Ohio University students are invited to take a stand against power-based, personal violence during “A Mile Together,” an annual event hosted by the University that aims to bring awareness to relationship and partner violence, sexual violence, stalking and other uses of force, threat, intimidation or harassment.
What started out as a one-off event named, “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” where men walked down Court Street in high heels or women’s shoes to raise awareness of domestic violence, turned into a week of events in 2015 that was designed to highlight the various ways in which diverse groups on campus are impacted by violence and can be involved in the prevention thereof.
“Designed with collaboration in mind, this new approach sought to connect students with campus resources while inspiring people of all genders and abilities to become active, effective bystanders who intervene in situations where fellow Bobcats are being harmed,” said Mat Hall, assistant director of Health Promotion for Sexual Assault Prevention.
Since 2015, “A Mile Together” has further evolved into an umbrella of programming that focuses on providing prevention education during the entire academic year, rather than a single awareness week.
Many of the events remain focused during September and October, traditionally known as the “Red Zone,” as it’s known that nationwide students are most likely to be impacted by sexual and gender-based violence during the first part of the academic year.
Events included in “A Mile Together” are:
• “Defining the Red Zone” at 7 p.m. on Sept. 18 in Baker University Center 231.
• A free screening of “Start by Believing” at 7 p.m. at Athena Cinema.
• Marti and Stewie Sexual Assault Awareness Craft Night at 9 p.m. on Sept. 19 at West 82.
• “A Mile Together” Main Event from noon to 3 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the Aquatic Grove.
• “Wellbeing Being with Pride” from 2 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 3 in the Multicultural Center.
Other events leading up to the main event included a Mindfulness Yoga Workshop with the Survivor Advocacy Program on Sept. 9 and a designated space for survivor stories, art and poetry at Donkey Coffee on Sept. 10.
The main event is co-sponsored by University Programming Council and will focus heavily on consent. OHIO’s Health Promotion will provide education on bystander intervention and consent, and campus partners will share information about their offices in Survivor Advocacy, Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, the Women’s Center and Student Senate.
“All of these offices provide critical programmatic partnership as well as provide services to survivors, trainings to campus constituencies, and support critical prevention work,” Hall added.
Additionally, there will be a petting zoo as part of the event to help entice participants.
“‘A Mile Together’ provides the opportunity that we as a campus community can come together to support one another,” said Lydia Ramlo, president of Student Senate. “Through this event, students can increase their awareness of power-based violence to become a better bystander for their Bobcat family. I hope students learn what it means to be a Bobcat and to understand that it comes down to us to change the narrative of power-based violence.”