Vol. CXXII Issue 15
EPORTER
Stetson University | DeLand, Fla.
Men Stumble in Stilettos (For a Good Cause)
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes comes to Stetson
Amber Cox
Staff Writer
Have you ever heard
the old saying, "You can't
really understand another
person until you've walked
a mile in their shoes?" Well,
this outlook was brought to
Stetson by Wellness & Recreation on April 8 for The
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
Campaign, which literally
asks men to walk in women's high-heeled shoes.
Not just for kicks and
giggles (though there definitely were giggles), the
event was a unique way
to start conversation about
something that is uncomfortable to discuss' sexual
violence against women.
has decided to join in on the
fun.
Terrance Harris,-Assistant Director of Wellness
and Recreation, said, "We
did the event with Alpha
Chi Omega last year, and
we wanted to do it again to
bring awareness to the sexual violence against women
and to show that it is not
easy to be in a woman's
shoes."
Dyman Miller, the vice
president of the Wellness
Interns, said that they decided to hold the event in
April because it is is Sexual
Assault Awareness Month.
Since they held the event
before, they wanted to
"make it'different by incorporating obstacles."
The obstacle course
Serving as- preventive
eilBESnonf -^ik^Mile^in^^8*111^13131'0"8 that asked
Her Shoes aims to help men tht men participating to
better understand women's
experiences.
Each year, schools
across the nation participate in this playful opportunity to improve gender
relationships and ultimately, decrease the potential
for sexual violence. Stetson
answer various questions
about sexual assault or bystander situations. Other
aspects of the walk featured
hula hoops, navigating
cones, and even carrying
sandbags.
In contrast to the
event's name, however, the
gentleman participating in
Stetson's event did not actually have to walk a mile. -
"But," Harris said "they
still get the feeling with the
obstacle course "
"We also have girls
holding cat-calling signs,
which is demeaning and
degrading, but goes with
the theme of awareness and
showing men what being
in women's shoes is like,"
Miller added.
Harris added that the
overall support and involvement for the event has
been great. "We have had a
lot of football players and
fraternity members participate," he said.
After completing the
obstacle course, Stetson
student Bruno Alvez said
what he took, avia^ from
the event was that "just like,
small barriers are harder
with heels, small gender
biases can create huge issues."
Ty Hamer, another
Stetson student, agreed and
said, "It is good to bring
awareness to the topic "
"Wedges aren't that
bad though," Hamer jokingly added.
Photos credit: Shadee Rios
Stetson men try their hand—or really, their foot—at high heels while learning about the issue of sexual assault. Meanwhile, girls hold up "cat-calling signs," giving the
men a taste of what it's like being in womens' shoes, literally and figuratively.
Inside
this
issue:
The Reporter's
Los Angeles
adventure
Pages 6 & 7
Local music
-^ festival is a
big hit
Page 8
Women's sand.
fkj.d volleyball:
Battle of the ^
Top Tens &-
Page 11
