by Kelli Kickham
Last year’s ice storm was a shock and an inconvenience to everyone, but while most were stuck home without power, there were still the few businesses that did whatever possible to stay open, and the employees that worked through the cold.
Chris is a delivery driver at a Tulsa area pizza restaurant.
While most businesses were closing their doors, their store was busy hooking up generators and bringing in more business.
“I worked every day of the ice storm,” Chris said. He was busy at work driving the roads that locals were warned to stay off of, and walking sometimes ten pound orders to the door on the icy sidewalks.
It wasn’t just outside that things were crazy, though. The delivery and carry-out only store was full of customers.
“We had a full staff, the customer area packed, and there was even a line outside. There was somewhere around 60 people waiting for their orders that first night, before we got the generator,” he said.
When their power finally did go out that night, the oven was full and there were around 30 or 40 angry people who had been waiting on their food over an hour.
“We ran close to an 80-order hour more than once during the ice storm. A normal busy hour on a Friday night is only around 50,” Chris said.
There were a number of people who ordered every day while their power was out.
“Everything about the ice storm was frustrating. Probably the worst of it, though, was that we couldn’t always get people their food even within an hour and a half, and they were often angry by the time we got there,” he said.
Chris also said that a lot of people didn’t tip, and some even thought they should have their orders free.
The customers were warned when they ordered that there was no guarantee how long it would be before their orders arrived, and many probably didn’t realize what the drivers were going through before they got their pizzas.
“You had to really watch out. There would be branches falling as you were driving down the road, branches falling as you were carrying the orders to their homes, and branches falling everywhere in-between,” Chris said. There were also so many branches already fallen that they “simply couldn’t get through some of the roads.”
He said that there wasn’t anything that anyone could do to make it better.
“It was horrible for everyone, nobody had any power, and they couldn’t cook,” Chris said.
His store was one of the few restaurants that stayed open while everyone was out of power, and he said a lot of people were “really thankful, they knew how bad it was out there for us, and they would have had trouble getting a meal if we didn’t come out.”
When Chris was asked whether there was any compensation for working that horrible week, he laughed and said, “Usually when you work in bad weather, you either get a bonus, or free food, but this time all we got was a t-shirt that said ‘I Survived the 2007 Ice Storm.’”
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
One year after the storm, Tulsans remember the chaos
By: Liza Mata
Jerry Holloway and his family did not anticipate the events of the Oklahoma Grand Ice Storm of 2007. A beautiful vision of “winter wonderland” ended up chaotically in a matter of days. His house was severely damaged, but he and his family made the best out of the situation.
The Holloways were out of electricity for eight days.
The first night of the storm was uneventful. Holloway said he and his family stayed at the house and heard branches falling outside.
Holloway said that the next morning, “We heard a limb fall and hit our house and walked outside.”
He said they started hearing “some really large cracks.” Holloway said that they noticed quite a few tree branches around their driveway, but “nothing that we couldn’t easily work around.”
The Holloways have very large trees around their driveway. Some of them are almost four feet wide and have limbs that are about the size of some trees, Holloway said.
Holloway was standing on his driveway seeing what was going to happen with some of those trees. He said they had a tree limb fall exactly in the center of their driveway “that was absolutely huge.”
Tree limbs continued to fall during the rest of the day. One fell on the house and pierced the roof all the way into the attic, but didn’t go all the way through, Holloway said.
“There were so many limbs down you couldn’t drive in and out of our house,” Holloway said.
However, they tried to make the best out of the situation.
Holloway said they were very fortunate to have a gas stove and battery-run water heaters in their house. They had plenty of wood in their fireplace and groceries.
He said they camped out by the fireplace with candles the first night without power.
Unique things happen at times when things appear to be bad, Holloway said.
Holloway went out to his garage and found an old generator that used to belong to his dad, who passed away in 2005.
That generator appeared to not have been used for over 30 years, he said. Holloway cleaned it and put gas in it and “the first time I pulled it, it started,” he said.
They were able to turn on some lights and the TV for a few days.
Like most people in Tulsa, they made it through “just on our camping skills,” Holloway said.
