The Student Voice Since 1903 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2004
Students to make up jury in rape mock trial ■ Students will be the jury in the first mock rape trial held at UCO since 1998. It will be followed by a question and answer session. by Lauren Pulsinelli Senior Staff Writer
WHO:
Students
WHAT:
"A Date Rape Mock Trial"
WHEN:
11 a.m. Sept. 22
WHERE:
Constitution Hall
WHY:
To make students aware of what constitutes rape
The Student Counseling Center and the Office of Graduate Studies will present "A Date Rape Mock Trial" at 11 a.m. Sept. 22 in Constitution Hall. Jan Chapel, coordinator of the center for UCO students, said it is important to hold the mock trial at the beginning of the school year. "Female students are the most vulnerable to date rape the first six months of their first year on
Sexual assault suspects, witness sought by DPS
campus," she said. Chapel said the mock trial has not been performed since 1998, but she said she is not aware of any increases in the number of rapes on campus. • "During the trial, attorneys will talk about what constitutes as rape," Chapel said. Glenda Chu, of the Edmond Police Department, said 19 rapes have occured in - Edmond this year. The mock trial is intended as an opportunity for students to learn about and prevent date rape, said Dr. John Garic, associ-
ate dean of the Jackson College of Graduate Studies and Research. Garic will direct the trial. The audience will be the jury, and they will decide if it was rape, Garic said. "In the scenario, two students meet and go on a date, and there is alcohol involved. She says no, but only sort of, and he hears the same thing," Garic said. "This is something interesting to help everybody in relationships," Garic said. "Someone might be motivated to come up and say, 'That happened to me,'
and there will be help." The trial is expected to last about an hour and will be followed by a question and answer session. Participants in the mock trial include: Sarah McAmis, Oklahoma County assistsant district attorney in the Sex Crimes Division, as the prosecutor; Ryan Houser, Oklahoma County assistant public defender in the Juvenile Division, as the defense attorney; and Dr. Sid Brown, UCO professor of sociology and criminal justice, as the judge. "There was no real rape here
(in the mock trial)," Garic said. He wants students to understand this because the mock trial is being performed by professionals, but the accuser and defendant will be played by two actors from the UCO Theatre Department. Garic said McAmis and Houser deal with rape cases on a daily basis and will talk to the audience about cases they have worked on. The UCO Counseling Center will be there to talk to anyone individually. For more information, call the center at 974-2215.
Bronchos go 4-0
by Joseph Wertz Staff Writer The UCO Department of Public Safety is seeking information regarding a sexual assault that occurred at 9 p.m. Sept 16, in the parking lot located north of the University Suites. A • campus visitor was harassed and physically assaulted by three unknown male suspects, according to Jeff Harp, director of Public Safety at UCO. The suspects were two Caucasian males and one African-American male, he said. All three suspects were in their late teens or early twenties. "A female was walking in the parking lot and was grabbed and accosted by three males," Harp said. An unknown male witness ended the assault by physically separating the suspects and the victim. DPS is seeking information the male witness can provide, Harp said. Anyone with any information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact DPS at 974-2345.
A member of Old Blue Crew runs with the UCO colors after a touchdown Sept. 18. For more game information, see page 5. Photo by Gavin D. Elliott
Credit counseling available to ease financial burdens of college students • Non-profit organization works with students to alleviate debt and regain financial control. by Sarah Roberson Copy Editor For students finding it difficult to manage money, credit counseling is offered through an area non-profit organization, with services offered at little or no cost. Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Oklahoma (CCCS), a United Way agency with 18 Oklahoma locations, offers free financial guidance to anyone battling credit card debt, home mortgage payment debt or those who just want advice on developing a financial budget. Consultations are given on a one-on-one basis and focus on an individual's specific needs. Eric Waldrop, a certified counselor for the Edmond location, said the organization offers a Debt Solver Program, a
Personal Money Power Workshop, a Home Buyer's Workshop and an overall debt management plan aimed to give information about developing financial budgets, all free of charge. After several counseling sessions, individuals can choose whether or not to enroll in the program but are not obligated and sign no contracts. Waldrop said, with college students, one of the main financial problems he sees is credit card debt. CCCS works with credit card companies to lower interest rates and to help eliminate late fees. "We (college students) are new with money and we have this idea that you can charge things and it will be OK, but you never know what your life is going to be like when college is over. If you have bad credit, you can't buy a house
and move on with the rest of your life," vice). You won't get the full benefits of said April Rowell, a junior general stud- paying off debts if you are still charging," Waldrop said. ies major. Students should take advantage of onIf someone chooses to enroll in the CCCS program, the agency charges a line banking, via their bank Web site and monthly fee, ranging from five to 25 dol- get their credit reports yearly, starting at lars, and the client sends two percent of age 19, Waldrop said. "Having bad credit puts you on a their balance per credit card, and the path to be unsuccessful; it follows you," company pays the bill for them. Although a fee is charged for the ser- said Cedric Jones, a junior physical eduvice, Waldrop said the benefit is that . cation major. Waldrop said the Internet is one of the they can significantly lower their interest most valuable tools available for conrate and tackle all bills at once. The monthly fee is assessed based on sumers handling their finances. "I personally believe that online the number of creditors the client owes money to, with a cost of five dollars per banking will be the hot trend that many creditor, but not exceeding 25 dollars, no individuals will be taking advantage of matter how many companies are owed in the next few years," Waldrop said. "Some experts have estimated that only money. "We recommend clients live on cashsee CREDIT COUNSELING, page 3 only basis (while enrolled in the ser-
Pseudo stock game teaches youth investment skills by Lacy Myers Staff Writer A game promoted by the UCO Center for Economic Education has students in fourth through 12th grade checking their stock market portfolios. The Oklahoma Stock Market Game Program (OKSMG), coordinated by the UCO Center for Economic Education
and the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education, is a hands-on educational program that allows students to learn investing basics. "Students who participate in the game become knowledgeable about their financial futures and are more educated and informed about investing," said Laurie Burt, SMG coordinator.
Student teams, consisting of four to five players, are given a hypothetical S100,000 to invest in stocks that are listed on the New York, NASDAQ, and American Stock Exchanges, Burt said. Using the Internet throughout the 10week period, students can follow their portfolios, research stocks, buy and sell, and monitor their regional and state
rankings, Burt said. Last spring, approximately 166 teams participated in the game. The highest portfolio in the competition was valued at $125,480.48. Although the game is primarily targeted toward middle and high school students, registration is also open to college students.
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS ■ Dr. Mohamed El Mansour, a historian and lecturer from Morocco, will speak on "Women in Islam" at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 in Pegasus Theater. ■ The 2004 Fall Career & Internship Fair will be Sept. 23 in the Nigh University Center's Ballroom. ■ To volunteer for Homecoming events Oct. 15 and 16, contact the Alumni Relations Office at 974-2421, or e-mail jmorgan@ucok.edu ■ The "Date Rape Mock Trial" will be at 11 a.m. Sept. 22 in Constitution Hall. ■ The University Center Activities Board will show "Harry Potter 3" at 8 p.m. Sept. 22 in Constitution Hall. The movie is free to everyone.
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