On Oct. 3, every Oswego State student received an email from the faculty. That email was sent to announce the issue of the Annual Security and Fire Report. It was probably forgotten, unopened or quickly overviewed, and that is a shame.

Thirteen: That is the number of rapes that have been reported to the school’s officials in 2016.  Considering the fact that a school year is only eight months, more than one rape per month was perpetrated last year.

Oswego State is not the only school to issue that report. The Jeanne Cleary Act requires colleges to do so, and for every single one in the U.S., the numbers are striking.

Society and the constant pressure witnessed by people around victims of rape is keeping a lot of them from coming forward. We seriously have to wonder what kind of country, and world, we live in if standing up for ourselves and other rape survivors against aggressors makes us crazy.

Money, as usual, and reputation are at the core of the issue. Of course, colleges do not want to write on their recruitment pamphlets the numbers of rapes that happened on campus. Imagine receiving your acceptance letter with this document attached. Imagine putting yourself into debt for the rest of your life to move into a dorm where dozens of students get raped every year. Using these words might put everything back into perspective.

At Oswego State, some actions are taken to curb those infuriating numbers. The school is implementing the principles of Title IX. Title IX coordinators are present on campus to handle any claim of discrimination based on gender, which includes sexual assault. Additionally, every single student club, including Greek organizations, is required to participate in a Title IX training. It’s on Oz is also very active on campus for Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention. These actions are more than some other universities provide for their community. Still, the numbers speak for themselves.

Students need to act out for their campus to be the safest place around. As a young American, as the future of the nation, they need to take action to make sure that these numbers keep on decreasing. Students need to believe claims of sexual assaults and report them constantly, wherever and whenever it happens. Be furious, be passionate and dare to be the crazy one.

Photo: Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian