Step right, step left, heel scrape, “I’m taking these off,” car honk, cheers. Sept. 25 marked Creating A Rape Free Environment for Students (CARES) annual event Walk Against Violence. Members of fraternities – including Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Delta Theta – and on-campus clubs came together to walk the Orange Plaza in heels to “take a public stand” against relationship violence, all while breaking heels in the process. 

The event began with Dani Smith, Chapman’s rape crisis counselor and director of Proactive Education Encouraging Responsibility (PEER), addressing the crowd of about 70. Smith was joined on the steps of the Wells Fargo stage by chair members of the Queer and Trans People of Color Collective club, who pointed to increased levels of relationship violence for trans people of color. 

The majority of men involved in the event chose a pair of heels to walk in, a choice that Smith said is symbolic. 

“When men wear heels, they tend to walk slowly,” Smith said. “Just like that, we will change the culture around relationship violence slowly.”

In all, two pairs of heels died a death while walking the street, some opted to take off their wedges about two blocks in, but the impact of the event was felt by all who attended.