Holloway said that his worst experience was the fear of major damage to their home, from the trees that surround it. They could have lost their home.
When the electricity came back on, he said, everyone was elated. It was a great celebration.
His best experience was making fried pies in the fireplace with camping tools. His mother-in-law also stayed in his house. Holloway said it was a nice family time.
During the storm, they started to work with the help of some family friends to remove all the debris from his property.
Holloway said that they worked on repairs and removal of tree branches all the way into the spring.
Jerry Holloway and his family did not anticipate the events of the Oklahoma Grand Ice Storm of 2007. A beautiful vision of “winter wonderland” ended up chaotically in a matter of days. His house was severely damaged, but he and his family made the best out of the situation.
The Holloways were out of electricity for eight days.
The first night of the storm was uneventful. Holloway said he and his family stayed at the house and heard branches falling outside.
Holloway said that the next morning, “We heard a limb fall and hit our house and walked outside.”
He said they started hearing “some really large cracks.” Holloway said that they noticed quite a few tree branches around their driveway, but “nothing that we couldn’t easily work around.”
The Holloways have very large trees around their driveway. Some of them are almost four feet wide and have limbs that are about the size of some trees, Holloway said.
Holloway was standing on his driveway seeing what was going to happen with some of those trees. He said they had a tree limb fall exactly in the center of their driveway “that was absolutely huge.”
Tree limbs continued to fall during the rest of the day. One fell on the house and pierced the roof all the way into the attic, but didn’t go all the way through, Holloway said.
“There were so many limbs down you couldn’t drive in and out of our house,” Holloway said.
However, they tried to make the best out of the situation.
Holloway said they were very fortunate to have a gas stove and battery-run water heaters in their house. They had plenty of wood in their fireplace and groceries.
He said they camped out by the fireplace with candles the first night without power.
Unique things happen at times when things appear to be bad, Holloway said.
Holloway went out to his garage and found an old generator that used to belong to his dad, who passed away in 2005.
That generator appeared to not have been used for over 30 years, he said. Holloway cleaned it and put gas in it and “the first time I pulled it, it started,” he said.
They were able to turn on some lights and the TV for a few days.
Like most people in Tulsa, they made it through “just on our camping skills,” Holloway said.
Holloway said that his worst experience was the fear of major damage to their home, from the trees that surround it. They could have lost their home.
When the electricity came back on, he said, everyone was elated. It was a great celebration.
His best experience was making fried pies in the fireplace with camping tools. His mother-in-law also stayed in his house. Holloway said it was a nice family time.
During the storm, they started to work with the help of some family friends to remove all the debris from his property.
Holloway said that they worked on repairs and removal of tree branches all the way into the spring.
Ice storm anniversary evokes memories
By: Ashlee Lubniewski
In December of 2007, there was an ice storm so memorable that many say this December is the one year anniversary of the event that wreaked so much havoc on the city of Tulsa. This ice storm resulted in areas all over the city to be layered with thick ice. It also resulted in many residents who had no power for days, or even weeks, depending on their location in the city.
The ice storm left Tulsa citizens feeling helpless and wondering when they would once again have power and life would return to normal. The amount of damage done by the ice storm allowed it to be crowned with the name of the Great Tulsa Ice Storm of 2007, and the title of being one of the worst natural disasters that has ever struck the state of Oklahoma.
Ronnie-Rashaud Brown remembers the devastating effects that the ice storm took on his household at 5615 E. 23rd Street.
"I walked outside one morning to drive to school, and the huge tree in my front yard had fallen and blocked my entire driveway," said the University of Tulsa junior.
Trees such as the one that fell on Brown’s driveway not only kept people from getting to work and school, but also knocked out power all around the city, including Brown’s power.
"It was a long week with a tree blocking my driveway and no heat or power. Thankfully I had just gone shopping and had a lot of food in the house!" Brown said.
Brown recalls the difficulties of keeping up with classes and getting to work on time. After his power went out, it was only a matter of hours until his computer, cell-phone, and other electronics ran out of power and couldn’t be recharged.
Luckily Brown had friends who lived on campus at TU, where most residents had power thanks to backup generators. Brown, as well as many other commuting students, would visit friends on campus when they could to take showers and do laundry.
