BOULDER (April 25, 2016) — Last spring, Max Demby, Colorado ’11, a member of the Gamma Zeta Chapter at the University of Colorado – Boulder, intervened when he heard screams and saw a man pinning a woman against a wall.
Demby’s actions became a major part of Vice President Biden’s speech earlier this month at the University of Colorado, advocating for the end of sexual assault as a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the It’s On Us campaign.
Demby delivered a quick speech at the event, but without knowing, Biden brought him back on stage for a special honor. The vice president spoke about the courage it took to take action and praised him for intervening in that situation. If he had not stepped in, the situation could have been worse than it was. In addition to the excitement of being on stage and being spoken highly of by the vice president, Demby was awarded the Vice Presidential Coin of Courage.
For Demby, when you see someone in trouble you go to their aid. He firmly believes in the It’s On Us campaign’s call for men to help change the culture. And though he received the praise of Vice President Biden and the CU-Boulder Police chief calling him a hero, Demby continues to disagree saying, “I guess I don’t think of myself as a hero as much as someone who did the right thing.”
