Bringing Vice President Joe Biden to the Syracuse University campus is an effective way to capture students’ attention when it comes to the prevention of sexual assault and relationship violence on campus.

Biden, an SU alumnus, will speak at Goldstein Auditorium on Thursday to promote the White House’s “It’s On Us” public awareness campaign, which is aimed at combatting sexual assault on college campuses.

It is not new for SU to offer sexual assault prevention initiatives its full support, including New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” legislation. However, featuring a high-profile figure like Biden takes the credibility of the topic a step further and sends a strong message to the university community that sexual assault is a serious problem, on a local and national basis.

Because anti-sexual assault events on campus usually consist of local speakers and SU administrators, hosting a guest from outside of the university sphere with the name stature of Biden is an engaging opportunity.

Biden’s visit comes during the “It’s On Us” National Week of Action, in which Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence, student groups and offices on campus will be hosting events related to sexual assault and relationship violence prevention efforts.

While Biden is an alumnus of the College of Law, the fact that SU is a stop on his four-campus tour is reflective of the fact that the university is a leader in the fight against sexual assault. Although Biden’s visit highlights the topic, it must also be recognized that maintaining campus-wide awareness of sexual assault prevention is a collective effort that can be strengthened by the dedicated efforts of administrators and students alike.

Organizers of the talk should work to make sure that Biden’s talk is streamed so that all students have access to the discussion to viewing the discussion on sexual assault. All student groups, not only Greek organizations, should also become involved in the promotion of events to ensure that more of the student body is aware of the chance to get involved with the initiative.

Student involvement in the “It’s On Us” National Week of Action will highlight that students have a role to play when it comes to spreading awareness of sexual assault prevention, as proven by the fact that SU junior Samantha Skaller was selected as one of the 17 members of the national “It’s On Us” Student Advisory Committee last month.

While bringing an internationally known figure onto campus to discuss sexual assault and violence prevention is a special way to engage students on the topic, it’s not the only measure that should be taken to spread the message of “It’s On Us.”

Published on November 9, 2015 at 12:28 am

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com