Collegian T he Cameron University
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IT’S ON US 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
Volume 100 Issue 9
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month Payton Williams
sought to explain the social and psychological complexity of domestic violence, as well as to speak out against the widespread trend of victim blaming. During the two weeks of the campaign, various organizations offered events both on campus and off—each with a separate focus— but all fitting under the wider umbrella of sexual assault awareness and prevention. The first of these events was a roundtable discussion in the Executive Boardroom of the McMahon Centennial Complex. The discussion, titled “Snacks and Chats: Sexual Violence in the Media,” dealt with how sexual assault is presented in the media and
Center, Jill Melrose, said the event had grown over the years. Voices Editor “We had a flood, so some of [the @YoureSoVanya presentations] got wet,” Melrose said. “But we started with maybe half of the presentations we have now.” From April 1—11, Cameron University The Sexual Harassment Assault Response hosted the Annual “It’s On Us” campaign, a Prevention (SHARP) organization based in series of events devoted to spreading awareness Fort Sill also helped coordinate an event. of and preventing sexual assault. SHARP presented “Sextortion: Coercion, Inclusion and Student Success Coordinator Blackmail and Retaliation Online” along with and Title IX Investigator Olivia Polynice two other organizations, The Fort Sill CID and coordinated the campaign and its events on The Red Cord. campus. The presentation dealt with the importance She said a large part of her job on campus of avoiding posting sexually explicit as a Title IX investigator is talking to students information about oneself online and who have personally dealt with made particular mention of sexual issues of sexual assault and domestic violence. “This year, I wanted to focus much more extortion and human trafficking, as well as other dangers of sexuality and the This is the third year that on the education side of things. Like, internet. Cameron has hosted the “It’s On The participation of The Red Cord Us” campaign, and Polynice said ‘let’s focus on verbiage,’ or ‘let’s focus on organization this year was a new she used the opportunity to bring a the continuum of harm,’ ‘let’s focus on addition to the campaign. new focus to some of the events. fixing our terminology,’ and get rid of The Red Cord is an organization “This year, I wanted to focus that deals with the problem of human much more on the education side of antiquated terminology trafficking, an issue that has been talked things,” Polynice said. “Like, ‘let’s and that sort of thing.” about a lot in Lawton and throughout focus on verbiage,’ or ‘let’s focus on — Olivia Polynice the nation over the last few years. the continuum of harm,’ ‘let’s focus Polynice said the organization’s on fixing our terminology,’ and get Inclusion and Student Success involvement was paramount. rid of antiquated terminology and “I was so glad that they talked about that sort of thing.” how it relates to our behavior in the real world. the signs,” Polynice said. “It’s one of those issues While the first official event for the During the discussion, several students in our country that you just don’t see it all the campaign happened on April 1, the actual time, like, with drugs, you can touch it, you kick-off event for the campaign took place that discussed a range of issues related to media representation of sexual violence, including the can see it, and with guns, you can touch it, you Tuesday, with a keynote speech from social representation of women of color as sex objects can see it, but human trafficking is a bit more activist Beverly Gooden. and the lack of representation and awareness of silent.” Gooden, who is perhaps best known for The central focus of most of the events in the creating the “Why I Stayed” hashtag on Twitter the transgender community in media. Some of the events that took place during “It’s On Us” campaign is to empower victims in 2014, titled her keynote speech, “Why I of sexual assault and violence to come forward, Stayed: The Complexity of Domestic Violence.” the campaign related more to the science of sexuality and safe sex in general, such as the and to tell their stories, and Polynice spoke a In the speech, Gooden drew from her Healthy Sex Fair on April 9 in the Buddy bit about how these events help people to feel experience as a domestic violence survivor and Green room of the McMahon Centennial confident and move forward. Photos by Payton Williams Complex. “I had a student who we had dealt with a The Healthy Sex Fair—coordinated by matter some years back,” Polynice said, “and she the Student Wellness Center—consisted came to me after Mrs. Gooden’s speech, and of several cardboard poster presentations she said to me how proud she was to wear her on human sexuality, sex-related games and ‘It’s On Us’ shirt, because when she was wearing trivia quizzes and a table that presented her shirt, and she came to the event, she felt students who attended with free cookies and empowered.” condoms. If you or someone you know has experienced The posters presented a range of violence, please contact any of these resources: information about the importance of Cameron University Student Wellness Center: (580) 581-6725 consent, the dangers of pornography Cameron University Public Safety: (580) addiction and the importance of safe sex. 581-2237 One table presented students with an Cameron University Title IX Coordinator: array of stuffed plush representations of (580) 581-6712 various STDs, along with cardboard tags Cameron University Office of Student containing information about them. Development: (580) 581-2209 The Director for the Student Wellness
What’s inside
DODICI Senior Art Show
Elliott Abrams: the forgotten past
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New Maren Morris album “Girl” review Page 5