This past Friday, September 20th, members of the UMass Lowell Greek Life community met at the University Suites on East Campus to kick off what has become an annual event in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes March. In a joint effort between UMass Lowell Fraternity & Sorority Life and sorority Alpha Sigma Tau, the one-mile march brought many members of various fraternities and sororities together to raise awareness for domestic and sexual abuse that often goes unheard of. Though it was a cloudy day with a slight chill in the air, there was readiness and enthusiasm present among the participants, who were all joined to take part in the cause.
Conceptualized as a Men’s March that would allow men to stand in solidarity with women against sexual violence, the one-mile journey around parts of East Campus came with a fun twist: the male participants would complete the march in red heels, visualizing their commitment to (quite literally) walking in the shoes of the many women who deal with harassment and abuse regularly. It was apparent that though this unusual footwear selection was perhaps tough and uncomfortable to get used to for some (a handful of participants were seen with their heels taped to their feet, for stability), it did not get in the way of their willingness and desire to join in on spreading the message.
UMass Lowell’s Greek Life community was not the only campus organization present at the event, however–there was a table being hosted by the Campus Advocates for Prevention Education, also known as CAPE, who work to combat sexual violence and raise awareness about it here on our campus. “We do a lot of peer education surrounding sexual assault,” said Abigail Bessette, a representative of CAPE, when asked about the group’s presence at the event. “We’re educating against the ‘Red Zone’ today,” she added. “It’s a period of time from the start of the school year to Thanksgiving break where sexual assault is at its highest rate.”
The Connector’s Emma Hiltz also approached members of the fraternities and sororities present at the event for comment on their participation in the march and the general issue of campus safety. While she affirmed that she felt safe around UMass Lowell’s campus, Alpha Sigma Tau member Hanna Reagan noted that “more security in parking garages” would go a long way in improving the broader safety measures in place at the university. There are three major parking garages that students have access to at UMass Lowell, across the North, East, and South campuses.
For the fraternity members, much of the preparation for the walk involved making sure they were ready to be on the move in their atypical footwear. Describing his feelings towards walking in heels for a whole mile, Delta Kappa Phi member Curtis Chanthaboun was confident that he would “do okay,” and added that he “had stuff prepared in case people roll their ankles,” with a laugh. When asked who the most important woman in his life was, Chanthaboun, without hesitation, replied “it would have to be my Mom. My Mom definitely beats out everyone!” After some time to prepare and opening remarks, the group set out on their march around campus, with plenty of pizza awaiting them upon their return.