"I called friends on campus as soon as I could to arrange rides to campus for classes and work," Brown said. "I would always try and bring my phone and computer with me so that I could recharge them while I was there."
Brown slept at his house during the storm, attempting to keep rooms lit up with candles until he was ready to go to sleep, and remembers being bored without the luxuries of television and internet.
"I don’t think I spend too much time watching television or on the internet. But when I didn’t have those things for an extended period of time, I realized that I took for granted how occupied those things kept me when I wanted something to do," Brown said.
Brown is not alone when he expresses his gratitude that this December, Tulsa has not experienced anything near the ice storm that hit the city last year. As the rest of winter progresses, citizens hope that this winter will pass through with nothing more than some cold weather and the necessity of a heavy jacket or two.
In December of 2007, there was an ice storm so memorable that many say this December is the one year anniversary of the event that wreaked so much havoc on the city of Tulsa. This ice storm resulted in areas all over the city to be layered with thick ice. It also resulted in many residents who had no power for days, or even weeks, depending on their location in the city.
The ice storm left Tulsa citizens feeling helpless and wondering when they would once again have power and life would return to normal. The amount of damage done by the ice storm allowed it to be crowned with the name of the Great Tulsa Ice Storm of 2007, and the title of being one of the worst natural disasters that has ever struck the state of Oklahoma.
Ronnie-Rashaud Brown remembers the devastating effects that the ice storm took on his household at 5615 E. 23rd Street.
"I walked outside one morning to drive to school, and the huge tree in my front yard had fallen and blocked my entire driveway," said the University of Tulsa junior.
Trees such as the one that fell on Brown’s driveway not only kept people from getting to work and school, but also knocked out power all around the city, including Brown’s power.
"It was a long week with a tree blocking my driveway and no heat or power. Thankfully I had just gone shopping and had a lot of food in the house!" Brown said.
Brown recalls the difficulties of keeping up with classes and getting to work on time. After his power went out, it was only a matter of hours until his computer, cell-phone, and other electronics ran out of power and couldn’t be recharged.
Luckily Brown had friends who lived on campus at TU, where most residents had power thanks to backup generators. Brown, as well as many other commuting students, would visit friends on campus when they could to take showers and do laundry.
"I called friends on campus as soon as I could to arrange rides to campus for classes and work," Brown said. "I would always try and bring my phone and computer with me so that I could recharge them while I was there."
Brown slept at his house during the storm, attempting to keep rooms lit up with candles until he was ready to go to sleep, and remembers being bored without the luxuries of television and internet.
"I don’t think I spend too much time watching television or on the internet. But when I didn’t have those things for an extended period of time, I realized that I took for granted how occupied those things kept me when I wanted something to do," Brown said.
Brown is not alone when he expresses his gratitude that this December, Tulsa has not experienced anything near the ice storm that hit the city last year. As the rest of winter progresses, citizens hope that this winter will pass through with nothing more than some cold weather and the necessity of a heavy jacket or two.
Tulsa Ice Storm: One year later
Orien Landis looks at bare shelves at local grocery store during the 2007 ice storm.
Last December Northeast Oklahoma was hit by one of the worst storms in state history. It wasn’t a tornado or a flood but instead an ice storm. The storm which left many areas covered in several inches of ice knocked out power to 640,000 residents making it one of the worst natural disasters in state history.
Oklahoma residents lived without power for days and even weeks until utility companies could remove all the downed trees and power lines. Without heat or power residents scrambled to find warm places to weather the storm. For Matt Spencer that place was the home a friend.
“I had an apartment on the other side of the Arkansas river, across from downtown. I lost power for a little more than a week. After the first two days I decided I needed to go stay somewhere else,” Spencer said.
Spencer wasn’t the only person looking for a place to stay. Hotels with power were booked solid almost immediately leaving residents to call family and friends hoping someone would have power.
“My family was living in Edmond and I wasn’t about to try and drive there in the ice so I started calling all my friends. My friend Orien didn’t have power but he had a wood furnace so I stayed with him and a couple of other people,” Spencer said.
