LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – With the start of the 2020-21 athletic calendar beginning this weekend, UNLV's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has announced its support of the social justice initiative
C.H.A.N.G.E., Come together,
Have a voice,
Advocate,
Not alone,
Growth, and
Engagement. Each Rebel athletic team will have the option to add either a helmet sticker or jersey patch to their uniform: UNITED, EQUALITY or C.H.A.N.G.E.
A six-member SAAC subcommittee spearheaded the effort, including SAAC President Sean Gage (men's swimming & diving), Kate Brennan (volleyball), Marvin Coleman (men's basketball), Nate Neal (football), Bailey Thomas (women's basketball) and Jack-Thomas Wold (baseball).
"We are incredibly proud of our student-athletes and respect their desire to honor our commitment to social justice," UNLV Director of Athletics
Desiree Reed-Francois said. "What makes this initiative so special is that it is student-driven and student-designed."
The designs for the helmet stickers and patches were created by football student-athlete Darran Williams, while the C.H.A.N.G.E. acronym was originally developed by men's swimmer Casey McEuen.
"Throughout this time, the biggest thing that I've learned is the ability to stop and listen to what others have to say and to try to understand what other people, especially from other cultures and backgrounds, are feeling," Gage said.
Williams expressed what this initiative means to him.
"We're coming together from all of the sports programs, and we're trying to make the world a better place and really make a change," Williams said. "We are trying our best to spread positivity because there is a lot of negativity going on."
Thomas sees the initiative as an opportunity to not only play for her hometown university, but also for something more.
"The C.H.A.N.G.E. initiative gives athletes the ability to play for and represent a greater purpose," said Thomas. "It is empowering because I will now have the opportunity to wear a word on my jersey that means a lot to me. I will be playing for my university, my community and also for social justice. This initiative gives me a voice and a platform to stand for what I believe in. My hope is it will also help bring UNLV student-athletes closer together than we have ever been before. I want all of our sports to unite and use their voice to fight for equality and justice."
Coleman understands the platform that UNLV student-athletes have and wants to utilize his to the best of his ability.
"There are things going on in the world that are out of our control, including examples of social injustice," Coleman said. "As student-athletes, we don't have the same platform that NBA players do or other athletes have, but we do have a voice, and I feel it is something authentic that we're doing here at UNLV. For me, it's about equality. We're all people and people should look at each other the same. There's no one better than anyone. No race is better than any other race. It's all about working hard and earning your name, earning yourself as an individual."
McEuen explained his thought process behind the acronym.
"C.H.A.N.G.E. can mean anything to anyone; it doesn't have to be just about social injustices or race or racial issues and the current ongoing tension in our country. You can apply the C.H.A.N.G.E. principles to other areas of your life. Since I am a student-athlete, I can apply the C.H.A.N.G.E. mantra to my team and come together with my teammates to discuss our thoughts, to share the struggles and challenges that we've had during the pandemic. We all have a choice. Our school is very diverse and we have a lot of bright minds here and this is a great way to keep the conversations going."
UNLV's first athletic competition of 2020-21 will be Saturday, October 24 as the football team will play on the road against San Diego State in Carson, California. The team will wear the EQUALITY sticker on its helmets.
