TulsaPeople February 2023

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TULSA TURNS 100

A-LIST HALL OF FAME

PRIVATE SCHOOL GUIDE & COLLEGE GUIDE February 2023

CHENGDU PLUS FOUR OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SPOTS TO DINE

Ready Hiram & Flor Munoz Owners, Winchester General Contractors

“When apartments need remodeled, companies call us.

We get them ready, fast. And when I was ready to change banks because I couldn’t get what I needed, Mabrey stepped in ready to go. They’ve helped me grow my business ever since.

That’s why MY BANK IS MABREY.” Read more at MyBankIsMabrey.com/ Winchester

MABREYBANK.COM | 888.272.8866 | MEMBER FDIC

BE TRUE TO YOUR HEART. Schedule your heart screening today.

The Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute offers a series of cardiovascular screenings at a reduced cost to help you identify potential risks for heart disease and other vascular conditions.

CARDIAC CALCIUM SCREENING – $99 THREE CARDIOVASCULAR SCREENINGS – $99 • Carotid disease • Abdominal aortic aneurysm • Peripheral arterial disease

For more details about this series of cardiovascular screenings visit saintfrancis.com/heartscreening.

To schedule an appointment, please call 918-494-6900.

6161 South Yale Avenue | Tulsa, Oklahoma I saintfrancis.com/heartscreening

FIRST OKLAHOMA BANK PRESENTS

Leaders with Heart

HARD WORKING. LOYAL. COMMITTED. Lew Erickson is known for her can-do attitude, boisterous laugh, faith and a heart for service, which comes through in everything she does.

“It gives me joy to help other people. That’s what puts the bounce in my step,” Lew says.

“I want to wake up each day and be more Christlike, serve others.”

With over 35 years of banking experience, including eight years at First Oklahoma Bank, Lew is a commercial lender with an expertise in health care and real estate. She is responsible for the bank’s private banking offering.

Giving back has always been a part of her life, and something her parents and grandparents modeled through their community and church involvement.

Her father was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; her mother’s outreach was through golf. Lew watched and learned.

Lew was a daily presence at the 2022 PGA Championship this past summer. Since 1993, Lew has served on a United States Golf Association committee and officiated at many golf events, including the U.S. Women’s Open, the NCAA Championship and the Curtis Cup Match. Her experiences have ranged from keeping her eye on a bear in a tree as she was starting the players in the U.S. Women’s Open in Colorado, helping Jack Nicklaus with a bee sting, and making sure that the standard bearer for Tiger Woods got his autograph.

“Golf opens communication and builds relationships. Both my parents were involved in sports, my dad a coach and my mom a P.E. teacher. Golf was my way to be an athlete and fit into my family. I learned later that golf was a plus for a business career.

I tell young women that if they have the chance to learn golf at a young age, do it.”

Through golf, Lew became involved in the Tulsa chapter of the American Heart Association. Other organizations near to her heart have been Young Life, a Christcentered ministry that builds relationships with high school students to help them grow in their faith, and The Common Good, which helps families in need in northwest Tulsa.

“Lew is the standard for a relationship banker. She embodies our core value of treating others as we would want to be treated. Her clients become her friends.

People trust her – she’s smart and extremely talented,” says Tom Bennett III, CEO and President of First Oklahoma Bank.

“First Oklahoma Bank is very communityfocused,” Lew says. “When the pandemic hit, everyone at the bank rolled up their sleeves and worked day and night to help small-business owners apply for the Paycheck Protection Program. I think when that happened, you really saw the heart of First Oklahoma Bank. It involved everybody in the bank.”

Midtown: 4110 S. Rockford Avenue | South: 100 S. Riverfront Drive, Jenks

www.FirstOklahomaBank.com

Cardiac CT Angiogram Scan

499

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Call 918-215-6499 in February to schedule your appointment to receive the promotional price of $499. This is less than half of what you would pay out-of-pocket with insurance.

Oklahoma Heart Institute offers a cardiac CT angiogram scan that is more than 95 percent sensitive in detecting heart disease.

This painless imaging test shows exactly where your blockages are and how severe they are in just seconds. This means easy and early detection of heart disease.

