2008 Woodie Awards
High Heels for High Hopes
Moran, William
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: News
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This year there were fewer participants that strapped on high heels and walked for the cause. Normally, there are 70-75 walkers, but this year only about 55 registered. Last year, there were approximately 100 walkers whose enormous efforts raised almost $6,000. In this year's event, about $3,000 was raised. Typically, WAM is held on the Quad, but this year, because of the construction outside the Pond Student Union Building, they were unable take advantage of the higher student concentration on the Quad.
Although the turnout was less than past years, Kimberly Talbot, the founder of Project Hope and the initiator of WAM at ISU, wished to generously thank all those who participated and were involved. The largest group to walk was Kappa Sigma Fraternity followed by Chi Alpha and the Bengal Newspaper. Faculty and staff also put on heels and walked, such as: Ram Eddings, Advisor for TRIO Support Services; Brian Janssen, Cross Country Head Coach; and Jim Fullerton, Interim Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.
"I think it is a great way to draw attention to an important issue. As far as I'm concerned, the more walkers the merrier," Fullerton said. "Anything to support Project Hope and the Advocacy program is great."
Speaking about ISU students showing their support, Talbot said, "It's tough to balance schedules with classes and walking, but students are our biggest supporters." She continued by acknowledging the participation of the faculty and staff and said, "We'd love to see more faculty come out and walk."
It is not too late to make a difference however. The deadline for donations is Oct. 17 so there is still time to donate to Project Hope. There are also 2009 calendars for sale that give information about Project Hope and WAM, and are filled with great pictures from prior years' walkers. Donations and revenue from the sales of these calendars goes towards prevention and awareness activities and also towards training staff and volunteers for Project Hope. To help out this cause, visit the Anderson Center in Gravely Hall, Room 118, and buy a calendar for ten dollars plus tax. They can also be purchased online at http://www.isuwalkamile.com. This is a great way to help and support a great cause.
Talbot is responsible for bringing WAM to ISU. Project Hope was the first program of its kind in Idaho to facilitate WAM, and has possible. "Men are key to ending violence against women," Talbot said.
Talbot said that it is essential for men to be exposed and knowledgeable about this issue. Both men and women listen to men on this issue, so it is crucial that men have an understanding of the issue because they can talk to both sides. However, Talbot and those facilitating WAM also understand that walking in high heels will not solve everything.
A quote from the Walk a Mile calendar explains that "Idaho State University's Walk a Mile does not claim that men will understand all women's experiences by simply walking in a pair of high heel shoes. It is not the objectification of women through the use of the symbolic high heel. Walk a Mile at ISU is a chance for men to join the movement to end intimate partner violence."
Speaking about his experience as a first-time walker in the WAM fundraiser, Clay Nelson, Editor-in-Chief of the Bengal, said, "I was amazed that I was cheered on by women sitting in the Rendezvous eating their lunch. They thanked me as I walked by. I was even stopped by a couple of women who identified themselves as survivors who hugged and thanked me for what I was doing. I really didn't know that this event touched so many people's lives."
But not everyone found this activity appealing. Talbot said that people call her and say that what they are doing demeans men or objectifies women. Others simply feel that the men who walk in high heels are making fools of themselves. But despite this mild resistance, Talbot maintains that it is absolutely crucial to get men involved in the issue. "It's a start to a bigger thought process," Talbot said. "Not everybody agrees with it, but it's a start and we need men's help." A Project Hope handout about WAM states, "We hold this event to highlight and praise men that want to change the world, not to make fun of or emasculate the men that participate."
Talbot recognized that the overwhelming majority of men are not violent, but that they pay for the acts of those men out there who are violent. For example, if a guy is walking to the Rendezvous Building and happens to be walking behind a woman, there can be uncomfortable tension because of the suspicion that the guy might be stalking. This is unfortunate, and WAM is an event that tries to educate and show that men are fighting to prevent sexual violence.
Frank Baird, the originator of WAM, said in the calendar that "This march gives men the opportunity to publicly demonstrate their courage and commitment to preventing sexualized violence." Baird started WAM in 2001, and in the last seven years the project has grown extensively. Talbot said that this year there are 150 WAM events scheduled nationwide.
Another organization that helps get men involved in this issue is Men Today, Men Tomorrow, which is based in Boise, Idaho. They are an affiliation of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. To learn more about them, visit their website at http://www.mentodayidaho.org.
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