THE SOUNDS OF BEAU ROBERTSON

He sits propped on a wooden stool with nothing in his hands but a worn guitar. The instrument shows its scars from countless hours of strumming.

Standing 5 feet 6 inches, Beau's eyes look down at his guitar through a mound of dark, shaggy hair as he starts to pick at his six string. The chords begin to pick up speed and his head slowly rises to meet the microphone in front of him. When he sings, you are taken aback by the soulful undertone you might not expect. He cracks a smile and several of the bar patrons receive him with returning grins.

This is Beau Robertson on a typical Tuesday night at McNellie’s Irish Pub in downtown Tulsa. Robertson, 23, is a Tulsa musician who lives to play music.

“I bartend so I can play music,” he says. You can find Beau at Arnie’s bar once a month and at McNellie’s every Tuesday doing what he loves most: playing music.

People might classify him as a struggling musician, poking around the local bar scene trying to find a gig.

But Beau’s not struggling at all. He’s not trying to pull a record deal or waiting for something better to come his way. As long as he has his guitar in his hand and a microphone at his mouth, he has no complaints.

“I’ve played for two people and I’ve played for 200 people. It makes no difference to me,” he says.

Growing up in Broken Arrow, Beau was drawn to playing music at the age of 13, where he would listen to Tulsa’s own J.J. Cale for hours, mesmerized by his steady voice and smooth guitar. Beau has come a long way since those days.

He's become a weekly favorite in the local bar scene. Simply known as Beau on stage, his music can be heard filtering through the pubs of downtown Tulsa, soothing his listeners, adding to the sounds of the bar.

--Brian Fagan

A NICE GUY WITH A LITTLE SECRET

Mike is a nice guy with a soft, laid-back demeanor. He is one of those people who you can meet and instantly get along with. Nothing about his presence or personality that would give away his secret, a hobby that is illegal most everywhere.

The 23-year-old student knows a lot of people and is liked by almost all of them. But not many people know that he is a drug dealer. He says that he has recently begun selling small amounts of marijuana.

‘Mike’, who for obvious reasons would like to remain anonymous, doesn’t base his life around the illegal substance. He has a rather indifferent attitude about the drug.

“I really just started doing it so I could have money for beer,” he said, explaining how he got into the ‘business. “I’m basically just being a middle man for my friends.”

Mike says that what he does is a necessary thing for his core group of friends. He and his buddies would buy the stuff anyway, and he says that he just makes the process more convenient.

He does admit, however, that he is taking a big risk, although he seemed confident that he was being smart and safe about the illegal operation.

“I just remember seeing [another dealer] and how open and obvious he was about it,” he said. “I never sell to anyone I don’t know personally, and it’s never very much.”

I met Mike, like many others before me, through a friend of a friend. He seemed intelligent and interesting, and until it somehow came up in conversation, no one knew about his secret ‘hobby.’

It made me wonder about the people I meet in every day and what kind of hidden secrets everyone has.

--Tyler Hearn

DAN CROSSLAND: MAKING MUSIC IN TULSA

It's hard for a solo artist to make a name on the local music scene. It takes talent, a crowd-grabbing personality, and a friendly bar owner who will take the risk of letting an unknown artist play.

Dan Crossland has all of these: a great voice as well as strong guitar and keyboarding skills. He also found a bar owner willing to take a chance.

Crossland used to play every Saturday night at the BruHouse on Brookside, a small, smoke-free, nondescript bar where the stage is really not a stage but just some tables and chairs moved out of the way.

Now Crossland has a busy schedule. With his guitar strapped over his shoulder, microphone in front of his smiling lips, he is ready to take on the music world.

Crossland can play covers from Maroon 5 and John Mayer and make them sound like his own. He plays his guitar like it was attached to him at birth. His voice can lull you to sleep, or it can pump you up and make you want to dance.

“I try and throw in one of my own songs," he said. "I never get much response from it though. People like to sing along, and if they don’t know the words, they usually won’t like the song.”

A few months ago he wrote a song called “Not Going Home."

“It was about a situation in my life where I was telling myself I wasn’t going back, and things were going to be better because of it,” he explained.

