The red zone. If you have never heard of this, you probably haven’t stepped on a college campus during the first month of the new school year. The commencement of the fall term has been recognized as a period when college students are most at risk of sexual assault, especially first years. From the ‘jungle juice’ and endless kegs, the party scene during the first few weeks of college is more dangerous than people realize.

On average, one in five students experience an unwanted and nonconsensual sexual experience during their time in college, according to RAINN. Furthermore, 88% of students do not report, as found by the Washington Post. As the Me Too movement has grown since the allegations in Hollywood, celebrities have come out, encouraging more individuals to share their stories and take action. People are finally stopping to give survivors a voice, advancing the dialogue on the topic.

“I hope students start to step up and ultimately help the campus itself to change,” said Kassidy Leonard, a survivor from the University of Denver.

Following the Larry Nasser investigation this past weekend, hundreds of Michigan State University students gathered to listen to speakers and march for the survivors of sexual assault at their school, and elsewhere. Standing in solidarity with the survivors, students have further advanced the conversation in society and more so, the media.

Student-run organizations are taking on a large portion of responsibility to educate peers. At the University of Denver, DU Collegiate Council on Gender Violence Topics (CCGVT) works to “…eliminate sexual assault and other gender-based violence,” as cited on their Facebook page. The group promotes various organizations on the campus, such as the Red Tape Project, Center for Advocacy, Prevention, and Education, Queer and Straight Alliance, It’s On Us, Into the Light, End Rape on Campus, and the DU Feminist Student Alliance, all helping to advocate education and awareness related to gender violence and assault.

“Students are doing a lot more than faculty,” commented Leonard.

At the University of Texas, Not On My Campus is an ongoing campaign that hosts events, supported by Greek life. “During weekends of higher historic levels of abuse the IFC has on campus events,” said Jordan Coff, a University of Texas fraternity member.

Similarly, at UCLA, End Rape On Campus was created to spread awareness and give support to survivors that are currently going through, or have already filed a report with Title IX. In addition to this organization run by the school, students launched 7000 in Solidarity, a campaign that focuses on sexual assault education, advocacy and research. UCLA students recognize the incidences on their campus and continue to host and participate in events to spread more awareness and education, such as the yearly UCLA Enormous Activities Fair, which includes over 800 organizations.

It’s On Us, a social movement organization, was founded by President Barack Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls in 2014. Since its formation, over 500 campuses across the nation have partnered and begun different chapters. The awareness and prevention has attracted students across the nation, stimulating action on campuses. Joe Biden has been tremendously active within the organization, visiting schools across the country to speak on the issue, including the University of Denver in 2015.

On college campuses, the topic remains relatively quiet from the universities themselves, as these issues are not welcoming for new or current students. At the University of Denver, for example, several perpetrators have received probation from the school, but no further punishments.

“He is still walking around campus and she has panic attacks if she sees him across the bridge. She’s the one that has to bear this burden for what happened to her,” commented Elizabeth Hamilton, a first-year resident hall assistant, concerning a close friend.

Title IX, a 1972 Education Amendment, requires schools that receive a portion of funding from the government to address and respond promptly when an assault is reported.

Since late September of 2017, Betsy DeVos altered the guidance of the amendment, giving universities the power to define the standard of evidence required for a conviction. Popularly elevated by supporters of accused students, it has changed the way survivors and activists are living the process.

Following an incident, when helping her residents, Hamilton said “…the main thing to do is to make it all options and choices for them… support them, listen to them, validate them, and then lay out roads to go down.”

Educating the survivor is fundamental when undertaking the situation, stresses Hamilton.

Many people are unaware of the processes until an incident has occurred, and must then learn the steps to take following the happening. Students have an overwhelming number of resources, but guidance is necessary to fully understand options.

“You want to let them know what the process is, you don’t want to take away their power, they’ve already had so much power taken from them,”

Within Greek life, new fraternity and sorority members are required to attend training regarding sexual assault and gender violence at the University of Denver, University of Texas, and many others. These trainings are offered by the Title IX offices and teach ways to prevent incidences in addition to the steps once something has occurred. Trainings are always offered, but it is a matter of making them more widely attended and required.

While universities may be requiring some students to attend training and seminars, it has greatly become the students who lead the way in advocating. University of Denver‘s Undergraduate Student Government, the CCGVT, and the Healthy Pios at the DU Health and Counseling Center will be hosting Love, Sex, and Health Week. During the third week in February, education and promotion of healthy practices will be the overall theme.

From UCLA and UT, to the University of Denver, students are leading the way, talking about these issues like never before, and making changes to eradicate sexual assault one step at a time on campuses.

“…I encourage people to try to be on the right side of history,” said Leonard