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Campus Events, Community, Liberal Arts

UCO’s Department of Mass Communication to Host ‘Beyond the Sentence’ Panel Discussion, Nov. 10

Oct. 27, 2026

Leaves on the ground on the UCO campus
Leaves on the ground on the UCO campus

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Department of Mass Communication will host “Beyond the Sentence: Writing, Rehabilitation and the Power of Story” from 6:30-8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the College of Liberal Arts atrium and auditorium on Central’s campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Presented in conjunction with Crime & Compassion Inc., a local nonprofit that uses literature to inspire incarcerated individuals to reshape their futures, the event will explore the role of writing, education and human connection in rehabilitation and life after incarceration.

KFOR journalist Ali Meyer will moderate a panel session beginning at 7 p.m. featuring Shayla Hale, founder and director of Crime & Compassion Inc.; Melissa Antonucci, national executive director of Poetic Justice; Susan Ratcliff, formerly incarcerated published author; and Erika Wilhite, director of arts learning in communities at the Oklahoma Arts Council and arts teacher in the Oklahoma justice system.

Panelists will share their experiences in rehabilitation, advocacy and the justice system, highlighting how storytelling can foster personal growth and positive change. The UCO School of Criminal Justice and Department of English also helped sponsor the event.

“Writing has given me an outlet to express what is in my heart and a way to process my experiences in a productive way,” said a participant in the Crime & Compassion Inc. program, who is currently incarcerated.

“For the first time in a long time, I feel empowered. I no longer feel invisible.”

The event will include giveaways, a “dirty soda” bar sponsored by Ghost Nation BBQ, free cookies and popcorn and opportunities to get involved. Attendees can also purchase books from Crime & Compassion Inc. and learn about volunteer opportunities. The event is STLR tagged for UCO students.

To learn more about the event, contact Megan Cox, Ph.D., interim chair for the UCO Department of Mass Communication, at mcox18@uco.edu.

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Hannah Wagar

Hannah Wagar

Marketing Coordinator, UCO College of Liberal Arts

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About University of Central Oklahoma

The University of Central Oklahoma is a campus community in motion—leading, innovating and creating transformative learning opportunities that foster success for our students. As Oklahoma’s largest metropolitan university, we provide high-quality, nationally recognized programs that are always evolving and adapting to the needs of our students and the community. This commitment is rooted in our founding in 1890 as the state’s teacher’s college, training those who would educate the next generation of leaders and innovators. We remain dedicated to offering an accessible, affordable education, earning national accolades for social mobility, veterans’ outreach and first-generation student programs.

Guided by the motto “ubi motus est” – which translates to “where movement is” – the university continues to evolve and grow, offering 119 undergraduate and 81 graduate programs to our more than 12,000 students from our main campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, and facilities throughout the Oklahoma City metro. Our colors were the first adopted of any university in the state, and our Bronze and Blue symbolize our greatest strengths—the illumination of new ideas and the endless expanse of a clear sky above. At UCO, anything is possible.

The university is governed by the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Contact

100 North University Drive Edmond, OK 73034

405-974-2307

ucomm@uco.edu

www.uco.edu