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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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80,794 Badger fans saw UW Athletics debut hard stance against sexual assault

Campaign was something Badgers running back Dare Ogunbowale ‘definitely wanted to be part of’
Dare ogunbowale
Courtesy of Men Against Sexual Assault
Dare ogunbowale

When university officials approached Badgers’ running back Dare Ogunbowale about participating in the University of Wisconsin’s “Its On Us” partnership, it dawned on him that it was an important opportunity to take a stand on something he strongly believed in.

UW joined the national “It’s On Us” campaign against sexual assault earlier this month. As part of the campaign, a series of videos featuring student leaders will be played at home games, the first of which was broadcast before 80,794 fans at the Wisconsin football team’s 24-7 win over Purdue Saturday, Oct. 17.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/10/20/inside-27-6-survey-reveals-what-is-already-known-about-persistent-sexual-assaults-on-campus/

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Along with Ogunbowale, the video featuring several prominent figures on Wisconsin athletic teams. Ogunbowale has been active on the anti-sexual assault scene recently, having also participated in a video from the student organization “We’re Better Than That: Men Against Sexual Assault.”

“It was just something that we got approached about and something that I couldn’t really turn down,” Ogunbowale said. “It’s a big problem and nobody really talks about males’ roles in it. A lot of times they view women as a victim. It was definitely something I really wanted to be a part of.”

https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/10/08/uw-athletes-take-stand-against-sexual-assault/

UW outside linebacker Joe Schobert didn’t appear in the video, but said that by seeing high-profile members of campus, including student-athletes, the message may be better received by the public.

“Obviously it’s big if people know who you are to kind of get the word out,” Schobert said. “I don’t think anybody in the world wants somebody to get sexually assaulted. Obviously on college campuses there’s a lot of problems with alcohol.”

Schobert said the video and overall initiative can have an impact even if it stops just one sexual assault going forward, but he hopes it will have a broader effect.

Ogunbowale said he would have helped with the campaign regardless of whether he was a student-athlete or not, because of the seriousness of the issue.

“I don’t think I did it just because my voice carries,” Ogunbowale said. “I just did it because it’s such an important topic that I wanted to show I was on board with it.”

These initiatives have come on the heels of the Association of American Universities Sexual Assault Climate Survey results, which revealed that nearly 28 percent of undergraduate females are victims of sexual assault at UW.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/09/24/sexual-assault-results-discussed-at-asm/

Athletics Director Barry Alvarez said in a statement that partnering with “It’s On Us” reinforces the department’s commitment to keep all UW athletes and students safe.

“We are constantly educating our staff and student-athletes about creating an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported,” Alvarez said. “’It’s On Us’ shares a message to our fans across the country that we can create an environment that supports survivors.”

https://youtu.be/k1fayQxKw9E

In a world where major sports leagues, like the NFL, have been ridiculed for how they handle athletes’ punishments in abuse cases, the opportunity for athletes to advocate for causes like the “It’s On Us” campaign can help reverse the narrative that athletes get a free pass when it comes to issues like this.

“No matter where you are, people make bad decisions,” Schobert said. “Especially sometimes with athletes, just from past things that have happened in the whole world of sports that get a bad rap. So when people stand up or say something like that, it brings a good message and people can look to that.”

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