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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2003
Rape
Awaren
Bronchos baseball team sweeps Northeastern State in three straight games.
One woman is sexually assaulted every two minutes in the United States. — Susan Stewart, director of Voluntee Services, YWCA Oklahoma City chapter
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by
Mark Schlachtenhaufen When UCO student Jennifer Scully parties with her friends at Tapwerks in Bricktown, her mind isn't just on having a good time. She's also aware that there are unseen potential dangers all around her. Scully goes out with friends three times a month. When she goes to Tapwerks, she takes precautions, such as being aware of what's happening around her and staying with a group for protection. She also parks in a secured garage and keeps her cell phone turned on. Sometimes, being aware isn't enough. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Crime statistics show few rapes occur in Edmond. "A single rape is one too many," said Glynda Chu, spokeswoman for the Edmond Police Department. Those statistics are misleading, said Susan Stewart, director of Volunteer Services with the Oklahoma City chapter of the YWCA, an organization that supports women. For various reasons, many rapes go unreported, Stewart said. In 2002, four rapes were reported within a 0.75-mile radius of 100 N. University Avenue, according to Crime Tracker, a free interactive data-
base at NewsOK.com . They were in the 1200 block of N. Chowning, the 900 block of E. Wayne, the 900 block of N. Boulevard and the 1000 block of N. Kennedy. It is likely an untold number of additional UCO students were victims of rape or attempted rape, Stewart said. College students are in the age group most impacted by rape. A 1996 study showed one in 36 college women are victims of rape or attempted rape each year. One woman is sexually assaulted every two minutes in the United States, Stewart said. In Oklahoma, one rape occurs every six hours. "In Oklahoma county, we don't go 24 hours without a sexual assault," Stewart said. "Those are just the reported assaults." Stewart said about one in 10 sexual assaults are unreported. Fear of being identified by the media, guilt, being revictimized and a lack of peer support are some of the reasons why more victims don't report rapes, experts say. Chu said more women are reporting rapes now. Women are realizing they are the victims in a sexual assault, that rape is not their fault. Still, Many victims are
After taking a 3-1 loss from East Central, UCO softball bounced back for an 11-3 romp. - Page 5
see Awareness page 4
Group seeks to ratify women's Equal Rights Amendment by Caroline Duke cd@thevistaonline.com
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Midwest Wrecker, contracted by UCO, demolished East Hall April 9.
State Regents increase transferable college courses by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline.com State higher education officials have increased the number of transferable courses, an action that will benefit students wanting to attend different schools. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education added 417 courses to those transferable among state colleges and universities, ultimately helping to increase the number of graduates, a state goal, said Chancellor Paul Risser. Risser said increasing the
number of transferable courses means some students will get to graduate sooner. Since 1995, the number of transferable courses has jumped from 1,594 to 5,343, a 235 percent increase. Last year, there were 4,926 transferable courses. The State Regents approved the additions during their April 3 meeting. State Regents' Chairman Carl Renfro said much progress has been made in this area during the past eight years.
see Transfer page 4
Leona F. Evans, coordinator for Oklahoma Equal Rights Amendment, spoke to UCO students and faculty April 7 about the campaign to ratify the amendment in Oklahoma. "Women do not understand they only have one right under the Constitution," Evans said. That, she said, is the right to vote. "It's time for women to have equal rights under the Constitution," she said. The ERA was first introduced to Congress in 1923 but was not passed until 1972 when it was submitted to the states for ratification. A seven-year deadline was, set, but was later extended to 1982. When the deadline expired, only 35 states had ratified the amendment. Thirtyeight states were required to radfy the amendment before it could be added to the Constitution.
Currently, the amendment is still short three states, and Oklahoma is one of the 15 states that has not ratified the amendment. The amendment, Evans said, would guarantee equal protection under the law for men and women and would only pertain to state and federal laws and regulations. It would allow for the "elimination of discrimination," she said. "The ERA will not alter the balance of constitutional authority," she said, and "wage disparity would be eliminated." Evans said three pieces of legislation are currently in Congress but . ERA proponents are not facing "simple opposition." She said the amendment will probably end up in the Supreme Court. "It will take a lot of education in the legislature," she said. Some opponents argue that if the ERA is passed, women will face the possibility of being draft,
ed. But Evans said, "ERA has nothing to do with the drafting of women." Opponents also argue the ERA will lead to unisex restrooms, but Evans said unisex bathrooms already exist in a government building where she once worked. The UCO Association of Women's Studies sponsored the event and also set up a booth that same day in the Nigh University Center, where they passed out information on the ERA, said Geneva Murray, president of the Women's Studies Association. Murray said, "We're rather unsure what efforts can be done to get legislation passed." The association is working with Evans, but Murray said, "We don't want to do anything to hinder her efforts." Murray said students can become involved and show their support.
UCO golf's varsity and JV teams placed No. 2 and No. 8 respectively in the UCO/Kickingbird Classic April 7 and 8. - Page 5
see ERA page 4
Student Symposium set, NASA official to speak by Thad Danner td@thevistaonline.com The annual College of Liberal Arts and the College of Arts, Media and Design Student Symposium will run throughout the day April 16 and will feature keynote speaker J. Milton Heflin at 5 p.m. in Pegasus Theater. Heflin, the Chief of the NASA Flight Director Office at the Johnson Space Center will be speaking on the loss of the shuttle Columbia and crew. The symposium will features
continuous musical performances, art demonstrations, presentations, panel discussions, dramatic readings and debates. Clayton Moore, one of the student presenters, said he is, "excited about the chance to present as an undergraduate." The theme of this year's symposium is 'Ad Astra Per Aspera" or "to the stars through difficulty ,,. Though it reads like a response to the loss of the shuttle Columbia, Dr. Rosa J. Bird, Symposium Committee Chair,
said the theme was chosen last December, before the loss of the shuttle. Heflin agreed to speak after the loss of the shuttle. All classes in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Arts, Media and Design will be preempted for the symposium. "It's a great opportunity for students to share their work and be exposed to a variety of presentations," Dr. Bird said. Dr. Bird estimates last year's attendance at over 1000, based on the number of programs handed out.
Regents approve the UCO annual housing rates increase. - Page 3