Boomtown Tees Brings Tulsa Pride to Downtown

 By Bonnie Garden

Downtown Tulsa has a growing number of shops and boutiques that cater to the young and hip. If you have been to restaurants such as El Guapo, The Max or Joe Momma's, you might have walked by some of these shops and not even noticed.

Boomtown Tees was started three years ago on Elgin, right next to Joe Momma's. The store sells T-shirts designed by local artists as well as local music and art by the the employees.

Boomtown Tees also gives customers the option of designing their own shirts and having Boomtown screen print them for you. I spoke with Cheryl Quetone, who told me how the business began.

"It started with just a T-shirt booth at local shows in Tulsa, and once my boss saw that it was successful, he decided to set up shop," Quetone said.

If you're like me and love to show off your Tulsa pride, this is the place. To see some of their tees, check out their website here.

The Joy of Verbs: Studio Tulsa's Interview with Word Guru Constance Hale

Verbs make the language move. They bring strength and power to writing. They need to be used carefully and well. 

That's among the messages you can find in Constance Hale's recent book, Vex, Hex, Smash, Smoosh, a book about verbs.

We learned about the book this week when Studio Tulsa replayed an interview with Hale. Hale, it turns out, is a funny lady who knows her verbs. She knows the rules and she knows when to break them. She's worth a listen.

A link to the interview with host Rich Fisher can be found here.

Resources for Digital Journalists: Some Links

By John Coward

Audio producers Abby Wendle and Sarah Geis of This Land visited the News Gathering class earlier this month, talking about their work and inspiring the students with some gripping audio interviews.

They also told us about some of the resources available for student journalists aiming to do more audio production. Here are links to a couple of those resources, which students are encouraged to check out and use.

One of the most useful is transom.org. Another is SoundCloud.com.

Dining in Tulsa's Brady Arts District: The Tavern

By Renae Powers

My husband Tyler and I love The Tavern, a wonderful restaurant in Tulsa's Brady Arts District, just north of downtown. 

The Tavern occupies a corner on North Main and Brady. The looks might fool you. The lights are dim inside, with two levels of candle-lit tables. The servers are in business casual attire (no aprons) but the atmosphere is casual. Their food and service: exceptional.

We went to The Tavern on Monday evening around 6 p.m. There were about six groups dining. One of them a table of businessmen that looked like they just got off work and another was a round table of older women celebrating one of their birthdays with laughs, gifts and cocktails.

Throughout the evening, I tried to catch snippets of conversations wherever I could, but the clinking of silverware and glasses blocked them out. The only word I could get from the ladies was “beer.”

Tyler and I started our evening with the deviled egg trifecta. It’s three different kinds of deviled eggs that come in pairs so there’s no need to fight over them. The traditional, wasabi, and bacon renditions are placed on a bed of greens. The colors are naturally vibrant I didn’t even turn on my flash for the photo. 

After finishing our dinner, our waitress drops off the check which is paper clipped to the back of a sienna-filtered postcard. I didn’t have to ask about the picture on the front because I instantly recognized it as the far wall of The Tavern. 

Tyler and I sat to the right of the postcard.  I recommend everyone tries Tavern. It will not disappoint.

The Power of Audio Journalism from This Land

Abby Wendle, left, and Sarah Geis, audio producers from Tulsa's This Land Press, played some examples of their audio reporting to the news gathering class Thursday, March 14. In the foreground on the right is TU student J. L. Calderwood and, center, Lauren Nehf.

Check out some of the This Land audio with a click here. 

UK Shop Brings International Flavor to Broken Arrow

By Jesika Byerly 

Wandering the streets of Broken Arrow, I discovered a small slice of international culture here in Oklahoma. Things UK Ltd. is a British-themed shop tucked into an average strip mall, hidden between other businesses, small and uncongested. 