Learn more at oklahomaheart.com/betterscan.

FEBRUARY 2023 | VOLUME 37 ISSUE 4

Chicken, lamb and falafel wraps from Pita Place

7 CITY DESK A new look for the Center of the Universe.

Emmy-winning puppeteer calls Tulsa home.

Local teen develops new app for parents.

Art for Ukraine.

86 TABLE TALK New bakery has us happily waiting in line.

Ice cream heart cakes for Valentine’s Day. 3 places for hot chicken.

32 2023 COLLEGE GUIDE

73 A CENTURY OF SERVICE

Oklahoma colleges and universities, as well as popular regional options, offer countless opportunities for furthering education.

COMPILED BY J. D. MYER AND ANNE BROCKMAN

Junior League of Tulsa celebrates 100 years of community impact.

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

39 2023 PRIVATE SCHOOL GUIDE Tulsa’s private education options.

COMPILED BY J. D. MYER ON THE COVER: Salt and pepper prawns from Chengdu PHOTO BY MICHELLE POLLARD

4

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

82 IN THE KNOW 5 under-the-radar restaurants.

BY NATALIE MIKLES

91 LIFESTYLE Chocolate-centric Oklahoma destinations.

SPECIAL SECTION

Hawley Furniture’s new home.

50 A-LIST Hall of Fame

Specialized care for the youngest and oldest.

Connie Cronley’s latest musings.

MICHELLE POLLARD; CITY DESK: GREG BOLLINGER

Sober sips.

Weight-loss surgery can change lives Hear success stories at a free seminar Many people have their lives changed through bariatric surgery. And the first step for many is attending a seminar. Meet our care team, learn more about surgery, and hear success stories from other patients.

Get answers to questions, too. Know that we’re maintaining strict precautions to keep you safe in our care.

To sign up for a weight-loss surgery seminar, call 918-205-7665

Weight-loss results may vary depending on the individual.

There is no guarantee of specific results. © Ascension 2023. All rights reserved.

FROM THE EDITOR

Some say February is for lovers.

I say it is for foodies.

Volume XXXVII, Number 4 ©2023. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, including created advertising in a proofed or printed stage.

TulsaPeople Magazine is published monthly by

1603 South Boulder Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119-4407 P: 918-585-9924 F: 918-585-9926

While it’s the shortest month, February tends to

one of their great flavor concoctions. No matter

pack a punch in terms of holidays, celebrations

what, we suggest you give these a try when you

and events.

have the hankering for something different.

There’s the obvious Valentine’s Day — a day

Natalie also checks in on downtown’s Lowood,

for telling those closest to you how much you love

gives us three spots for spicy fried chicken and

them. Steak, chocolate and a bottle of wine do the

spills on the bakery that sells out every Saturday.

job well.

Then there’s Galentine’s Day, which seems to have become a holiday all its own and one easily

Also this month we cover education in Tulsa — from private school and college guides to various program highlights happening across town.

adaptable to your best group of gal pals. We can

Junior League of Tulsa — a collection of

all thank the fictional Leslie Knope of “Parks

women leaders committed to changing our city for

and Recreation” for this unofficial holiday, at least

the better through volunteerism and community

that’s what Google and Cosmopolitan tell me.

action — celebrates a centennial milestone this

Tulsa retailers and restaurants are paying attention

month. Starting on p. 73 see what this organiza-

to this calendar newcomer and I’m grateful for it.

tion has done for Tulsa.

On Feb. 12 the Super Bowl brings football

Many of us have a piece of JLT in our homes

fanatics together with people who only watch one

in the form of its cookbooks — collections of reci-

game a year (that’s me) over the love of snacks,

pes perfect for any occasion, perhaps even one this

barbecue, beer and any kind of powdered cheese-

month. TP

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNITY RELATIONS Susie Miller EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR CITY EDITOR

Anne Brockman Tim Landes Blayklee Freed Tiffany Howard

EDITORIAL CONSULTING Missy Kruse, The Write Company CREATIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER MANAGING PHOTOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER

Madeline Crawford Georgia Brooks Ashley Guerrero Michelle Pollard Greg Bollinger

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Andrea Canada ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Josh Kampf Rita Kirk CONTROLLER Mary McKisick DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Amanda Hall INTERN Abby Medico

MEMBER

TulsaPeople’s distribution is audited annually by

Langdon Publishing Company sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This issue of Tulsa People was printed on recycled fibers containing 20 percent post-consumer waste with inks containing a soy base blend. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally, meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. We can have a better world if we choose it together.

