Sexual assault. Two words. One problem. College campuses all throughout the nation have been dealing with sexual assault accusations for decades. Did you know that nine out of ten sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows? To take a stand against sexual assault and sexual misconduct on college campuses, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Delta Pi, have recently taken the Live Your Oath pledge, on a national-level.
This growing problem needs to stop, and it all starts with us, the students. Sig Ep and Alpha Delta Pi created a youtube video relaying a powerful message to students. The members of both houses strongly emphasize exactly what classifies as sexual assault, and how important the aspect of consent is. Consent is defined in the video as the voluntary, positive agreement between participants to engage in a specific sexual activity. The members of Sig Ep and Alpha Delta Pi have taken a stand to prevent sexual assault on college campuses. Shouldn't all chapters do the same?
Recently, Purdue Greeks have participated in a campaign called “It's On Us". The goal is to get students to take the pledge to stop sexual assault. As great as it is that Purdue Greeks have begun to step up for this cause, it would be even more effective if we took a pledge nationally as well. You can take the pledge at www.ItsOnUs.org. The It's On Us organization is able to maintain the support of many celebrities, as well as student organizations at different universities. The attention brought to this cause has really taken a positive turn in the last year.
When something does not affect your life, I understand that it can be difficult to want to be involved, and to be concerned with a cause such as this. But with that said, this issue is one that affects the Greek community as a whole, a community that, if you're reading this, you're likely a part of. If students do not step up to make a difference, nothing is going to change. Sexual assault has the ability to change someone's life forever. Think what you would do if sexual misconduct affected one of your brother's or sister's lives. We need to raise awareness, so that victims of sexual assault are given justice as well as comfort, closure, and support. According to the Huffington Post, it is estimated that one in five women are sexual assaulted while attending college. Less than half of those assaults go unreported. Let's change that statistic and help victims to realize that it's not their fault. There is something we can all do to help prevent it. It's on us to live the oath we take, and stop sexual assault.