It's true that the worst breakups make some of the best songs.

Crossland cracks jokes about the bar and about himself to get people to pay attention to him. “It’s hard to get drunk people to stop talking about themselves and listen to me," Crossland said. "I mean who wouldn’t want to listen to my studly self?”

--Melissa Fulton

THE RIDER WITH THE DREADS

Riding is his passion and dreads are his style. He is Russell Waldin, 24, of Tulsa. With flare in his style and attitude in his hair, Russell was walking into the Business Administration Hall on TU’s campus when I stopped him.

Russell looked entirely different than any other person I saw on campus. His bright orange, tightly fitted T-shirt and his Volcom jeans made him stand out. I asked him if I could ask him a couple questions for my news gathering class and, with a slight bit of hesitance, he said, “Sure, why not?”

“First off,” I asked, “how long have you been growing out your dreads?”

“Oh, for a couple years,' he said, while picking out one of his long, messy dreads. "They’re alright I guess.”

When he’s not working or attending classes in the art school, he rides. Riding is a hobby Russell takes great pride in. He has a sponsor, and has the priviledge of riding in competitions and traveling around United States.

“I’ve been riding forever," he said. "It’s just a lot of fun. It’s something I’m good at, and it’s an escape from reality.”

Feeding on my fascination with his hair, I asked more questions about his dreads: “Do you have dread locks to stand out from the rest of the riders, or did you just want them?”

“I’ve always liked the look of dread locks, but it’s nice because I get recognized because of my hair. It’s definitely my signature! It’s crazy. People I don’t even know, know me.”

Despite this recognition, Russell told me that he was thinking about cutting his hair off.

“My hair is getting heavy. I’d like to be able to put a shirt on with out hassle and it’d be pretty sweet to wear hats again.”

--Lindsey Naylor

AN ART STUDENT'S LIFE

On a recent Tuesday, I stumbled upon an art student drawing in front of Philips Hall. Her artwork was impressive. I stood and gazed as she drew.

The student was Sarah Smith, a TU senior, and a graphic design major from Oklahoma City.

I asked Smith about herself. I learned that she grew up wanting to work in the arts. Even when she was young, she liked drawing and laying out her room just perfectly.

“I was always involved with art club and events that involved graphics in high school,” Smith said.

Having art as a hobby, she never thought that she could do it as a career. But as a TU freshman, Smith decided to make her hobby into a major and study graphic design.

Besides art classes, Smith is social chair of her sorority, where she gets to design and layout events on a regular basis.

“I am planning semi-formal right now, which is a very big undertaking,” Smith said. “I’m using my graphic design methods and making really awesome designs from T-shirts to even the layout of the dance room itself.”

--Emily Pickens

A NEWBIE IN T-TOWN
A lot of people in Oklahoma have lived in the same town or city for years. This doesn't mean that here people don’t migrate or move, but many people do "stay where they were planted."

Darlene Conn spent most of her life in a small town in eastern Oklahoma. In August, Darlene moved to Tulsa to become the house mom for the Kappa Delta house. For Darlene, the move to Tulsa seemed like a good change in her life.

“I had just left my job at a hospital and I though ‘why not?’," she said.

Darlene is a well-loved person in the Kappa Delta house. Not only does she look out for the girls but, as the house cook, she also provides sustenance. She is a confidant for many of the girls and uses the kitchen as a social gathering place.

In her first few months as the house mom, Darlene doesn’t doubt her decision to move to T-town.

“I am way more proactive in the girl’s lives that I thought I would be. This has definitely been a great experience in my life,” Darlene said.

Darleen is very enthusiastic about Tulsa. “I’m from a small town, so this big-city feel is fantastic. There is so much to do and see and it seems like I learn something new about Tulsa and the state every day,” she said.

After cooking for the girls during the week and on the weekends, Darlene takes time to see the city. Recently she explored the Philbrook Museum. She also attended the state fair and got a look at the giant Tulsa Driller.

Besides being a house mom and cook, Darlene also considers herself part-time adventurer.