Disregard any TulsaPeople subscription solicitation that is not directly mailed from the Langdon Publishing office at 1603 S. Boulder Ave. Contact Langdon Publishing directly if you are interested in subscribing or renewing your TulsaPeople subscription.

encrusted crunch.

This month TulsaPeople’s focus turns to food, too, as writer Natalie Mikles shares five foodie finds (p. 82). You might have driven past these countless times or seen social media posts about 6

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Anne Brockman EDITOR

S AY N O T O H A T E

Coding camp participants Shilpi Bardhan and Finley Buchner work with RedFlight Innovation’s Robinne Eller to troubleshoot their code for a robotics dance competition.

COURTESY TULSA REGIONAL STEM ALLIANCE

Keys to the future T

ulsa Regional STEM Alliance offers summer coding camp sessions designed to help middle school girls gain the computer science skills necessary to make an impact through future technology careers. Participants learn coding basics, how to build websites and robots, design their own business and develop strong relationships with mentors in the field. The camps are just one of the many programs TRSA has developed to provide learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math to Oklahoma students. TP LEARN MORE ABOUT TULSA REGIONAL STEM ALLIANCE ON P. 22.

TulsaPeople.com

7

NOTEBOOK

BY T IFFAN Y HO WAR D

Booker T. Washington High School’s pom squad and students gear up for last year’s homecoming during a pep rally.

BOOKER T. HITS BIG ANNIVERSARY IN 2023

Center of the Universe redesign Necessary structural updates to the Boston Avenue Pedestrian Bridge — better known as the Center of the Universe — also will bring exciting aesthetic changes and new amenities. But Tulsans can rest assured nothing during the renovation process will affect the legendary echo anomaly so many visit the site to experience. Brian Kurtz, president and CEO of Downtown Tulsa Partnership — the organization steering COTU’s design and planning as part of a public-private partnership with the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County — discusses what Tulsa can expect.

HOW WILL THE COTU’S REDESIGN IMPROVE THE SPACE FOR TULSANS? Even in its current condition, it’s a major draw for people who love it for what it provides — a public gathering space with an incredibly fun experience. When the renovation project is done, it will continue to serve in these same capacities, plain and simple. The benefit of this project is injecting quality design, materiality and programming into the space.

Dense urban places require greenery and shade — spaces that serve as respites or escapes from our places of employment or residences — and this design introduces each of these elements. Downtown needs more parks and public spaces, and we (can) recreate this concrete bridge into a beautiful gathering space.

WHICH OF THE NEW DESIGN ELEMENTS OR FEATURES WERE SUGGESTED BY THE PUBLIC? The entire space as presented is informed by public responses and ideas that have come forward throughout the conceptual design process … From day one we heard that no matter what happens to the look and feel of the space, the echo must remain! The design team brought in an acoustic engineer to ensure that, when all is said and done, Tulsans will still be able to experience the acoustic anomaly.

HOW WILL IT SERVE TULSA’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS? From the overall design to its daily use and experience, art is a critical part of this project. The design features two flat or terraced lawn areas on each end of the bridge that can serve as venues for performances and events, whether planned or impromptu. In addition to restoring (the sculpture) “Artificial Cloud,” there will be opportunities to commission new public art works for permanent placement as well as future opportunities for temporary works of art.

Learn more about the project at recentertheuniverse.com.

READ MORE OF THIS CONVERSATION AT TULSAPEOPLE.COM

MONTEREAU LAUNCHES NEW PODCAST

Voices of Oklahoma “It’s easier to be ugly to someone you don’t know. But when you get to know that person, then it’s pretty difficult.

