Written by Julia Rodriquez, Asst. Opinions Editor

The Slut Walk marched across the pedestrian mall Thursday afternoon.

Men and women gathered in front of Odum bearing signs about women’s rights to their own bodies.

At 12:45, the event began as the group marched down the mall, chanting and encouraging others to join.

“We got this idea from Amber Rose’s Slut March,” Jazmyne Hatcher, junior criminal justice major, said. “We thought it would be a great way to let people know it’s never the victim’s fault in rape.”

Sigma Lambda Gamma organized the event. Many others marched with them. As they walked they spread their message by handing out flyers and informing others that the way someone dresses, is not an invitation for sex.

The classic message of “No means No,” was spread.

“We are doing this because we’ve come to the conclusion that people don’t really respect women,” Kandice Smith, sophomore art education major, said. “Women are treated as sexual objects, not people with goals and desires. Men need to stop slut shaming women and we need to stop shaming each other.”

The point of the march was to battle the prevalent rape culture in our society.

Organizers of the march wanted people to realize that jokes, cat calling, and giving women certain attention based on their clothing choice or lifestyle is not acceptable.

“People always think of Kim Kardashian as famous for her sex tape, not of her as a business women or think of any of her real accomplishments,” Smith said.

The Slut Walk encouraged men and women to view females as people with social purpose.

A message that women are contributions to society, not objects to be used by society was distributed.