the VISTA
Volume 116, Issue 6
“Our Words, Your Voice.”
New Tech Reports Sexual Assault Online
ucentralmedia.com vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Central in a Jam, Betz Invites Ham
Evelyn Stewart @evehynn Reporter
There are few ways to report sexual assaults on college campuses across the nation, most of which typically include going to the police and filing a report. However, a new online reporting program could make victims more comfortable reporting assault. The new tech, called Callisto Campus, was created by Jessica Ladd and has three functions to support student survivors: writing, matching and reporting. “I created Callisto with the vision of empowering survivors and giving them control over their story,” Ladd said. “Having gone through the reporting process myself, I know how traumatizing it can be to share something so deeply personal and feel betrayed by an institution, authorities and the process. Callisto was built to give survivors agency and options, allowing them to report where, when and however feels most comfortable. I wish I’d had these options when I was a student.” The name of the program derives from the Greek myth of a nymph named Callisto who lived in the garden of Artemis and had vowed to remain a virgin. However, after Zeus took interest in her and forced himself on her, Callisto became pregnant. Artemis discovered her secret, became enraged with Callisto, cast her from the garden and Hera, Zeus’ wife, turned her in to a bear. on pg. 8
Old North is located at the far west end of the University of Central Oklahoma’s campus. This February, the university has been the center of free speech concerns after the Student Association rescinded an invitation to creationist speaker Ken Ham due to student concerns. Since the incident and national coverage, UCO President Don Betz has extended a new offer to Ham and arranged discussions on free speech for the days of and after Ham’s presentation. (Cara Johnson/The Vista)
Christian Tabak @CaffeineWallace Reporter
In a move to promote free speech on university campuses, University of Central Oklahoma President Don Betz has extended a new invitation to creationist Ken Ham to present at UCO after the original offer was rescinded by UCO’s Student Association earlier this month. The decision was announced Thursday in a special Centrality from Betz, who cited concerns about the perception of the university’s stance on free speech within the media fol-
lowing the controversy surrounding the cancellation of Ham’s original event. “The misrepresentations about the social commitment of UCO to free inquiry has demonstrated that we are presented with the opportunity for a teachable moment on the principles of civil discourse and the pursuit of knowledge,” Betz said. The university found itself in the middle of this controversy earlier in the month after UCOSA had withdrawn their invitation to Ham in the middle of contractual negotiations. The cancellation raised concerns over free speech, as Ham’s invitation
was rescinded after UCOSA President Stockton Duvall claimed that members of UCO’s Women’s Research Center and BGLTQ+ Center had attempted to pressure him into cancelling the event. The Center has denied Duvall’s claims that they had bullied him on the matter, but did admit that they had met with Duvall last month to try and convince him to cancel the event because of their concerns over using student activity fees to pay for a religious speaker who they claim has been hateful towards the LGBT community. on pg. 3
UCOSA WATCH
BRONCHO SPORTS
Students Demand Answers from UCOSA
Cotter and Hale Take Down MIAA on pg. 5
on pg. 12