The doors to the shop are below an inexpensive sign with the name of the business. The sign bears the British flag, a signifier of the goods sold there. As I peer through the windows before stepping inside, I see the distinctive red phone box, a popular symbol of the country’s culture, alongside a red double-decker bus. 

I walked inside, not knowing what to expect, and was greeted by a cordial gentlemen of around 60 years of age. At that moment, the cultural shift hit me. The man’s voice brought a different accent to Broken Arrow. The pitch and tone of his words was definitely English. This was a good sign of the shop's authenticity. 

Every product I examined was a product of British culture, but these products were not so different from American goods. The products included chocolates, creams, teas, and flour. Since these products were all imported, the prices seemed steep. That makes sense. This is not the place for regular groceries, but it is a place to find something uniquely British, something new and different.

Hip and Cozy: The Coffee House on Cherry Street

By Laura Yeradi 

    
I visited a local coffee shop in Tulsa called Coffee House on Cherry Street (CHOCS).  I convinced my friend Kylie, coffee expert and TU student, to take a study break to enjoy an iced dirty chai at the hipster-infused coffee house located on 15^th Street. 

CHOCS looks like it was furnished from a thrift shop, yet remains charming and trendy.  The rustic furniture provides a cozy atmosphere to the colorful range of customers.  I observed the customers surrounding me: a young, redheaded man with long hair listening to music, two middle-aged women discussing business, and a girl in her 30s reading a book. 

CHOCS is a perfect place to study, go on a date, or hang out with friends because of the privacy.  The couches, chairs, and tables create isolated nooks all around the coffee shop, allowing for quiet conversation or focused studying.  The inviting character of the coffee shop makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. 

There are specialty drinks named “The Honey Badger” or “The Polar Bear” that spice up your average latté menu, along with a variety of fruit smoothies.  They also have a delicious array of desserts and sandwiches.  Next time, instead of your routine Starbucks run, try CHOCS – you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Guys, Wings and Big-Time Sports in T-town

By J. L. Calderwood

A few of us decided to go to Buffalo Wild Wings a few nights ago. We are poor college students, so 60-cent traditional wings are a winner for us. We were lucky to get there before the Oklahoma City Thunder game started, so we had no trouble getting a table. 

I checked out the television screens. I noticed they had multiple games playing, both basketball and hockey. But they didn't have my favorite hockey team on any set. I asked the staff and they were happy to put on the Chicago Blackhawks game, which made us very happy.

 With the game on there wasn’t much conversation, but we were enjoying the game because the Hawks were winning and our food was outstanding. Beyond our table, I noticed everyone enjoying their evening out. I saw a couple on a date sharing a plate of wings, a table of six guys drinking whatever beer was on special for the night, and a family out of the house for the night.

 Buffalo Wild Winds allows you to enjoy yourself, relax from a stressful day, and enjoy your favorite sports team. Most importantly for us, Tuesday is 60-cent traditional wings.

Good Food, Good Times in Brookside: Senor Tequila

 By Lauren Nehf

Walking up to Señor Tequila in Brookside, you can feel the vibe of an authentic Mexican restaurant. Entering through the front door, you smell the kitchen where a divine Mexican feast is being prepared. Smiling faces greet you at the host stand. The restaurant is flanked with paintings and decorations of Mexican culture, which complement the rustic brick coating of the walls.

As I was seated at my table, I noticed right away the respectful yet tentative nature of my server as he brought drinks, took our food orders, and promptly served our food. My cheese and chicken quesadilla was topped with fresh lettuce, guacamole, and salsa. I finished my meal with out a single complaint.

When I leaned back in the cozy booth I looked around and noticed the wide variety of activities. At a large table, a birthday party was taking place and behind them, a young couple seemed to be on their first date. To my right were two middle-aged couples on what appeared to be a double date.

Leaving the restaurant, full and happy, I was able to catch a snap shot of the neon sign out in front of the restaurant. I have never seen a Mexican restaurant with a neon sign but it sure does draw people in. Beyond the sign, Tulsans come for the delicious food, kind staff, and colorful environment.