Because you realize that person has the same dreams you have, grew up, sometimes, in the same way, had parents saying the same things. Praying to the same God. To know that person — that makes all the difference in the world ... My advice (to young people) is to dream big and to know that the world is open to you today like it’s never been open to you before. And you have the right, and you have all of the resources available to you.” — Civil rights activist Joyce Jackson was the first Black female journalist in Oklahoma television history. She was also part of the Katz Drugstore sit-in in 1958 — the beginning of a movement that contributed to race relations reform in Oklahoma.

“Voices of Oklahoma” is an oral history project founded by John Erling in 2009. Visit voicesofoklahoma.com.

Montereau Retirement Community launched its new podcast “Vitality Matters” in December. With a primary focus on aging services, a new episode each month will touch on key components to enhancing vitality: social, intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional. Find the podcast at montereau.net and on other popular podcasting platforms.

8

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

COTU: MKSK STUDIOS; JACKSON: COURTESY; BTW: SARAH WALKER

Proposed elements of the Center of the Universe redesign include all new hardscaping and sidewalks, terraced lawns, a train watching/seating area, shade structures, accent lighting, large shade and decorative trees, native plants and a play area for families.

Booker T. Washington High School is celebrating 110 years of unparalleled academic access for students. Opened by Ellis Walker Woods in 1913, BTW’s original four-room frame building was established to ensure Black children could receive an excellent education and make an impact on the world. Named one of the best high schools in America by U.S. News in 2020, BTW continues to build on its tradition of educational merit and athletic prowess, serving students from every racial, ethnic, religious and socio-economic group in Tulsa. For the past five years (excluding 2020), the average scholarship amount received per graduating class is $23,216,737.

paradise never sounded So Good.

On Sale Now Croce plays Croce Featuring A. J. Croce

Muscogee Creek Nation Veterans Benefit Concert FEB 4 Featuring: TANYA TUCKER With special guest: Tommy Howell

A.J. Croce FEB 9 Kenny Wayne Shepherd BAND FEB 16

JAY LENO MAR 2 All performances subject to change.

Live Music 7 Nights a Week in 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar Fridays & Saturdays in Margaritaville!

Visit margaritavilletulsa.com for a complete schedule.

8 3 3 0 R I V E R S I D E PA R K W AY T U L S A , O K 7413 7 8 8 8 . 74 8 . 3 7 3 1 • R I V E R S P I R I T T U L S A . C O M

FEBRUARY COMPILED BY BL AYKLEE FREED

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

FEB. 1 GILCREASE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD While the museum is closed for renovations, see Pop Chalee’s “Forest Scene” in select locations around town as part of this pop-up museum series. Installations will be taken down toward the end of the month, so hurry and catch a glimpse before it goes.

Various locations.

GILCREASE.ORG/GILCREASE-IN-YOUR-NEIGHBORHOOD

FEB. 17-19 VINTAGE TULSA SHOW Find the treasures of yesteryear you’ve been searching for at this show with vendors galore.

EXCHANGE CENTER AT EXPO SQUARE, 4145 E. 21ST ST. HERITAGEEVENTCOMPANY.COM/VINTAGE-TULSA-SHOW

FEB. 10-11 PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS For two days, the PBR Express Ranches Classic will be at BOK Center, presented by Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. See top riders in action competing in the nationally televised Unleash The Beast series.

BOK CENTER, 200 S. DENVER AVE. BOKCENTER.COM

FEB. 19 GREENWOOD CULTURAL CENTER SERIES LAUNCHES Kicking off this month, the Don Ross Speaker Series brings Justin Hansford, associate professor of law at Howard University and executive director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center.

GREENWOOD CULTURAL CENTER, 322 N. GREENWOOD AVE. GREENWOODCULTURALCENTER.ORG

FEB. 17 STAINED GLASS CLASS-AND-SMASH Tulsa Stained Glass has a series of “date night” events planned in February, so grab your sweetheart or your best pal and make your own stained-glass project. All classes include a Rage Room experience where participants chuck ceramics to release tension.