“There is no much to see and do in this town and I plan to do it all,” Darlene said. She also uses her time to bond with the members of the house. With ice cream trips and movie nights at AMC, she is taking advantage of the new activities with her many new friends.

--Brandi Andrews

BROKEN ARROW'S BELGIAN
CHOCOLATE LADY

Look at any restaurant dessert menu and you will find at least one dessert that is chocolate. Ask most women what kind of candy they like and you’ll hear chocolate.

For some people, any chocolate will do. For Christine Joseph, only her native Belgian chocolate will do. The only problem is that she lives in Oklahoma. Besides, Belgian chocolate is expensive.

What’s a girl to do?

This petite, dark-haired, dynamo decided to open an import shop on Tulsa's 15th Street. Unfortunately, importing chocolate has its own unique perils. Hot Oklahoma weather and damaged shipments and Joseph closed the shop.

Not one to give up easily, she decided to make her own chocolate.

“I had no clue,” Joseph said. She tried melting and molding her own chocolates from 22 lb. blocks and had problems with the chocolate crystallizing or melting in the summer heat. (Chocolate is ideally stored at 60 to 70 degrees.)

Perseverance must be her middle name because she tried again at Christmas after receiving specialized equipment for her birthday. She made gourmet chocolates in her home kitchen and gave it as gifts to friends. Soon other people were asking for her special chocolates.

“It came to the point I had chocolates and molds pouring out of the kitchen. I had no more room,” Joseph said. She went to school in Europe to further her knowledge and expertise.

She and her new husband decided to open a manufacturing and wholesale operation in July of 1999. They located their business at 16th and Memorial in Tulsa.

While the shop on Memorial did well, she decided that it really didn’t have the exposure it needed to expand to a retail operation.



An opportunity arose to buy a building on Main Street in Broken Arrow where her business, Nouveau – Atelier de Chocolat, is currently located.

I found her with her hair pulled back with a few wisps escaping, hard at work packing an order of chocolates. She was playing catch-up after being in Europe for a week.

Wiping her hands on her apron, she approached with a smile and a twinkle in brown eyes asking if she could help me. I proceeded to pick out a delectable-looking chocolate from the display case built by her husband and asked for an interview.

Each of the chocolates has a unique name and shape. Her bestsellers are named Tulsa. They consist of three pecan halves encasing a roll of caramel all dipped in delicious milk or dark chocolate.

You can find Joseph at her shop Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. where she will be happy to serve you coffee, ice cream, chocolate drinks and, of course, gourmet chocolates.

Nouveau–Atelier de Chocolat is located at 205 S. Main Street in Broken Arrow.

--Karen Groff

KAYCEE: MY POISON CANDY

Some of us went to South Boston Avenue in Tulsa on a recent Friday night for a party at the Rehab Lounge. But something caught my eye and I suddenly changed my plans.

Near the Rehab, I found this dimly lit wine bar. It was a low-key place, in contrast to the hopping dance club down the sidewalk.

I figured there might be a good story or someone interesting there. I lucked out. The first thing I noticed was the blonde sitting at the bar alone. I thought simply, “Perfect.”

This place really had walls that made you want to drink a red wine, especially in October.As I walked up to the bar the music was fluid and slow. I sat down near the blonde at the bar.

After a moment of silence, I offered to buy her a glass of wine from the display on the shelf. She ordered two glasses of White Haven Sauvignon Blanc, just like that.

We sat and talked a while. Her name was Kaycee and she worked at a pizza place called Pie Hole on 15th Street. She was a model and had a few acting gigs with the Nightingale Theatre every Friday and Saturday night.

I thought that was an interesting name for a theatre and a fitting name for my story. “This show that I’m in, it’s called 'Old Fashioned Poison Candy',” she said.

I took a drink of the wine and couldn’t help from wondering how in the world Kaycee and this odd title could be true. I drank the whole glass, sat it down on the bar, and asked her what it was about.

“It’s a performance art piece and I play a 13-year-old girl that is very much self indulgent, so indulgent that she manages to poison people,” she said.

Kaycee told me she had been artistic since she was young. I asked her what caught her interest with this particular show.

