The big board at Autzen Stadium and the jumbotron at Matthew Knight Arena have aired some of the university’s top athletes like Marcus Mariota and Liz Brenner, in addition to students and faculty, all sending one message: It’s on us to stop sexual assault. The video was produced to support one of the many campaigns against sexual violence.
The “It’s On Us” campaign launched in mid-September 2014 by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The campaign’s main focus is on college campuses, where one in five college women will be a victim of sexual assault.
Celebrities and professional athletes have participated in the campaign by sending messages via public service announcements that aired during the Super Bowl, Grammy Awards and, most recently, the NCAA basketball tournament.
At the University of Oregon, a program was put into place called “Ducks Do Something.” The Division of Student Life created a video challenge to students for their “voices to be louder than the statistics and give examples of how their communities are actively a part of the commitment to make real change,” according to the program’s mission statement.
On Thursday, a viewing party will be held in the Jaqua Center Room 101 for the finalists of the video challenge.
Seventeen videos have made it to the final round, and the winner will be announced on April 2. Students can vote for their favorite video by giving it a thumbs up on YouTube, and the winner of the contest will be determined by which video has the most likes.
Student groups like the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team, Student Mental Health Advocates, Safe Ride and a few more have made it to the final round. Fraternities and sororities like Chi Omega, Sigma Nu, Pi Beta Phi and others have also made it to the final round. You can view the video submissions by the finalists here.
Follow Mike Mendoza on Twitter @MikeWheresIke