During the course of the past year, the number of sexual assaults reported on our campus and in our community has grown at a frightening pace.
This distressing trend makes this week's third annual White Ribbon Campaign especially pertinent.
The White Ribbon Campaign involves campus men speaking up and voicing their stance against men's violence against women. During the next several days, more than 100 male students will be asking their male peers to pledge to actively condemn gendered violence in all contexts of their lives.
The men who take this courageous stand will be given a white ribbon that will be worn for the duration of the week, as well as into the coming weeks.
Our theme this year, "Allies at All Times," will attempt to address the true scope of the problems on our campus. Sexual assaults are not restricted to dark deserted areas.
Instances occur every day in the buildings we frequent and at the parties we attend to people whom we know and care about.
To end this violence we need to not only take a stance against stranger rape but also to examine all forms of violence and degradation against women in our community.
To further the dialogue we hope will be started through the campaign, we will be holding a public rally from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. today in the Pit.
Further, we invite everyone to come hear Michael Kaufman, the founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, at 6:30 p.m. in the Union Cabaret.
