On the NCAA Social Series podcast, the three student-athletes - Shillow, Pepper and Vedika Anand, a Division I SAAC member and former women's tennis player at Wagner - discussed the pledge line by line. It was also the topic of the 31st episode of the NCAA Social Series, where a SAAC representative from each division discussed the Unity Pledge and its importance. 23 on the social media pages of the national SAACs. We encourage student-athletes, coaches and administrators to use this statement in your conference, campus and with your teams as we push forward for change as a collective group, united as one." In light of the social injustice and hate our country has experienced, we wanted a unified statement written by student-athletes, for student-athletes. Through the challenges that student-athletes have faced in the COVID-19 pandemic, Division I SAAC, Division II SAAC, Division III SAAC and the Board of Governors Student-Athlete Engagement Committee have come together to lead and advocate for our nearly half-million peers across the country. Keller, Shillow, Good and Pepper released the following statement regarding the Unity Pledge: "The Unity Pledge has been months in the making. The Board of Governors Student-Athlete Engagement Committee includes three student-athletes from each division's SAAC, a Board of Governors member and a Division III Management Council member. The three SAACs comprise one representative from each of their division's conferences, as well as some independent and at-large representatives in Division II and Division III. The four enlisted feedback from their respective committee members, too. The three SAAC chairs - Braly Keller for Division III, a former Nebraska Wesleyan athlete Alex Shillow for Division II, a football player at Texas A&M-Commerce and Ethan Good for Division I, a former men's basketball player at Bowling Green - joined Colby Pepper, a former men's soccer player at Division III Covenant and a member of the Board of Governors SAEC, in leading the effort to create the pledge and the corresponding mark. The mark was sent to all NCAA schools in the form of a patch to consider placing on uniforms. The logo includes three different colored hands holding one another's wrists inside a circle with "United As One" at the bottom. The four groups of student-athlete leaders released the pledge and logo Oct. I pledge these things because we are stronger together. I commit to both choosing unity personally and encouraging it for all.I commit to supporting my fellow student-athletes in all circumstances that impact them.I pledge to strive for change and growth.I pledge to stand against complacency and stagnancy.I pledge to strive for trust and belief in one another.I pledge to stand against fear and doubt.I pledge to strive for dialogue, truth, and understanding.I pledge to stand against silence, deceit, and obscurity.I pledge to strive for love, care, and forgiveness.I pledge to stand against racism, hate, and discrimination.I pledge to embrace differences and strive for inclusion and collaboration.I pledge to stand against all forces of division and separation.I am an NCAA student-athlete and I pledge to be a Champion of Unity on my team, on my campus, and in my community
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