Normally I write funny articles (or at least I try to be funny in them), but unfortunately, this week that is not the case. I'm coming at you with a real world issue that absolutely has to be addressed.
Recently, the comedic website CollegeHumor made a video called "What if Bears Killed 1 in 5 People." This video starred various comedic actors such as Rob Riggle ("The Hangover," "Step Brothers," "Let's Be Cops"), Jake Johnson ("New Girl"), Lamorne Morris ("New Girl"), Steve Berg ("Skinwalker Ranch"), and David Walton ("Fired Up!").
The video opens to the five actors sitting around watching football in a basement. Rob Riggle goes upstairs only to run into a bear. When he brings it up to the rest of his friends, they all start panicking except for Jake Johnson. Jake assures them that statistically speaking, only one in five people are killed by bears. The others voice their concerns, saying that 20 percent of them will be killed by the bear. Jake responds by saying that he knows the problem is there, but that it's not his problem and he shouldn't have to do anything about it.
Pause.
Now think back to everything I just said about the video and replace the idea of being "killed by bears" with "sexually assaulted."
The video itself was a clever metaphor for the statistic that one in five5 women will be sexually assaulted by the time they finish college. Let that sink in.
Imagine all the women in your life. Your mother, your aunts, your grandmothers, your sisters, your daughters, your nieces, your girlfriend, your wife, anyone. Could you imagine any of these important women in your life going through a time like this?
While the video was funny and amuses us, we have to remember that this statistic is very real. Debate the actual numbers all you want, and do that for as long as possible for all I care. The fact of the matter is that sexual assault is a very real thing that happens on college campuses, and it is absolutely not okay under any circumstances.
The video itself was made in conjunction with the Its On Us initiative, which was started by the Obama Administration in 2014. In its essence, it goes by four guidelines:
To RECOGNIZE that non-consensual sex is sexual assault.
To IDENTIFY situations in which sexual assault may occur.
To INTERVENE in situations where consent has not or cannot be given.
To CREATE an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.
The statistic says that one in five women will be sexually assaulted by the time they finish college.
In the 2013-2014 school year, Arizona State University's enrollment was 60,168 students. Out of its student body, 44% are female. That's 26,473 students. If we take that statistic, approximately 5,294 women that will be sexually assaulted by the end of their college career. That's 5,294 women who are the daughters of loving parents, the sisters to a whole mess of siblings, and future wives and mothers with bright careers ahead of them. And that's only the statistic given to us. There are so many more incidents that go unreported for whatever reason.
What i'm asking for isn't much. I'm asking everyone -- students, college athletes, members of Greek Life organizations, literally anyone -- to take a stand. If you see someone who is in an uncomfortable situation, step the @%$& up and help that person out. If you see someone clearly being taken advantage of, get in there and break it up. If you hear about a certain situation, go out of your way to help whoever is being affected.
This isn't just some PSA you see on Facebook or Twitter (ironically, however, Facebook or Twitter is probably how you found this article). This is real life. This is a real problem. Go beyond being a decent human being and make a difference in that person's life.
One moment could completely change who they are and what their future will be.
Don't let that moment be something that you could've stopped.
It's. On. Us.
