New coffee house features the unique flavor of Tulsa

By Dustin DuVall

By Dustin DuVall

     A new coffee house opening soon within what used to be the old George Tune auto shop reflects the owners' love for Tulsa and its rich history. Morad El-Rahheb, a huge coffee aficionado according to his wife Annie, saw the property at 2446 E 11th st and thought it would be perfect for a coffee house. "He's committed to preserving the original footprint of this historic 1928 cottage style gas station on Route 66," says Annie. "He and I designed the logo as a nod to our love for Tulsa's renown Art Deco and our love for mid-century modern design, both of which are part of the building's history." The couple's love and respect for Tulsa history and style will also be reflected in the seating area which will be filled with one-of-a-kind pieces from Tulsa's golden years. 

    In addition to a comfortable, appealing environment, 918 Coffee will be serving "outstanding organic coffee" as well as fresh bread and pastries baked in house as well as sandwiches incorporating a European style. "We will be using the best quality ingredients, incorporating local and seasonal as much as possible," said Annie. "We will add soup and salads, vegetarian and gluten-free options if our customers request this."

    Live entertainment is also being planned with space available for a single singer, guitar player, poet, or story teller with music being provided through Spotify all day with the occasional playing of music on vinyl. They intend on having a largely college based crowd in the evening due to its proximity to the University of Tulsa nearby. They are expecting an early June opening with an exact date to be posted on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/918-Coffee/522930677737436) when they become more certain. Additional information, including a "before" picture of the coffee house, can be found at http://route66news.com/2013/01/09/coffee-house-in-historic-tulsa-gas-station-may-open-by-spring/.

Quarterback Knock Downs to Ultimate Knockouts

                                              By Nicholas Graham

    Kinny Spotwood first arrived in Tulsa in 2003 as a freshman member of the University of Tulsa football team.  Hailing from Abilene, TX as an undersized Defensive End, his explosive speed and agility enabled him to become a tangible force for the Golden Hurricane squad.  In 2010, Spotwood officially traded his football pads for gloves and began a career as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

            MMA is a full contact sport best known for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) series.  Unlike football, MMA does not offer its athletes any protective gear.  When asked, Spotwood said vulnerability without protection was not the biggest obstacle he encountered when transitioning from a lifelong football career, “The hardest part of getting used to this sport is that it’s one-on-one, not team; win or lose, it falls on you, no one else.”

           

 Motivated by his older brother back home in Texas, Spotwood tries not to focus on potential injuries he might face as an MMA fighter, but rather on each day as it happens.  “Every sport comes with potential dangers.  I just try my best to protect myself and pray nothing bad happens.”

           

 An average day for the former Hurricane athlete consists of four to six hours of martial arts training.  With a 2-2-0 record, Spotwood has his sights set high for his MMA future, he hopes to one day fight someone that will “put him in the record books”.

Kinny Spotwood MMA Stats
http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Kinny-Spotwood-80943#cohcVAGsrfAavSHR.03

Kinny Spotwood Football

http://soa.li/020eUQb

Skylar Diggins Drafted to the Tulsa Shock

By Bonnie Garden

The Tulsa Shock is proud to announce the drafting of Notre Dame Women’s basketball star Skylar Diggins. 

Diggins played the guard position for four Notre Dame Fighting Irish Seasons (2009-2012) and was recently drafted to the WNBA team, the Tulsa Shock. She is the all-time scoring leader for Notre Dame and is a 3-time all-American who averaged 17.1 points per game in the 2012-2013 season.

Diggins was born in South Bend, Indiana and attended Washington High School leading the Panthers to four consecutive state championship games as their starting guard. Coming out of High School, Diggins was a McDonald’s All-American and chose to attend Notre Dame and play for the Fighting Irish. She set numerous records for the team and received many prominent awards, including the Big East player of the year award for the 2011-2012 season. Diggins was the third pick in the WNBA draft for the Tulsa Shock and will begin her first season with the team May 25^th. 

Many Tulsans have expressed their excitement for the drafting of such a famous college basketball player and have already purchased season tickets. A few University of Tulsa students also expressed their excitement for the new addition to the Tulsa Shock team. 

The University of Tulsa Men's Basketball also expressed their excitement for Skylar's arrival by making a Vine app video: https://vine.co/v/bFjggMeeq7A/embed

Tulsa to host Center of the Universe Festival by Laura Yeradi

Tulsa will host the Center of the Universe Festival in the Brady Arts District on July 19-20, 2013.