“It’s like a painting," she said. "People will see what they want to see, but it’s a dark painting I’ll give you that. And there’s a scene where I get to take some clothing off.”

After 5 five glasses between the two of us, she decided to call it a night. A friend had arrived to pick her up.

I asked her if she was interested in being covered in a profile story that I was assigned. She agreed and gave me her number.

When she left the bartender slipped me the bill. My jaw dropped—more than $70! Now I can tell you first-hand about my "Poison Candy."

--Troy Dixon

DEBRA SWAFFORD: TRAVELING AT HOME

Some people save up for years in order to travel the world. Debra Swafford gets to do it just by going to work each day.

A 15-year employee of The University of Tulsa, Debra is currently the assistant to the Department of Languages, doing “whatever it takes to make the professors happy,” she said. From sending out emails, helping with the budget, and just keeping everything in order, Debra does almost anything that is asked of her.

Prior to her current position, Debra worked in the College of Law, first hired as a temp assistant in August 1990 and becoming full-time in November 1990. She then transferred to the Department of Continuing Education, and eventually applied for the assistant job in the Department of Languages. She has stayed at TU, and maintains that she loves her job.

“This place has really expanded my horizons, and opened my eyes to different cultures, foods, and religions. It’s like a mini UN here,” she said.

Debra does not speak any other languages—“I can barely speak English well!”—but it’s not for lack of trying: Debra is required to wear hearing aids in order to better pick up the consonants in a person’s speech. Because she can typically only hear vowels, her ability to understand foreign language is greatly reduced.

Debra has traveled across America, visiting places such as California and Chicago, but hasn’t yet had the chance to go abroad. Later this year, she will be taking a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise with her 13-year-old grandson.

“I’m hoping it won’t be too touristy," she said. "I’d like for it to open his eyes a little bit.”

If the opportunity ever arises, however, Debra would still like to visit Europe. “I think that traveling is the only way to learn history, and I love history. If I ever have the chance to go, you bet I’ll take it.”

--Caroline Richardson

STEVE CAYWOOD: ONE OF THE TU GOOD GUYS

I have to admit, when I first decided to interview the man who cleans my residence hall, there was a tiny, unrealistic part of me hoping he would go on some crazy rant about how ungrateful and snobby the students are. It just would have been so dramatic, you know?

Well, Steve Caywood is not plotting against TU students. In fact, he is one of the nicest men I have ever met.

Steve is one of those very earnest-looking people who seems like he could be your best friend’s dad. He smiles easily and chuckles a little when you catch him off guard. And he really enjoys his job.

“It’s actually almost a privilege” to clean the residence halls, he says, because “the students are all great. I love being here.”

After being self-employed for nearly five years and working for the Oklahoma Fixture Company for 16 years before that, working on the TU maintenance staff is a big change for Steve. But he feels like his work is important, because it allows students to focus on schoolwork instead of worrying about whether or not the floor tiles have been cleaned.

“When you’re 45 years old and you’re starting over, it’s hard,” he says. “But it doesn’t really matter what I’m doing. If I can help the kids to succeed, then it’s a good thing.”

--Laura Hermann

NEW PROFILES AND PHOTOS COMING SOON

The second set of Street Stories will be coming to this space soon.

For this new assignment, I asked the News Gathering class to write brief profiles on colorful people from the Tulsa area. I asked them to interview a stranger, not a friend or relative. I want stories about fascinating people and I'm challenging the students to find them and capture them in a short profile.

This idea was inspired in part by Jason Collington, a Tulsa World feature writer who recently spoke to the class. Collington is a passionate guy and he impressed me (and the class, I hope) with his creativity and drive. He's developed a keen ability to report the overlooked or unusual angle, the details most of us don't notice.

If the students follow Collington's advice, we'll have some interesting Street Story sketches here in a few days.

Since photos make this a more lively place, I'm also working with the students to get more images on the Street Stories site. I asked all the students to take photos of their interview subjects for the new assignment. I'm also working to get more photos of the earlier stories to that all the posts will have more visual interest. Check back soon to see what stories and photos have been posted.

--John Coward, TU Faculty of Communication