Don't Assume You Know

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A group of North Carolina student-athletes has launched the “Don't Assume You Know” campaign, inviting people to take a second look at assumptions they might hold. The campaign is particularly geared toward some of the issues college students may face: sexual assault, relationship violence, alcohol abuse, hazing and bystander apathy.

“Small assumptions we hold, whether intentional or not, can have a huge impact on the way we interact with those around us,” said Elly Wagner, a senior on the Carolina softball team. “These assumptions lead to false stereotypes, micro-aggressions, and prejudice that can hinder diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. The goal of this campaign is to start a conversation that we hope will dispel some of those mistaken assumptions.”

The campaign is in the form of nine images, each including a student-athlete from a different UNC varsity team. Each image raises an assumption and asks the reader to reconsider it. The campaign also includes resources that students can consult for more information or help with that issue.

A larger number of Tar Heel student-athletes participated in the campaign's planning, but those pictured in the images are:

Leslie Cloots, Women's Golf

Ashley Dai, Women's Tennis

John Paul Gaylor, Men's Swimming & Diving

Elijah Hood, Football

Katie Kinsey, Women's Lacrosse

Josselyn Mackey, Gymnastics

David October, Men's Soccer

Ethan Ramos, Wrestling

Elly Wagner, Softball

“As members of varsity teams at the University of North Carolina, we believe we have a platform and we want to be sure we use that the best way possible,” Wagner said. “These are issues and struggles that many students face, and we hope that by exposing some of them in this way, we might be able to help people think twice about the way they see and interact with some of the people around them.”

UNC has a peer education group called SWAG (Something We Athletes Got), which provides programing on many of these same issues. This campaign is an effort to continue that education and hopefully increase its reach. For more about SWAG, click here or follow on Twitter at @SWAGUNC.

1. Don't Assume Someone Else Will Do the Right Thing

2. Don't Assume Your Friends are in Healthy Relationships

3. Don't Assume Hazing is Tradition

4. Don't Assume Your Friends Have It All Together

5. Don't Assume You Know What's in Your Cup

6. Don't Assume Your Friend Is OK to Drive

7. Don't Assume I Come From Money

8. Don't Assume Your Teammates Are Straight

9. Don't Assume Everyone is Sexually Active