Two weeks ago, we asked students to be more proactive with sexual assault programs on our campus. Yesterday, Student Senate’s public relations team launched its social media campaign “Lifelines to Safety” to increase sexual assault awareness using YouTube videos and Twitter.
Utilizing social media — one of our generation’s most valued tools — proactively involves students in sexual awareness. The campaign is already off to a great start with concrete ideas, informing students as to who they should call in an emergency, bystander information and other safety tips for students.
Senate is engaging its student populations to respond to sexual assault awareness and doing so effectively. With a higher report of sexual assaults on campus in the last two years, they’re taking a step in the right direction.
However, the awareness doesn’t stop here. The student leaders and the university administration can only do so much until the student body as a whole starts getting involved. Senate’s response needs to be congruent with students actually taking action.
As students, we need to help the police help us. As nice as it sounds, police can’t be waiting in every alley to watch for every student who cuts through it. At night, we must make smarter decisions. Avoid walking alone, especially at 3 a.m., down a dark street in Athens. Keep your cell phone nearby and have emergency numbers already plugged into your cell. Call your roommate and tell him or her that you are on your way home. Have someone know where you are.
These little things have to be done by the students. We need to take some slack off the police force and start being responsible for the decisions we make. Students can piggy-back off senate’s campaign and step in themselves.
It’s time students intervene in the sexual assaults happening both off campus and on. Senate has given us a kick-start, so let’s be the driving force home.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
