President's Report Masthead
June 30, 2013

Fraternity member lives the 20:1 message

Jose Rivera, a member of Lambda Upsilon Lambda, assumed a leadership role with the 20:1 Program during his senior year at Binghamton University. He graduated with a degree in sociology in May, and is now working in risk management with State Farm Insurance in New York City. The first in his family to be born in the United States, he is also the first to attend college.

“I got involved [in 20:1] because I had been hearing about the program since I was a freshman,” he said.

“To me it’s important because I don’t drink or smoke at all – it’s a personal decision and I’m always a driver – and I’ve seen the negative effects it has on people. Being involved in the program helps me tell people alcohol has such a huge part in sexual assault. I’m a DJ and the first person in and last person out, and I’ve seen a lot of negative things that make me want to make a change.

“I think it makes it easier for me to spread the message because I’m not afraid to fail. I’m creating my own path and if it’s different, hopefully my fraternity brothers and real brothers can follow that,” he said.

Rivera had a few opportunities to interact with members of the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention Task Force during its April visit to campus. “What I would hope is that some of the things they learned from us will be put into effect in the different military systems, especially having their own people teach peer-to-peer,” he said. “It’s easy to have someone from outside come in to lecture, but it’s more important for military personnel to have their own buddies come in to say ‘This is a serious problem and this shouldn’t be occurring and it’s wrong’ and give them the knowledge to help stop it.”