A man sexually assaults a woman every five minutes in the United States. One in three American women will be raped in her lifetime.

The problem of sexual assault is a national epidemic, with over 700,000 assaults being reported annually. The AMA suspects that only 10 percent to 50 percent of assaults are reported, while others remain silent secrets that the victims keep to themselves.

But these statistics from the Uniform Crime Report and the National Victim Center are distant, a national problem that doesn’t have anything to do with Iowa.

Or are they?

John Tate, an Iowa State student who last week turned himself in for sexual assault, sent a wake-up call to the ISU community and proved that sexual assault can, and does, happen here.

It may be surprising that sexual assault happens on our sleepy ISU campus, but it shouldn’t. Sexual assault and rape affect every person who lives in the United States, and the students of ISU are no exception.

Sixty-eight sexual assaults were reported to DPS in the 1996-97 school year. That is 68 assaults in which someone associated with ISU was either a victim or a perpetrator.

Sexual assault happens on our campus, and it happens to people who are students and teachers at ISU.

Reporting on these incidents is not intended to create a sense of fear and panic around the campus where students, men and women, fear walking at night or question their personal safety.

Do not run out and purchase personal alarms or key chains that spray mace or pepper spray.

Take precautions and look out for your friends, look out for the people with whom you live and look out for your classmates. Look out for each other.

This is not a frat problem, or a just woman’s problem. Sexual assault is not someone else’s problem; it’s our problem.

We all have to live with the understanding that this horrendous act can happen on this campus. It happens on our streets, and it happens on our dorm floors.

This instance of alleged sexual assault is certainly not the first at ISU, and sadly, it won’t be the last.

But if we protect ourselves and become better informed, vicious attacks such as this one can be prevented.