Pitcairn, a Case Hall resident assistant, or RA, who helped coordinate the event, was one of about 30 students who gathered at South Case Hall for South Side Stride for Body Pride, an event hosted by RAs in Case Hall as part of a week promoting student health, focusing on body image.

At the event, individuals came dressed in as little or as much clothing as they wanted, “as long as their private parts are covered,” Pitcairn said, and took a “stride” around South Neighborhood.

“In today’s society, it’s easy to get sidetracked and there (are) really unrealistic expectations for people to have the perfect bodies,” Pitcairn said. “… Nobody is perfect (and) we just want … people to be comfortable with who they are.”

During the stride, students opted to walk or jog and shouted words of encouragement such as, “You’re beautiful!” or “Love your body!” to people passing by.

Communication senior Richard Kuhn, another RA who helped coordinate the event, said it is all about encouraging students to feel comfortable in their own skin, rather than trying to assimilate to a certain body type.

Kuhn said the event was held to promote positives in social, mental and physical health.
“(At the stride,) you interact with others (embracing) how you view yourself and taking charge of your body,” Kuhn said. “(And) as long as you are comfortable with who you are, what everyone else thinks doesn’t matter.”

James Madison College freshman Margaret Shea came out to the event because she thought it had a positive message. She said got a liberating adrenaline rush when she was running around the building.

“I thought it was just a great way to show you can love your body and it doesn’t matter what you look like and everyone has different body types,” Shea said.

Pitcairn said the event is a time and place where students can celebrate their imperfections together. He noted at times, to get that “perfect” body, individuals might turn to eating disorders, which are more common than many might think.

As a wrestler in high school who often had to cut weight, Pitcairn said he knows what it is like to be constantly conscious of his body image. Although he said he was not borderline anorexic, he definitely knows what it was like to not eat, skip meals or jog to sweat while watching the scale.
Shea said running around in her sports bra and shorts Monday helped her overcome some of her body image insecurities.

“The event has helped me … especially with all the rumors with (the) freshman 15,” she said. “Just the other day I was, like, upset because I thought I gained a lot of weight. (And) this kind of helped me to feel normal.”