The ground was cold on Tuesday.

Sophomore Christen Schwarz said that was her  first realization as she stepped outside barefoot to support “One Day Without Shoes.”

The event strives to raise awareness about people in other countries who don’t own a pair of shoes.

Tom’s Shoes, a footwear company that donates one pair of shoes to an impoverished person for every pair they sell, sponsors the annual event.

People can become susceptible to disease and infection if they walk barefoot, and schools can deny children entrance if they do not own shoes.

“It’s a good cause,” Schwarz, an international studies major, said. “It makes you appreciate what many children and people in Africa are going through.”

Freshman psychology major Alaina Rodriguez said she found out about the cause through other people and by owning a pair of Tom’s.

She said the event raises awareness because people walking barefoot around campus have to deal with questions and talk about the cause.

“It creates a scene, and people get out the word that way,” she said.

She said it also may inspire others to join in next year or research the issue on their own. This consciousness may also lead people to help in other ways.

“If more people know about it, then the problem is being worked at,” she said.

Kyle Faulkner, a sophomore communications studies and international studies major, said he was inspired to help with the event after learning more about the cause and going on a mission trip to Jamaica.

He said he was inspired to step out of his comfort zone and develop empathy for people who don’t have basic necessities, like shoes.

“I’ve never considered the position of not having shoes, until I found this cause,” he said. “It’s a good time to think about the things we take for granted in our everyday lives.”

He said that while preventing disease by providing people with shoes is important, making sure children can attend school is crucial.

“[Not having shoes] takes opportunities and experiences for growth away from them and harming them for their later years,” he said.

While Faulkner said he understands that some people went without shoes just because their friends did, he said they could still gain something from the experience and realize how fortunate they are.

“My hope is that Butler students are changed too, that we broaden our perspective and realize that some things we worry about are pretty petty,” he said.

He also said the focus of the event was the issue, and people should not get caught up in how long other people went without shoes or where they went without shoes.

“This is not a contest to see who can be the most dedicated to going barefoot all day,” he said. “It’s about drawing empathy and raising awareness for an issue that not many people think about.”

The 2010 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon may cause some dilemmas for Butler University students and parents Nov. 6.

The marathon, which highlights some of Indianapolis’s more recognizable monuments like Lucas Oil Stadium, the Arts Garden and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, will go through campus as part of the course.

Ben Hunter, Butler University Chief of Police, said he is happy to see campus as a part of the event, but acknowledges that some problems might arise, as race day coincides with Butler’s Family Weekend.

Hunter said there would be new parking regulations along Hampton and Sunset in order to accommodate the marathon.

“Unlike other times when we have to shut down parking along the roads through campus, like homecoming, that only last a couple of hours, the marathon is a day-long event, so we will be shut down for the majority of the day,” Hunter said. “This means we have to find a solution for multiple hours on what to do about the parking.”

The department has developed a university parking map for the weekend that Hunter said will highlight different areas that will be available for parking during the marathon and for Family Weekend.

The maps will be distributed throughout the week to all resident halls.

In addition to the parking dilemma, campus will be much more crowded than usual—which always raises security concerns. While there will be security on duty at the events, Hunter said there is no reason for alarm or suspicion.

Homecoming—it’s one of the biggest days for students, alumni and fans, but what does the jam-packed day of events mean for the Butler University Police Department?

BUPD Chief of Police Ben Hunter said their security assignments are not much different from any other main event that happens on campus.

“We always increase security for any events—homecoming, family weekend, whatever,” Hunter said. “It’s not because we think something is more likely to happen, but anytime you bring large amounts of people to campus, it’s best to increase our presence.”

Besides added security for events leading up to the game, the actual game security assignments were the same as usual.

Hunter said the department was not expecting any trouble, but was expecting to have more people to move in and out of the event.

He said the main job of security is to be aware of what’s going on at events and guide anyone who is in need of directions.

Hunter said there was not any premature warnings or threats to campus that students needed to worry about—last year, the school did receive a bomb threat during the Final Four showing in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

As far as the homecoming parties and underage drinking, Hunter said the university was “not specifically looking for action.” He said the only reason police ever investigate parties is due to neighborhood complaints.

“Party responsibly and the police won’t be invited,” he said. “Party irresponsibly and the police will be invited, and not from the host.”

Hunter said if there were complaints or officers noticed anyone acting out-of-line, the department was obligated to follow up.

He said they have been far more proactive in reaching out to students. It was part of their responsibility in watching over students’ health and safety.

Junior Katie Melone said she thought BUPD was not as approachable.

“I thought BUPD was a lot more overbearing than normal,” Melone said. “I thought they made themselves unapproachable by students who might be in need of assistance because they seemed to take a stand against the underage drinking.”

BUPD’s “homecoming after action preliminary report” showed one arrest for public intoxication, four students given medical attention for intoxication and three summons for arrest for minor consumption.

There were also two thefts reported—one involving someone entering the game and stealing a Morehead State player’s helmet and the other involving a student detained for stealing traffic cones.

Another student-voiced concern was the parking limitations for the morning homecoming activities, though Hunter said the zone enforcements were not in effect for the weekend.

He said he estimated the loss of seventy spots from the parking regulations along Sunset and Hampton.

He hadn’t foreseen any huge issues with clearing the streets since the staff parking would be less full and housing unit share lots. Hunter also said the department had given out pamphlets to all of the housing units about the parking limitations that would be in affect to let students know they were welcome to move their cars to the lower bowl area.

He said the parking bans were put in effect to allow homecoming traditions such as the Sigma Chi Chariot Races and the annual homecoming parade to be possible.

“These are only a temporary [parking] ban we are enforcing at the requests of students,” Hunter said.

He said because it was a student-requested ban, students should understand that BUPD was trying to make the day as enjoyable as possible and though it might have been inconvenient for some, they did what was best for the entire student body.

The “homecoming after action preliminary report” noted seven total vehicles towed from campus on Saturday.

Hunter said in the future, BUPD might consider making separate parking maps for homecoming weekend so students wouldn’t have any uncertainty about where extra parking is available.

He also said BUPD is more than happy to work with student organizations to make sure all of the events run smoothly.

“Homecoming is a university-wide effort to be supported by everyone and BUPD is happy to do their part.”