Not only did the ice storm knock out power to thousands of residents and businesses it also led to a rush on grocery stores and gas stations. People were buying every perishable food item they could because they didn’t know how long the power would be out. Gas stations were running out of gasoline with people buying gas to run their generators.
“After I got to Orien’s house we decided we should go pick up some milk and bread. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life! The shelves were all bare. It was like something you saw in pictures from the great depression or from a war zone. It was really weird. Needless to say we didn’t get any milk or bread,” Spencer said.
Spencer said he spent a week with his friend in Bixby until the power in his apartment was back on. While he’s grateful that he had a warm place to stay he doesn’t want to experience anything like that again.
“It was horrible. I’ve never felt so powerless in my life, and I’m not just talking about not having power. I hope I never have to go through anything like ever again.
Ice Storm Stories: The Great Ice Storm of 2007
By John Cope
Brenda Manasco remembers the sound of branches breaking during the Monday morning after the largest ice storm in recent memory hit
“It sounded like a ship breaking in half,” Manasco said.
The ice storm that hit
The ice that covered trees and power lines across the city resulted in the most massive power outage in
Due to the power outages and terrible conditions, very few schools, restaurants, and other businesses were open during the storm. The freezing temperatures, icy roads, and lack of electricity to help heat most people’s homes combined to create a very perilous situation.
Manasco, who lives near 11th and Harvard, was out of power for over a week. Manasco and her family used a gas stove to heat the house. When there was no ice to cool their food, Manasco simply went outside and put ice pellets that had fallen off trees into her cooler.
Manasco also used scented candles to help heat her home. She said that the entire scented candle aisles at Walmart and at the local Bass Pro Shop were cleared out.
Raquel Garcia, who lives in east
Garcia recounts that two of her next door neighbors tried to keep their house warm with a charcoal grill. After a time, the neighbors came to Garcia’s house, where she found that they had apparently inhaled carbon monoxide.
Garcia called 911 to get the neighbors medical attention. The paramedics took the neighbors to the hospital.
Carmen Lau, a resident of
“Sometimes nature calls the shots,” Lau said.
Cheryl Taylor, who lives in the neighborhood northwest of 61st and Lewis, also had vivid memories of the ice storm.
“There were tree limbs in my driveway and up and down the street,”
Alicia Grass, a PTA board member for
Grass, like many others, ended up seeking solace at a house that had power. Grass went to her grandmother’s house south of
Grass said that she and her family played lots of board and card games to cope with the situation.
“If it happens again,” Grass said, “I’m so moving further south.”
Many trees had branches collapse under the weight of ice during the
December 2007 ice storm that hit Tulsa, leaving many roads partially
blocked or even totally impassable. Photo by Brenda Manasco.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Ice Storms in Tulsa
How to Deal: Oklahoma Disaster
By: Ty Page
State-wide weather emergency alerts could not prepare residents of Oklahoma for the ice storm claimed as a natural disaster during the month of December last year, which caused many to lose power in their homes and work. The storm was one to be reckoned with along with the extreme amounts of damage that took place.
Many were faced with making the decision to cope with the power outage while staying at home or seek shelter elsewhere depending on their family and financial situations.
Not only were Oklahoma residents living in rural areas faced with this problem, many bigger city dwellers were forced to deal without electricity and power as well.
“It definitely brought our family closer together because during this time, we were all each other had,” Keith Blalock stated.
Blalock looked back at the situation and explained the tough times his family faced, but tried to point out the positive aspects of the experience. His family consists of his wife and three children who all decided to remain in their home.
The Blalocks lost power for a duration of five days, which was relatively mild compared to other families.
“We decided to keep a fire going in our fireplace and camp out in the living room together,” Blalock said.
As for food, Blalock said they ate most of their meals out of the home since they could not use their kitchen. They also took showers at a relative’s house who maintained power through a generator.
Not all people had the choice of remaining in their homes during this troubling storm.
“All I could remember was a sea of white outside and the trees looked fake with ice covering every inch of them,” Carrie Smith explained.
Smith, a single resident in Tulsa, lived by herself in a home in Tulsa with no family.
When the storm happened, she decided there was no way she could stay at her house by herself.
