Several guys put their manhood aside and strapped on some high heels to literally "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" as part of the Wellness team's campaign to communicate information about women's issues on campus.
In spite of the rain, the march experienced a better turnout than last year. Thursday's march was the second ever at UB. It attracted 62 participants, twice as many as last year. Marchers were a mix of both men and women, with 24 men participating. Some walked from start to finish, but others joined the group en-route.
"Everyone was eager to march," said Jane Fischer, director of Sub-Board I, Inc.'s education services.
Participants carried signs and chanted throughout the event to raise awareness about rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Beginning in the Student Union's Flag Room, the march circled around Capen Hall and ended outside the SU entrance.
Music was provided by WRUB as male participants received their shoes and began strutting their stuff.
According to Robyn Wiktorski-Reynolds, coordinator for the Crisis Services Advocate program, it's imperative that men participate in combating women's issues such as rape and sexual assault.
"Men need to be part of ending sexual violence," Wiktorski-Reynolds said. "It is necessary for men to step in when they see inappropriate conduct."
"Men should be held responsible for their actions and they need to be part of the solution to end sexual violence," he said.
John Bell, of Crisis Family Services, thinks that the role of men is to protect women from situations that could lead to sexual violence.
"I've been working with families for 20 years and until men take ownership of protecting women, nothing is going to change," Bell said.
According to Amanda Macalpine, an event coordinator, although women may not believe it, men are showing more interest in preventing sexual violence.
"Most women believe men don't care but they're just as passionate about stopping rape and sexual assault," she said.
Wellness Education Services and the Crisis Services Advocate Program teamed up to meet a unified goal in a non-traditional way: to show that women's issues are not just female concerns.
"The goal is to get men to be involved in prevention as well as support," Fischer said.
The rally was an effort to encourage men to support women by being aware of sexual violence.
"We're here...to show women they're not alone," said Pedro Sotelo of Wellness Education Services.
Thursday's participants proved they are concerned about the issue in a painful way.
Heels were donated from the Salvation Army, and various other sources.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
