I just finished watching the new Lady Gaga music video “Til It Happens To You,” which focuses on sexual assault on college campuses. The video, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, is raw, graphic, and moving. It is exactly what people need to see in order to understand the severity of the issue, and it shows that some of the most heartbreaking and damaging moments can come after the attack.

"The following contains graphic content that may be emotionally unsettling but reflects the reality of what is happening daily on college campuses."

The video opens with a thin girl walking down a dorm hallway. In the next 30 seconds, three situations are introduced that many college students are familiar with. The first, a girl working with a guy her age on a project in her dorm room. The second, a transgender man using the men's bathroom in the dorm. The third is two girls drinking and dancing at a party. Each of these normal situations take a turn with unwanted groping, uninvited touching, and rape. Each victim is left feeling hurt and alone and wondering how they will ever go on with their lives.

For me, the worst part of this music video is that I know multiple people who have been in similar situations to the ones addressed here. A seemingly normal college university, a place where students come to learn to make the world better, is suffering from a huge problem that often gets pushed aside and not talked about. One in five women every year will be a victim of sexual assault. Together, we need to be more aware of the situations that occur daily, and we need to take a stand to prevent this from happening again.

My Letter to Sexual Assault Survivors,

I am so sorry for what happened to you. I am so sorry that someone, a stranger, a friend, or a significant other, took advantage of you and mistreated you so badly. I am so sorry that you feel hopeless, alone, afraid, and vulnerable.

I am sorry that someone didn’t see your worth. I am sorry that our society can blame a person for the way they were dressed or the way they drank alcohol, rather than blaming the accuser for the brutal things they did to you.

I can tell you, you are not alone.

I can tell you, it is not your fault.

I can tell you, you will not live in fear forever.

I can tell you, you are worthy.

“What do you know? How the hell could you know?”

It happened to me.

If you or anyone you know needs help, The National Sexual Assault Hotline phone number is 1-800-656-HOPE. Be aware, and help spread awareness on your college campus. Let’s put a stop to the daily devastation affecting thousands of college students worldwide.