“I made the decision to stay at a hotel for two weeks with a friend,” Smith said, “I felt like there was no way I would survive this on my own, emotionally or physically.”
Smith was not alone with these feelings. Many Oklahoma residents felt great amounts of stress during and after the ice storm.
After the ice melted and most people regained electricity in their homes, there was still a huge amount of damage to be dealt with.
“I decided to help out my local neighborhood by clearing out branches from driveways and helping elder residents with damage to their homes,” Smith said.
Smith along with many other Tulsa residents participated in similar activities to help reclaim a normal life subsequent to the storm.
“The storm was destructive no doubt, but I think it showed how we Oklahoma residents could pull together and weather such a disaster,” Blalock said.
All in all, most Oklahoma residents can look back at the ice storm in the winter of 2007 and be thankful the situation is over. As for similar events in the future, residents seem to have a better grasp at how to handle such a devastating circumstance.
Monday, November 17, 2008
NPR Reporter John Burnett Speaks at TU
John Burnett, a national correspondent for National Public Radio, spoke at The University of Tulsa in October. Based in Austin, Texas, Burnett covers the Southwest for NPR, but has also covered stories from Iraq and Afghanistan to Guatemala and Mexico. After his public lecture, Burnett signed copies of his book, Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions, published in Rodale in 2006. A link to the book on Amazon is here. 
Burnett spoke to TU journalism students about his life as a reporter in Iraq and other dangerous places. Burnett was an embedded reporter with the First Marine Division in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
TU Campus Works to Reduce Crime Rate
By Ty Page
While college institutions located in Tulsa are safer than other college institutions in the state of Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa totals a significantly higher number of criminal offenses in comparison with its neighboring institutions.
In the past three years, the University of Tulsa has recorded 89 on-campus criminal offenses, according to the Office of Postsecondary Education. This totals 75 more criminal offenses than Rogers State University and 51 more than Oral Roberts University.
A similar enrollment size of between 3,000 and 4,000 students is shared among the three college institutions, but TU proves to be a more risky environment.
The majority of the criminal offenses on TU’s campus included burglary and motor vehicle theft.
Specifically 40.4 percent of the criminal offenses were related to burglary and 44.9 percent were related to motor vehicle theft.
In contrast, none of the criminal offenses that took place at Rogers State were related to motor vehicle theft, along with only 2 occurrences at Oral Roberts.
TU officials have made additional efforts to reduce the rate of motor vehicle theft. There is now only one entrance to most parking lots on campus and an iron fence borders the perimeter of the school.
More information on crime rates for the University of Tulsa and other campuses can be found here.
Crime: How the University of Tulsa matches up to its city.
By Kelli Kickham
The University of Tulsa population is known for personalized challenges, achievements, and routinely winning prestigious awards.
The University of Tulsa population is known for personalized challenges, achievements, and routinely winning prestigious awards.
The University of Tulsa stands out in more than just student ranking; crime statistics show major differences between trends at the University of Tulsa and the city itself.
Statistics show that the University of Tulsa likes to stand out from the rest of the Tulsan population in regards to crime, as well.
In regard to forcible sex offenses, when the city of Tulsa’s rate increased 3.5 percent from 2006 to 2007, the University of Tulsa’s went down from three offenses to zero.
The University of Tulsa also had a massive decrease in burglaries of 41.2 percent, from 17 to 10 offenses. The city of Tulsa fell behind in this category as well, increasing 8.4 percent.
The city did outshine the University in one area specifically: motor vehicle theft. While the city’s rate increased 15.9 percent, the University fared much worse, as the occurrences more than doubled from six offenses to 15.
From 2006 to 2007, the Tulsa population stayed around 385,00 and the University of Tulsa population stayed around 4,000.
Oklahoma Economy Stable Despite National Troubles
By John Cope
While the U.S. economy continues to struggle with stock prices plummeting and a weak housing market, the Oklahoma economy is not experiencing the same difficulty in the short-term.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce's October 2008 Employment Briefing reports that the Oklahoma economy has actually gained more than 12,000 jobs over the past year, despite the national economy losing over half a million jobs in the same time span.