Shopping in Color: A Visit to Tulsa's Las Americas Market

  

 By John Coward
I was shopping at Las Americas market on East Third Street not far from downtown Tulsa the other day and couldn't help but notice the colorful array of products and produce. The shelves are packed with rows of soft drinks, hot sauces and paper products, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Not surprisingly, a lot of products are Mexican, and the store reminds me of grocery shopping in Central Mexico in the 1980s, when my wife and I lived there for a few weeks. Since I was shopping, I hadn't planned to take any photos, but I had my iPhone handy and I began looking for shapes, patterns and colors that would make interesting photos and give a sense of the market. Here are some of my favorites.

Las Americas includes a restaurant as well as a store. My wife and I have enjoyed eating their over the years. We recommend it. For more information about Las Americas, check out their website here.

A Panoramic Photo of TU's McFarlin Library

As an experiment in iPhone photography, I used a panoramic program on my phone to shoot this image of TU's McFarlin Library. (Click on the image to see the full panoramic shot.) The software is a Microsoft program called Photosynth and, best of all, it's free. (Photo by John Coward)

News Students Tour the Tulsa World

John Rhodes of the Tulsa World explains how ad supplements get into the newspaper to TU students Laura Yeradi, center, and Lauren Nehf, left. The spring News Gathering class visited the World this week in order to get a better idea of how what it takes to produce a daily newspaper.

Coming Soon: New Stories from TU Journalism Students

More stories are coming soon to the Tulsa Street Stories site, a Tulsa University digital journalism project founded in 2006.

Tulsa Street Stories is a project of the spring 2013 News Gathering class taught by Prof. John Coward.The class is an introduction to news reporting and writing, including an introduction to digital and online media.

Watch this space for more Tulsa stories from TU journalism students, who will be posting articles and images soon.

Hallie Green: A Good Person Helping Tulsa's Homeless

By Jintae Hwang

Good people make the world go around. Hallie Green is one of them. She works at Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, located north of downtown. I met her to learn about her job and how she does it.

When I entered her office, I recognized one of her frames on the wall. It says, "There is no such thing as small change." That statement gave me an idea of what type of person she might be.

She explained things with smile. She wanted to be here for a good reason—for a positive influence. The Tulsa Day Center was a familiar place to her. As a native of Claremore, she volunteered for years at the Day Center.

“I volunteered with the Day Center when I was in high school,” she said.

She started her career in politics as a fundraiser in Chicago. She had some stops before coming to the Day Center.

“It took me a while to get here,” she said.

She came back to help people and make changes. Obviously, she enjoys her work.

“This is an organization that I have always liked so I knew I wanted to be here,” Green said.

Although her main task is to raise money, she does a lot of things to accomplish it- sending out grants, plan events, talk to corporations and foundations, and so on.

She does extra work too. She goes to New Orleans every summer to help construct houses that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Her office showed her personality with pictures and art. The bulletin board, especially, displayed her interests. I could sense the positive energy on that board.

One of her pictures was a pigeon sitting on top of an old man's head.

"His name is Homer," Green said.

She explained that Homer was a good friend for homeless people for three years. If Homer could be a friend to people who need help, we can all do something. Green is doing just that.

"I knew I would do something with helping," she said.

For more information about the Tulsa Day Center, click here.

Jintae Hwang is a senior communication student from Korea. Before moving to Tulsa, he lived in Los Angeles.

Doing Good in Tulsa: Reports on People Who Help

By John Coward

Tulsa is justifiably proud of its good citizens and many service organizations that work every day to make this a better city. Helping our fellow citizens is certainly a higher calling.

With that in mind, Tulsa Street Stories is publishing profiles of some of the people and organizations who serve Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma every day.

Several of these stories are posted below. Please take a few minutes to read these stories, all of which were written by University of Tulsa students in the fall 2009 News Gathering course.

Prof. John Coward teaches communication at The University of Tulsa.