By Ruth Steinhardt
In suits and ties, members of the George Washington University chapter of Delta Tau Delta looked decorous and sharp after their chapter meeting Sunday. The only thing that set them apart from other suit-clad Washingtonians was the unsteady wobble in their walk—understandable, since all were perched on four inch heels.
“Dude, your calves look amazing,” one called to a friend.
“This is impossible,” groaned another.
Led by members of GW Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), the men were participating in “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes,” an awareness activity that educates men, women and families about sexual violence.
From Sunday through Tuesday of this week, SASA held several events to raise awareness of and to combat sexual violence. All were part of Take Back the Night, an international event and non-profit organization with the mission of ending sexual violence.
In addition to Walk A Mile, GW also participated in The Clothesline Project. Hundreds of T-shirts decorated by members of the GW community—survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault as well as their loved ones and supporters—were displayed in University Yard, sharing stories and messages of healing.
On Monday, SASA organized an outdoor resource fair showcasing organizations available to survivors and advocates on campus, including the Sexual Assault Response Consultative Team (SARC) and the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC).
As the men of Delta Tau teetered around University Yard Sunday, the SASA volunteers asked questions like “What percentage of assaults are planned?” and “How many survivors of sexual assault know their attacker?”
The correct answers—71 percent and 66 percent, respectively, according to SASA and the University of Washington—shocked their listeners.
“Those statistics were horrifying, to say the least,” said Connor McInerney, a sophomore in the Elliot School of International Affairs.
“Within the Greek community, [sexual assault] is obviously an important issue,” said Delta Tau Delta chapter President Charlie Temkin, a junior. “Our chapter fully supports SASA, and we wanted to come out and show our support.”
Kalpana Vissa, director of peer education for SASA, said she enjoys the Take Back the Night events because it offers a chance to educate outside of the classroom “These conversations are hard, but they have to start somewhere,” she said.