The numbers presented by this briefing suggest that the Oklahoma job market is not being adversely affected by the problems experienced by the national economy. Whether this holds true in the coming months is uncertain, but for now the Oklahoma job market appears relatively solid despite the turmoil in the national economy.
Oklahoma has the sixth-lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the nation at 3.8 percent, according to the briefing. The unemployment rate has actually decreased since September 2007 despite troubles in the national economy. The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 6.1 percent.
Other states surrounding Oklahoma have also not been as affected by the downturn in the national economy. The region as a whole has experienced an increase in jobs over the past year.
College graduates a minority in the U.S.
By Ashlee Lubniewski
College students often do not realize what an accomplishment they have achieved when they walk down the aisle to receive their diploma.
But graduating college with a bachelor's degree is something that isn't very common in the United States. It is something that students should be proud to say that they have accomplished.
So when sending your child off to college, remind them that when they walk down that aisle four years later to receive their diploma, they are receiving something that holds a lot of value.
After all, they are becoming part of a group that consists of barely a quarter of our nation.
While 84.4 percent of Tulsans and 80.6 percent of Oklahomans are high school graduates, the numbers drop drastically when looking at statistics for college graduates.
In Tulsa, only 28.3 percent of the population have a bachelor's degree or higher. In Oklahoma, it is only 20.3 percent of the population.
Tulsa has a population of 382,872. This means that only 108,352 people have their bachelor's degree.
With Oklahoma's population of 3,579,212, only 726,580 adults have a bachelor's degree.
In the coming years, we can only hope that this is a statistic where the numbers will be on the rise.
More information on Tulsa statistics can be found by clicking here.
Tulsa job market lures college grads
By Kevin Genske
College graduates from Oklahoma may need to look no further than Tulsa when it comes to finding a job.
According Forbes magazine, Tulsa is becoming a great place for recent college graduates to find work.
Tulsa’s recent growth in jobs and low unemployment rate make it a good choice for graduates entering the job market for the first time.
In 2006 Tulsa was ranked the 48th best city to find a job due to its poor potential job growth rate and income growth rate. Tulsa’s growth rate improved over the last two years moving Tulsa to 22nd on the Forbes 2008 list.
Twenty-eight percent of Tulsa’s workforce has a bachelors degree or higher and that number has been rising with Tulsa’s recent economic growth.
Young adults are moving to Tulsa in increasing numbers according to U.S Census information with the hopes of landing good jobs.
Tulsa had a population of 393,049 in the 2000 U.S. Census, with 31,286 people being between the ages of 20-24 as listed here by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
During the recent economic turmoil in the U.S., Tulsa’s growth in jobs and low unemployment rates makes it an appealing choice for college graduates.
TU campus hopeful that alcohol violations will decrease with new rule
By Liza Mata
A report by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education shows a substantial decrease in liquor law violations at the University of Tulsa campus since 2005.
One of the most common disciplinary actions issued by the Security Department at TU in recent years has been related to liquor law violations.
In 2005, 83 people were referred to disciplinary action on campus as a result of such violations. None of these people were arrested.
Under the alcohol policy at TU only students over 21 were allowed to consume liquor on campus. They could only have a six-pack of 3.2 percent beer.
TU's alcohol policy changed earlier this year. Students over 21 are now allowed to keep any amount of alcoholic beverages of their choice in their dorm rooms and apartments.
The number of liquor law violations diminished around 5 percent in 2006 with only 79 reports and it dropped to 51 reports in 2007.
Conversely, drug law violations have increased significantly over the past three years. In 2005 only two drug law violations were reported, going up to seven in 2006 and to 15 in 2007.
Three of the drug law violations in 2007 took place in residence halls, and three people were arrested.
Further information on these cases and other campus security data can be found by clicking here.
Coming Soon: Numbers that Tell Oklahoma Stories
By John Coward
This week, I asked the TU News Gathering students to find statistics that describe various aspects of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma. I gave them free reign—they could look at numbers on topics ranging from entertainment and recreation to crime and business statistics.
The assignments are due later today, when the class will be uploading and editing their reports. If all goes according to plan, we'll have useful and interesting Oklahoma numbers on this site soon.
