Featured Presentations at the 2025 UCO Liberal Arts Student Symposium
Liberal Arts News and Events
March 31, 2025
UCO Liberal Arts Student Symposium 2025: Lighting the Future
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
at the UCO College of Liberal Arts Building
The University of Central Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Arts annual Student Symposium brings together students and faculty with the goal of engaging with innovative research and discussions in many topics. This year’s symposium holds a diverse range of topics that will challenge perspectives, opinions, and privilege, while inspiring meaningful conversations.
Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. We are excited to celebrate our students’ excellence and invite you to join us. Below we have four standout sessions that you won’t want to miss.
Session 1: Expanding the Essay: Personal and Creative Writing
10-10:50 a.m. – LAN 235
This panel features two students presenting alternative essay modes; one a gun violence satire and the other a personal memoir about international foodways. This session explores the uses of persuasive writing beyond the standard academic essay, offering new narrative and argument methods.
Session 2: Media Ethics 2: Gender and Family
11-11:50 a.m. – LAS 264
There are several panels in the symposium that deal with media ethics, particularly in the Mass Communications program. This session deals with the representation of women and children in the media. Some of the papers presented sparking conversation in this session include sexism in advertising, how children are represented on social media, and the effects of television on children.
Session #: The Serial Killer Room (1 & 2)
10-11:50 a.m. – LAS 263
Four graduate level students will be speaking on infamous serial killers: John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Dennis Rader, and Israel Keyes. Part of the School of Criminal Justice, this was one of the most popular sessions in our 2024 symposium. Due to such high interest, this topic will be presented in a double session. Attendees can join either session or stay for both. The first part of this panel starts at 10-10:50 a.m., with a 10-minute intermission before resuming at 11.
Session 4: Sociology, Sex, and Gender
2:30-3:20 p.m. – LAS 264
This session explores how communities have, over time, dealt with gender issues, from World War II to the present. The papers presented for discussion consist of a comparison of menstrual products in and after WWII, an exploration of campus life in terms of sexual assault, and a case study of the “Speak Out” Act. This session provides thoughtful critiques of the changing discourse on gender and society.
Please keep in mind that the highlighted sessions above are just a taste of what our symposium offers. With discussions spanning creative writing, media ethics, criminology, sociology, and more, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in thought-provoking conversations with passionate peers. We can’t wait to see you there!