The indoor track in the Foy echoed with laughter as male students and staff tried to cram their feet into high heel shoes.
Last Thursday night, APSU’s Sexual Assault Response Team and Office of Student Affairs held their first ever “A Mile in Her Shoes” event. Males walked a literal mile wearing high heel shoes around the Foy’s indoor track.
The crowd looked on in amusement as males proudly made their rounds and occasionally stopped to be admired.
The night was intended for more than just laughs though, the literal mile represented the metaphorical mile males can take with females to fight domestic violence. The team gave a small presentation of what men can do in the face of domestic violence: speak out, listen, communicate, and intervene, organize.
The team wanted the participants and their supporters to understand that domestic violence is not solely a women’s issue but a community’s, men and women. The participants gained a better viewpoint on the pressing issue of domestic violence as well as women’s wardrobe.
“I was enlightened about how hard high heels are to wear and what women go through to wear them.” said SGA Vice President Ankit Patell, who ran instead of walked the mile, “Running it was not a good choice but it was something I will remember.”
Other participants bravely trudged through and ended up with blisters and irritated skin by the end. Their crooked toenails stuck out of the fronts of the too small heels and lead them to admire a woman that go the whole work day in heels.
Though it was undoubtedly painful, the participants kept and open mind and attempted to gain what they could from the experience.
The event was a hit and the team plans on hosting it again next year, it used entertainment to demonstrate the involvement of men in the end of domestic violence.