UPDATE: Several student stories are posted above. Check 'em out.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tulsa's Circle Cinema Brings Art to the Screen
The Circle Cinema is Tulsa's only non-profit, community-oriented movie theater. 
Story and photos by Kelli KickhamI strolled into the Circle Cinema in hopes of finding a story on a Wednesday night. As I walked through the door, I saw employee Chuck Foxen.
Foxen told me that the Circle is the only running historic theater in Tulsa. The non-profit theater is also know for being community-oriented.
Foxen showed me the gallery in the Circle, which was displaying paintings by students at the Tulsa Girls Art School. The painting were for sale, a fund-raiser for the school.
The Circle opened in 1928 and and been an important landmark in Whittier Square every since. Today it shows films that rarely make it to the mall theaters, mostly independent and foreign films and documentaries.
I was exploring the paintings and old movie posters that decorate the lobby when customers started arriving for an 8 p.m. showing of Encounters at the End of the World.
I talked to Cindy and Lori Wood. The mother and daughter are Tulsans, but didn't start going to the Circle until one of Lori's college professors recommended it. Now they are frequent moviegoers who live the Circle not simply for entertainment but for its educational value.
"[I saw] The Rape of Europa here. It was really good," Lori said.
The Circle Cinema on Lewis near I-244, not far from TU, so it's perfect for students who want to combine entertainment, art and popcorn with an "educational" evening out.
Try the Circle. It'll impress your parents—and your professors. For more information, check out the Circle's website here.
Lori, left, and Cindy Wood, a mother and daughter who appreciate the Circle Cinema. 
The Circle Cinema's gallery features art by local artists. 
Gourmet popcorn and other goodies are available at the concession stand.Kelli Kickham is a TU student from Tulsa who works part-time as a model.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
A Visit to Downtown Tulsa and the Day Center for the Homeless
The Day Center for the Homeless attracts a crowd of visitors every day in downtown Tulsa. 
A toddler was running and having fun at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless in downtown Tulsa. (Photos by Ashton Elder.)By Ashton Elder
Drive downtown, down past Denver Avenue and at the north end of Denver, turn left. You will see a different world there, a world of old and abandoned buildings, lone men resting on filthy sidewalks, deterioration everywhere you look.
This is not some Third World country. This is a part of the United States. This is a city slum. This is Tulsa, Oklahoma.
I walked in the rain toward the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. Ahead, I saw several groups of clustered outside, smoking, talking, or simply staying dry.
A group of African-American women was sitting on a bench with cigarettes. They laughed as a younger woman's toddler skipped around them, joyful, unaware of where she was and what that might mean for her future.
A man named Juan, an older Hispanic gentleman with faded tattoos and scars, offered to help me carry my boxes of donations. I thanked him, but he quickly relied, "No, thank you."
As I observed the groups of people gathered in the courtyard, what struck me the most was the lone man leaning against the corner, tattered clothes, thin, with rough skin.
The expression on his face was something beyond sadness, even hopelessness. His face revealed a blank stare at nothing, as if he was sleeping with his eyes open. It was an expression that was marked by years of struggling to survive.
Ashton Elder is a TU communication student from Tulsa. She loves to read.
The Collective: TU Neighborhood's New Coffee House
Inside The Collective, the new coffee house on 11th Street across from TU.The Collective:
It's Not Just
Another Coffee Shop
By Ty Page
A cozy environment, soft music, aromas of coffee and a diverse menu are all qualities of The Collective, a new coffee house on 11th Street across from the TU campus.
As I strolled through the main entrance, I was comforted by the atmosphere of the brick walls, leather-clad booths and chairs, and the sound of a Postal Service song playing in the background.
Although I rarely venture to coffee houses, I lucked out at The Collective on this Tuesday afternoon.
I decided to lay back in one of the booths and observe the people around me. One couple seemed to be discussing an accounting class problem on one side of the room, while a college-aged student was surfing the Internet on the other side.
The place struck me as a great retreat from my apartment, especially because it is so close by.
A young guy dressed casually in jeans and a maroon t-short approached me. He happened to be the co-owner, Rusty Rowe. I complimented his idea of hanging Tulsa t-shirts from the ceiling, one of which said "Don't Hate the 918," a reference to the Tulsa area code.
