NIC took this to," said student Meg Aunan, following the tour.

The tour ends with a few minutes of small group discussion.

"If people are aware, they're less likely to perpetuate these examples of social injustices," Erickson said during the debriefing discussion.

The displays were designed by various student groups on campus, with the racism exhibit provided by the Human Rights Education Institute. ASNIC (Associated Students North Idaho College), the college's Veterans Club, the American Indian Student Alliance, the drama club and the Gay/Straight Alliance all participated.

Erickson said the students selected the topics themselves.

Prior to taking the free tour, participants must sign an informed consent form acknowledging that they are aware of the intense and sensitive nature of the subject matter. They are cautioned that it might be "intensely uncomfortable" for some people, particularly those with a history of oppression, violence or discrimination.

The tours are free and run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. today and Thursday. Reservations are required.

Information: www.nic.edu/footsteps