Men At Saint Xavier Walk In Women's Shoes To Support Rape Victims
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Nineteen male students, coaches, and administrators at Saint Xavier University walked a mile in women's shoes on Wednesday, to help bring attention to the issue of sexual assaults against women on college campuses across the country.
Saint Xavier women's basketball coach Bob Hallberg was among those wearing high heels for the "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes" event. He chose a pair of white ones.
"I think they match my pants there. It's a good combination," he kidded.
Student basketball player Kody Kleinrichert said, "This is a light-hearted approach to a very, very serious topic; especially among college campuses."
Senior David Sode also wore high heels and walked the mile around campus.
"I know a lot of cases of sexual assault, and … to me, in my heart, I kind of feel like I'm supporting the women that I know who have suffered," he said.
While walking the mile, including along busy 103rd Street, the men carried signs, some of which read: "Rape Hurts All of Us," "Over 22 million women in the USA have been raped," "Put Yourself In Her Shoes," and "19% of Undergraduate Women Have Experienced Attempted or Completed Sexual Assault After Entering College."
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Saint Xavier vice president of student affairs John Pelrine said the event was first held last year, and it got people's attention.
"People stopped in their tracks, like, 'What is going on?'" he said.
One thing was for sure after the event wrapped up: the men won't be wearing heels on their own any time soon.
Campus ministry director Paul Stage summed up his thoughts on the shoes this way: "They're tight and they're wobbly. So it's not something I'd want to wear every day, I can say that."
Senior Anna Goldman was the lead organizer of the event.
"It shows other men that it's not kind of girly, and they're man enough to walk a mile in their shoes for a good cause; for raising awareness about sexual assault on college campuses," she said.
While Goldman said she hasn't seen any cases of rape at Saint Xavier, statistics show sexual assault could happen anywhere.
