On April 2 from 4 to 5 p.m., Campus Recreation held their annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” at the University Commons in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. At the event, ETSU Wellness asked men to walk a mile in high-heeled shoes to spark conversation about the effects of sexual harassment, assault or violence and to actively work against gender stereotypes. Seeking to end men’s sexualization of violence, participants involved pledged for change.

Halie Darby is the assistant director of student wellness within Campus Recreation and oversees programming on campus related to the 10 dimensions of wellness, emotional, spiritual, cultural, intellectual, financial, environmental, occupational, physical, social and digital. She oversaw planning, production and preparation for the event which consisted of gathering high heels in men’s sizes ranging from nine to 15 and handed out resources available in the Basler Center of Physical Activity throughout the year.

“We reminded our participants that not only were they having fun and walking in high heels,” Darby said in an email. “But they were also choosing to pledge to stop sexual violence and be active bystanders.”

Photo of a male participant in heels. (Elaina Gilliam/East Tennessean)

With beautiful weather, the outcome was successful with interactions from crowds passing by and participants excited to try something new as well as speak up against prejudices held against women.

“While this may seem like a spectacle, it is often a great starting point for conversations about why we are conducting the event and our goal of sexual violence prevention and awareness,” said Darby.

Looking forward, Campus Recreation will continue to hold several events throughout the month to keep awareness high such as “Take Back the Night Festival” being held on April 11 at the CPA Courtyard from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and “Denim Day” on April 24 on Culp Main Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To learn more about upcoming events and how to get involved, visit campusrec.etsu.edu/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=b836b5cb-bf09-4c2c-9e96-559526288316&semesterId=6ecb2ce4-1112-45d3-9c72-116307f7f21b.

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