Rowe told me that there was a live DJ over the weekend and 200 customers came through the place. I also learned that The Collective has a fully loaded bar and serves drinks during special events, including TU football games, when they sell beer and snacks on the patio.
For me, The Collective was a real find, a place in the TU neighborhood that's both unique and convenient.
Ty Page is a TU senior from Dallas. He is majoring in communication and minoring in coaching. After graduation, he wants to work in advertising.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Nordaggio's: South Tulsa's Caffeine Haven
The sidewalk tables at Nordaggio's, not far from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. (Photos by Liza Mata) 
The entrance to Nordaggio's Coffee near the ORU campus.By Liza Mata
If there is a perfect place in Tulsa to hang out with friends and meet new people, it is Nordaggio’s.
With its diverse customers, Nordaggio’s invites coffee fans to enjoy its extraordinary variety of products.
This place is ideal for college students. It offers a modern yet comfortable setting, free Wi-Fi, the best coffee in town, great music, and a fantastic staff.
As I walked in, I was rapidly absorbed by the artistic touch of the place.I was amazed by the amount of art in display. I became particularly fascinated by a Mona Lisa portrait painted in cocoa, which hung over the chimney and presented the famous lady holding a mug of coffee in one of her hands, thus called Mona Latte.
Leather couches sit by the beautiful stone chimney, tall bar tables, computers, and two environments separated by a semi-wall constitute the setting.
The music is wonderful too. It varies depending on the time of the day, said Janette Branca, store clerk. The store iPod contains music by Enya for the morning, jazz and Latin music during the afternoon, and music by artists such as Coldplay at night. (For music links to free online playlists, click here.)
Nordaggio’s also promotes local artists. Every Saturday night, bands from the Tulsa area are welcome to play at this wonderful coffee place.
Nordaggio’s is great because of its coffee and its closeness to campus, said Nikki and Wade, two college students who visit it frequently and enjoy its pleasant environment.
Window signs at this popular coffee shop in Tulsa.Liza Mata is a junior at TU. She is a native of Maturin, Venezuela, and moved to Oklahoma when she was 16. She is a graduate of Jenks High School. She is majoring in communication and has minors in political science and French.
Karaoke Night at Tulsa's 'The Buck'
The mural on the wall of Tulsa's Buckaneer bar, on Harvard near 11th Street.By Paul Lischwe
I am by no means a bar connoisseur or a prize-winning karaoke singer. Bit I am a 21-year-old who enjoys the company of good friends and singing the occasional "Mary Jane's Last Dance" when the time is right.
That disclaimer brings me to the beginning of my adventure at The Buckaneer, a bar just a stone's throw from the TU campus.
The time was about 11:15 on a Thursday night. I walked through the door of the Buck. To my left a portly man was on a small six-by-five foot stage belting out a western song that was lost on me. At this point, I could tell it was going to be a good night.
I walked over to the bar to meet a few of my buddies for a drink. As I passed by two female patrons of the bar, I could not help but overhear them intently discussing which karaoke ballad they wanted to sing. I caught the song "I Would Do Anything for Love" by Meat Loaf.
I hoped they would make a better selection.
Joining the circle that my friends had formed, I became aware that I was the only one without a drink in my hand. That needed fixing, so I worked my way through a wall of other thirsty customers and ordered the Thursday night special, which is a bucket of Natural Light bottles for $5.
After enjoying a few karaoke performances and taking down a few beers from the bucket, I decided to try my hand at karaoke. After recruiting my buddy John, we made our way to the man running the laptop that held all of the karaoke songs. We inquired about the song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.
About 20 minutes later, the two of us found ourselves on stage with about 100 patrons looking up at us, Maybe this wasn't such a solid idea.
We sang. For the most part, we were better than I had expected. We butchered a few of the later verses, but there seemed to be no booing except from my less adventuresome friends.
Off the stage and out of the limelight, I waked back through the billiard tables to my groupies. We settled our tab with the Buckaneer's manager, P.J., and made our way to Taco Bell for a nightcap.
Paul Lischwe is a junior finance major and a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity at TU.
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