It will happen to one out of every three American women during her lifetime. On college campuses alone, one in eight women students will be affected.

It sounds like an infectious disease, except that is prevalence is not recognized since approximately 90 percent of the college cases go unreported.

What is it? Rape. Is it here? That is what the topic of concern will be in the student-to-student panel discussion, "Rape: Is it Here? Let's Talk," to be held at 7:30 tonight in the HUB Ballroom, sponsored by Campus Life Assistance Center, student counselors.

What this talk session aims to do is increase awareness by generating open and honest discussion about the problem of rape.

Just on Monday, Sept. 18, the Collegian cited three incidents of sexual assault in the police log. What is appalling is that for each one of these reports, it is estimated that 10 to 20 more assaults go unreported.

Rape is a serious problem at Penn State, yet the high number of incidents that occur, and the fact that they are happening so close to home is not realized. We must recognize that rape is everybody's problem, and we must not ignore this problem and allow it to fester.

Rape is a blatant violation of a woman's or man's body, and it is an act of violence against a person that undermines her or his sense of control. The trauma is further increased when the perpetrator is someone the victim knows.

This brings feelings of guilt and ambivalence into the picture, as well as a questioning of whether a crime actually occurred. Rape is sexual intercourse obtained without consent, and rape is a crime, whether committed by a stranger, a date or a spouse.

I strongly encourage you to join student counselors (tonight) and support us in our efforts to reorganize and explore rape.

It is important to be sensitive to the problem of rape as it exists at Penn State, because it is an offense that is too often overlooked. Knowing where to turn for help if you or a friend is raped, and being aware of available resources in the area is crucial.

Prevention is another key issue to be explored, a major part of which is the awareness and assertion of our personal rights.