April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Culture of Respect and the MPWRMNT Club is dedicated to making the culture at Carroll College safe for students who have fallen victim of sexual assault. According to the Carroll College campus climate survey on sexual assault, 42% of female students do not feel safe on campus, and the majority of female students feel that they themselves or one of their friends are at risk of sexual assault. To address this fear, we ask men on campus and supportive figures from the community (i.e., the Friendship Center, and law enforcement, including VAWA Officers) to put themselves in women's shoes and declare among their peers that they stand against gender-based violence.
Our program is adapted from the national program Walk A Mile In Her Shoes. The funding and buy-in needed for this event weren’t applicable to our campus like the larger universities, including the University of Montana. Our adaptation of the program got great feedback last year from students, the Friendship Center, and Dean of Students Annette Walstad.
Our event will start with a friendship center coordinator sharing statistics about sexual violence on college campuses, and the importance this event brings to community building and the feeling of safety on campus. Men will randomly draw a number of what order to pick their heels and get ready for a race. The relay race will consist of five teams five. Five runners will be racing at a time to complete challenges with gender-positive imaging (i.e., pinning a sexual assault awareness pin to themselves).
Winners of the race will receive a prize. All runners will be provided with pizza and water.
Brought to you by MPWRMNT Club, Culture of Respect, and The Friendship Center.