This music and arts festival will be held at the Main Stage on Main Street outside of Cain’s Ballroom, and also at the Guthrie Green from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.  

Headlining the non-profit festival is One Republic and Neon Trees, along with bands from all across the country.  After the outdoor concerts finish, there will be performances in the bars and clubs in the Brady Arts District from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

“This music festival is unique because it features popular bands, upcoming bands, and local bands from Tulsa,” said Ori Anderson, student at the University of Tulsa.

In addition to music, there will be a street art festival where artists can display and sell their work.  There will also be food trucks, other vendors, and a water park where you can cool off.

Bands are encouraged to apply to play at the clubs and bars after the outdoor performances.  The application fee will donated to the Tulsa Public Schools Music Program.

General admission to the event is free, but VIP and preferred admission tickets are available for purchase.  All proceeds will to benefit the downtown trolley service.

For more information, visit the official Center of the Universe Festival website at www.centeroftheuniversefestival.com.

Anderson attended the kick-off party where the festival was announced.  She is a current intern at Propeller Communications, LLC, who works directly with media coverage for the festival.

This is a poster that displays the current lineup for the festival.

TU Student-Athlete Turns School Teacher

Rachel Buchanan, 23, has successfully made the inevitable transition thrown at nearly every college graduate. Buchanan is a graduate of the University of Tulsa as of December 2012.

As a student athlete who maintained a 3.5 GPA during her time at TU, Buchanan was faced with plenty of adversary. Despite her success as a student and her excellent leadership as co-captain of TU Women’s Rowing, as her college graduation date approached she did what anyone would do; panic.

“I remember panicking and calling my parents and saying, what am I going to do!” said Buchanan.

Currently, Buchanan works as a 5^th grade teacher at Lee Elementary in Tulsa. She loves her job and finds her work fulfilling on a day-to-day basis. Even though, Miss B. as her students call her, has departed from the stress of college life as a student-athlete, she believes her role as a teacher poses equally challenging yet different obstacles.

As a 5^th grade school teacher Miss B is never short of laughs as well. She says her students are bright and often times funny. When asked to recall a funnier moment from the classroom, she refers to a student who had just learned the definition of a ‘rhetorical’ question, but later misspoke the word. “That was a ‘historical’ question, Miss B. You aren’t supposed to answer it,” said the anonymous student.

                                      

Left: Buchanan on TU graduation day.

Right: Buchanan third from right in boat on the Verdigris River.

Two Voices on Sharia Law in Oklahoma Courts

By:
Jesika Byerly
Renae Powers

The legislature’s Counterterrorism Caucus worries about Islamic Law in America’s courts. The caucus brought the founder of the Center for Security, Frank Gaffney, to Oklahoma City to discuss what he feels are the dangers.

“That is a fight against a doctrine that is our generation’s most serious, and I believe most potential, mortal peril. The adherence to it: call it, Sharia,” Gaffney says.

In 2010, Oklahoma voters approved an amendment barring Sharia Law in the state, but the courts overturned it. Gaffney prays for the legislature to fix the problems that were ruled unconstitutional.

A bill to ban foreign laws from the state consideration has cleared both houses. It has been sent to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin’s desk and is waiting for her signature.

Oklahoma Legislature website: http://www.oklegislature.gov/index.aspx

Full video of the Counterterrorism Caucus of Oklahoma Legislature’s press conference:

Article on judge overturning the approved amendment in 2010: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/oklahoma-sharia-law-struck-down-_n_780632.html

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The Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relation opposes the Counterterrorism Caucus, which it says is based on fear.

Adam Soltani, Executive Director of CAIR Oklahoma, says that the bill is trying to convince Oklahomans that Oklahoma Muslims are here to do things other than abiding by the law. Soltani says this is far from the truth. He says they're trying to create fear that is unnecessary.

Soltani says Sharia Law requires following the law of the land.

He expects the measure, if passed, could be subject to legal challenges. He says objections would be similar to those that overturned the anti-Sharia law state constitutional amendment.

CAIR asked Muslims and other to ask Governor Fallin to veto the bill. Soltani says to NewsOk that his organization has no ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.

For more on what Soltani and others had to say to NewsOk, here's a complete article:

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-governor-urged-to-sign-revised-sharia-law-measure/article/3785689