Only a month into the school year, the University of Oregon is making further strides to stop sexual assault and harassment on campus in a new campaign that targets bystanders.
The 90-second video "Ducks Do Something/ 'It's On Us'" debuted during the homecoming football game on Oct. 18.
The clip mirrors which aims to reduce sexual assault on college campuses. The Ducks campaign has a wider message, covering the areas of sexual assault, suicide, alcohol abuse and racism on campus.
"To be a Duck is to take action for your friend, your classmate, your teammate when they need the most," the students say in the video. "To be a Duck is to treat women with respect, to treat yourself with respect, to treat everyone with respect."
The video features activists, survivors, student athletes and sorority and fraternity leaders, including Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota, UO Fraternity and Sorority Life’s Panhellenic Council president Morgan Plew, and TEDxUOregon student speakers Carlyle Garrick and Alex Dang.
"We looked at student leaders who would be recognized in their communities," said Rita Radostitz, communications director for UO Student Life.
UO hasn't made a public statement about joining the national movement, like Oregon State University, but Radostitz said the university is following the "It's On Us" recommendations.
The video is a part of a bigger UO bystander intervention campaign, which will roll out over the next year. Radostitz said the first installment has yielded positive response from both students and parents.
The university suffered widespread criticism of the administration's handling of an alleged rape involving four students. Since then, the University Senate Task Force to Address Sexual Violence and Survivor Support has made initial recommendations to University Interim President Scott Coltrane.
The group is expected to release a final report at a meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting
