White Ribbon Campaign promotes ending violence against women

One can expect to see students and faculty sporting red high heels in Tyler Haynes Commons this coming week as part of the White Ribbon Campaign, an international effort of men working to end violence against women. The Richmond College Dean’s Office, in partnership with RCSGA, Residence Life and Recreation and Wellness, will host a variety of events this week as part of University of Richmond's ninth annual White Ribbon Campaign.

The week’s events will include tabling in the Commons, a Man Talk series discussion in Dennis Hall, the Ribbon Run 5K and the men’s basketball game Saturday night. For many of these events, the dean’s office is partnering with Safe Harbor, an organization that supports survivors of sexual and domestic violence in the Richmond area, to provide information and support for students on and off campus.

“Richmond College has three values for Richmond College students to live by: acting with sound judgment, generosity of self and living confidently,” Brad Groves, RCSGA president, said. “This [White Ribbon Campaign] is an initiative that abides by those three values and tries to end a serious problem.”

For tabling in the Commons, students will be invited to sign a pledge that states, “I pledge never to commit, condone, or remain silent about violence towards women and girls.” Students will also be encouraged to “Walk the Commons in Her Shoes” by strutting a pair of red pumps to raise awareness about sexualized violence against women. Anyone who participates by wearing the high heels will receive a free T-shirt, for which they are encouraged to wear to the men’s basketball game at the end of the week.

RCSGA members and Richmond College Resident Assistants will be handing out armbands to remind students of the importance of the campaign’s cause even after the week is over. “Walk the Commons in Her Shoes” attracts a lot of attention to the cause during tabling each year, Alex Holva, vice president of finance for RCSGA, said. “It’s pretty engaging when you see someone standing in heels,” Holva said, “and I think it gets a much higher response rate than normal tabling.”

First-year men are invited to join a Man Talk discussion, “Come On Man, That Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady” in Dennis Hall at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. This discussion, which is facilitated by students with the help of administration and faculty, will use current events such as the recent Ray Rice elevator video to spur dialogue about possible objectification of women on Richmond’s campus. 

Representatives from Spiders for Spiders, a new student movement to end sexual violence on Richmond’s campus, will also help guide the Man Talk.

“White Ribbon Campaign hopefully gets the conversation started," Kevin Corn, Richmond College Residence Life area coordinator, said, "but what we’re trying to do is provide a way for that conversation not only to be a week-long event, but to be something that students feel is a true cause and is something that they need to be working on every day.”

The Ribbon Run 5K will begin 4 p.m. Friday on the university track. This is the second year the White Ribbon Campaign has included the 5K in the week’s activities. RCSGA organizers of the run are expecting a larger turnout this year. The Dean’s Office has partnered with Recreation and Wellness to create a 5K course that will begin and end in the stadium and will use the Jumbotron for announcements during the run. Registration is $10 per participant, and the proceeds will go to Safe Harbor.

The final White Ribbon Campaign event of the week will be at the men’s basketball game Saturday night, where students are encouraged to wear WRC shirts to match the athletes and show Spider spirit for the campaign’s cause.

Although Richmond College has hosted the White Ribbon Campaign since Associate Dean Patrick Benner introduced it to campus in 2006, this year’s campaign is particularly relevant to discussions on campus. 

“With as much national attention as sexual misconduct and Title IX has right now, as it should be,” Corn said, “this [campaign] is touching on topics that we need to be dealing with as an institution from all levels, from administration to faculty to students. It’s a great way to put a spotlight on these other movements such as Spiders for Spiders and to gain momentum.”

“My goal every year doesn’t change,” Benner said. “It’s to increase awareness and educate the students. If it starts a one-on-one conversation between two students as they pass by the table, then that is a success.”

Contact reporter Rhiannon Bell at rhiannon.bell@richmond.edu