Coastal Carolina University will observe Sexual Assault Awareness Week April 5 to 10 with various programs and events planned to encourage discussion and promote awareness of sexual violence. All events are free and open to the public.

The week will feature a number of events, including films, forums and special activities. The highlight of the week is an event called “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes,” which will take place in Spadoni Park at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 8. Each male participant will be sponsored by a female "blister sister" who will assist him in walking through a mile-long obstacle course in high heel shoes. The purpose of this event is to give men a sense of empathy for the female experience. The walk is sponsored by the University Counseling Services and Campus Assault Resource and Education Support (C.A.R.E.S.) Coalition.

Other Sexual Assault Awareness Week events include:

* Monday, April 5

* Clothesline Project T-shirt making will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Prince Lawn. Students will create t-shirts with statements supporting victims of sexual abuse. Shirts will be hung on clotheslines located around campus and displayed throughout the week. The event will be held at same location and time through Thursday.

* Sexual Assault Forum will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Edwards 256. The student-led forum will address sexual abuse and assault issues.

* Tuesday, April 6

* Alcohol Screening Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Prince Lawn. Participants will complete a 10-minute assessment of their alcohol use. Also, the South Carolina State Troopers will have a “rollover vehicle” simulator present which demonstrates an actual full size vehicle and what occurs during a rollover crash when people are not wearing seat belts.

* Coastal’s Got Talent will begin at 7 p.m. in Wall Auditorium.

* Wednesday, April 7

* Psychology Film Series will present “Precious” at 7 p.m. in Wall Auditorium. The film features an illiterate teen living in Harlem who is pregnant with her second child. She is invited to enroll in an alternative school and takes her life in a new direction.

* Thursday, April 8

* Sign-in begins for Walk A Mile In Her Shoes at 3:30 p.m. on Student Deck.

* Walk A Mile In Her Shoes will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Spadoni Park Circle.

* Film “Open Window” and discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Wall 309. The film features a struggling young photographer and an assistant professor in Los Angeles whose perfect marriage is shattered by acts of violence.

* Saturday, April 10

* Volleyball social will be held at 1 p.m. at the Woods resident’s hall volleyball court.

* “Bet on a Cure” will begin at 7 p.m. in the small gym and is sponsored by Students Taking Active Responsibility (S.T.A.R.)

Registration forms for “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” are available in the Office of Counseling Services. For more information on Sexual Assault Awareness Week, contact Sean Pierce in Counseling Services at 843-349-2305.