TULSA STAINED GLASS, 4131 S. SHERIDAN ROAD TULSASTAINEDGLASS.COM

FEB. 18 ANCIENT TRAIL TREK Choose from 5K, 10K or 15K races to run (or spectate) at Keystone Ancient Forest among the magic of old growth cedar and post oaks in this 1,360-acre nature preserve.

KEYSTONE ANCIENT FOREST, 160 ANCIENT FOREST DRIVE, SAND SPRINGS FACEBOOK.COM/KEYSTONEANCIENTFOREST

FEB. 17 COMEDY SHOWCASE Aunties Acting Up brings hilarious Indigenous women to the stage for a night of comedy, music and fun.

Nathalie Standingcloud hosts.

THE VANGUARD, 222 N. MAIN ST. THEVANGUARDTULSA.COM

VISIT TULSAPEOPLE.COM/ABOUTTOWN FOR MORE LOCAL EVENTS AND A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF WEEKLY MUSIC LISTINGS.

TU BASKETBALL: DAVE CRENSHAW/COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA; GILCREASE: COURTESY; PBR: ANDY WATSON/COURTESY BULL STOCK MEDIA; STAINED GLASS: GREG BOLLINGER; VINTAGE TULSA: HERITAGE EVENT COMPANY; HANSFORD: AAE SPEAKERS; TRAIL TREK: MICHELLE POLLARD

FEB. 5 GOLDEN HURRICANE BASKETBALL The University of Tulsa men’s team takes on our neighbors to the north, the Wichita State Shockers, for a Sunday face-off at home. Also catch the Golden Hurricane at home Feb. 15, 21 and 26.

REYNOLDS CENTER, 3208 E. EIGHTH ST. TULSAHURRICANE.COM

Let us entertain you Just Announced!

THE LEGENDARY COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA March 3, 2023

An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. APRIL 28-29, 2023

LATE NIGHT WITH LEONARD BERNSTEIN March 5, 2023

CURTIS ON TOUR: THE SOLDIER’S TALE March 24, 2023

COFFEE WITH

HAZEL TURNER WHITE RIVER FISH MARKET WAITRESS STORY AND PHOTO BY TIM LANDES

I

t’s break time for Hazel Turner. She takes a seat in a booth by the front window of White River Fish Market, 1708 N. Sheridan Road, to discuss her four-decade service to the restaurant that has been feeding Tulsans since O.T. Fallis opened it in 1932.

What started as a second job in 1981 eventually turned into a full-time position that has Turner working an average of 37 hours a week. It’s anyone’s guess how many fillets of fish she’s delivered to tables.

“Oh my God, I can’t even imagine. I’ll just say a bunch,” she says as she laughs.

TURNER MOVED TO TULSA FROM TAFT IN 1973. SOON SHE WAS WORKING AS A TELLER AT FOURTH NATIONAL BANK OF TULSA, WHERE SHE MET FALLIS, WHO BANKED THERE ... I worked at the bank for 32 years. Mr. Fallis was one of my customers. He came in one day (in 1981) and he said, “Hazel, I’m getting ready to sell my restaurant.” I couldn’t believe it. So maybe a week or two had passed and here comes the new owner: Mr. (Gary) Cozzby. He said he was from Texas and he had gone fishing with Mr. Fallis at his favorite spot on the White River in Arkansas and that’s when they talked about selling the business. Maybe two or three months had passed and I saw Mr. Cozzby and told him I was looking for a new job. He said, “You come out this coming Saturday, and we’ll see.” Now here I am.

ORIGINALLY TURNER WORKED FOR WHITE RIVER SELLING FOOD AT JAZZ EVENTS IN GREENWOOD, MAYFEST AND TULSA STATE FAIR ... We’d sell so much gumbo and seafood salad we had to run back to the restaurant here and get more gumbo over and over again. I was giving out gumbo samples at the fair — we 12

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

were out there, oh my God, about 27 years. It’s so funny, we finally said to Gary, “We are getting kinda old. We don’t think we’re gonna do this anymore.” He started laughing.

SHE EVENTUALLY STARTED WAITING TABLES WHEN SHE WASN’T WORKING EVENTS, WHILE ALSO WORKING AT THE BANK DURING THE DAY UNTIL HER RETIREMENT FROM THERE IN 2009. THAT MEANS MANY OF HER CUSTOMERS HAVE CROSSED OVER TO BOTH PLACES, AND SOME HAVE GROWN UP WITH HER ... Some of my bank people still come in here. This young man came in here recently and he said, “Hazel, it’s you!” He had this big beard. Then he said, “You used to give me suckers at the bank!” I thought “Oh my God, where does the time go?” We have people coming in here with their kids and they say, “I used to come in here as a kid and you’re still here. I didn’t scare you away?!”

SHE DOES NOT HAVE ANOTHER RETIREMENT DATE IN

SIGHT ... It’s like spending time with my family here. We are a close-knit group. I like it better here than I did at the bank.

SHE HAS SERVED AN UNIMAGINABLE NUMBER OF FISH OVER THE DECADES, BUT SHE HAS NEVER GROWN TIRED OF IT ... I love fish. I’m a catfish lady. On Fridays, I bring catfish home and my brother, who lives with me, we enjoy it.

HER FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB IS MEETING NEW PEOPLE ... I’ve been known to talk too much. (laughs) SHE CELEBRATED HER 73RD BIRTHDAY IN NOVEMBER BUT FEELS ... 50ish. I feel good.

HER ADVICE FOR READERS IS ... No matter how old you are, if you feel like you can still do work, don’t go home and sit down. Don’t stop being active.

Find something to do. Volunteer at a church or somewhere. Keep yourself motivated. TP

Look after your home the way he pretends he does Easily keep an eye on everything with HD cameras and Panoramic Wifi from Cox.

Take care of the things you care about Call 844-347-2219 or visit cox.com/homelife

Cox Homelife smart home service plan requires Panoramic Wifi and compatible equipment purchase. Includes continuous video recording on up to four cameras. Homelife Automation and Homelife Security equipment not compatible. Includes EasyConnect self-install: https://www.cox.com/residential/learn/easy-connect.html; additional fee may apply for technician visit after failed self-installation. Advertised rate includes monthly recurring service charges but excludes professional installation, equipment, taxes, trip charges and other fees. May be subject to credit approval. Cox Homelife smart home service plan is not a monitored home security system and includes home automation services only; Cox Homelife Security service plan required for professional monitoring services for intrusion, smoke/fire and related system components. ©2022 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

MAG108474-0066

SCHOLARLY PURSUITS

Jayne L. Reed

Simon Estes

FIRM FOUNDATION

TULSA NONPROFIT CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF SUPPORTING HIGH SCHOOLERS’ COLLEGE DREAMS.

BY ZACK REEVES

T

he Simon Estes Educational Foundation Inc. has donated millions in scholarships for students who have the brains and ambition to make it to university, but not necessarily the funding or support. Behind it all is the tireless work and big heart of co-founder Jayne L. Reed — or “Mama Reed,” as her students lovingly refer to her.

It all started in 1983, when Reed was on Tulsa Opera’s board of directors, and internationallyacclaimed bass baritone Simon Estes was booked for a show. Reed — who, since becoming a parent, had become concerned with the ability of her community’s high school students to finance college — decided to ask Estes to help local students.

“My friends said, ‘It’s a nice idea, but he doesn’t even live in the United States. He’s busy,’” Reed recalls. “But my heart told me I had to go for it.”

After calling his hotel room and asking if he’d speak at McLain High School to encourage the students, Reed was delighted when Estes agreed.

That speaking engagement led to a concert, for which Estes waived his own fee. All the money went toward a small scholarship fund which, that year, put two students through college, and the foundation was born.

Since then, Estes has performed many more times in Tulsa, continuing to waive his fee and direct proceeds into the foundation. With the addition of grants, in-kind gifts and corporate and

individual contributions, it has fulfilled 428 Tulsa high schoolers’ dreams of college.

But the support doesn’t just end with the cutting of a check; Reed and the entire board also provide emotional support for the duration of students’ college experiences.

“Mentorship is key to our scholars,” Reed says.

“Ninety percent of applicants are first-generation college students, and they may lack resources and a support system. We are here for you as surrogate parents, if you feel uneasy or need to talk at any time.” She says she’s even driven to Norman in the middle of the night when a student needed her.

“We don’t just give them a check and say goodbye,” Estes adds. “Jayne and the board follow through with these students, and that support contributes to their success. Many came from underprivileged backgrounds but are now lawyers, doctors, nurses and educators, touching thousands of others’ lives.”

In celebration of its 40th year, the foundation is expanding its reach and opening scholarship opportunities to students not only in Tulsa County but also in Creek, Osage, Okmulgee, Pawnee, Rogers, Wagoner and Washington counties.

“It all started 40 years ago with a handshake and continues today due to the generosity of the Tulsa community, for which we are eternally grateful,” Reed says.

To make a donation, visit seef.org. TP

The foundation’s scholarship application window is Feb. 1-March 17. Students with financial need and a GPA of 3.5 or higher are encouraged to apply by going to seef.org.

14

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Jackson Bailey Jackson Bailey, Simon Estes Educational Foundation scholar, graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 2021 and is in his sophomore year of college at Tennessee State University. Of the support he has received from the foundation and its co-founder, Jayne L. Reed, he says: “Ms. Reed is always a pleasure to talk to when I am having issues with specific classes or teachers. Having someone aside from family to talk about my problems has helped me de-stress at times. With the financial help I receive I don’t feel any burden or need to take out any student loans.

“Right now college is great. I have a 3.7 GPA, and my favorite part of school is being part of the Aristocrat of Bands. Once I graduate, I plan to pursue a master’s and doctorate degree in education and become a band director at an HBCU (historically Black college or university).”

Rylie Durham Graduating from Edison Preparatory School in 2016 and the University of Oklahoma in 2019, former foundation scholar Rylie Durham now lives in Japan with her husband and daughter.

As a second grade teacher on an Air Force base, she says she is now able to pass on the same support she received from the Simon Estes Educational Foundation to her own students.

“Education is a passion for me,” Durham says. “The foundation’s financial and emotional support allowed me to focus on my schoolwork instead of stressing so much about paying for college. And throughout college, I knew the foundation would be there for me if I needed them. Ms. Reed has always been incredibly supportive. She would call just to check in with me and tell me how proud she was.”

“I absolutely strive to give the same support to my students,” she adds. “Everyone needs someone in their corner.” — TIFFANY HOWARD

REED: MICHAEL BULMER; ESTES: DSM MAGAZINE; BAILEY: GREG BOLLINGER; DURHAM: EMILY WILSON

APPLAUSE

COMMUNITY

KOTV anchor Autumn Bracey, Littlefield Agency CEO Sam Littlefield, KIPP Forward Director DeAnn Cooks, and winning scholarship pitch team Jayden Garcia, Adrian Jasper and Shannon Tillis

Children participate in an art class at Casa de la Cultura, the first Hispanic cultural center of its kind in Oklahoma. Inset, Francisco Treviño, Casa’s founder.

OUR HOUSE

CASA DE LA CULTURA IS A NEW HUB FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

BY FELIPE OYARZO

C

asa de la Cultura (House of Culture) is one of Tulsa’s newest Latino organizations, joining the many Hispanic churches, supermarkets and media outlets enriching the local social and economic landscape. Located at 1515 N. Harvard Ave., Suite E., Casa is an independent nonprofit offering art and musical pursuits to all ages, as well as opportunities to learn more about Hispanic culture.

“I want Hispanic children who were born in Oklahoma to know their cultural roots and to feel proud of their ancestors’ culture,” founder Francisco Treviño says.

Treviño dreamed of offering a space like this for a long time, but the pandemic prevented him from pursuing it. With the Commemoration Fund providing a grant to begin interior construction, Casa finally opened its doors this past October. Ivan Reyes Milan, the Mexican state of Zacatecas secretary, attended the inaugural ceremony. While Casa is not politically affiliated, it is supported in part by Federación Casa Zacatecas (the Zacatecas House Federation from Mexico), San Luis Potosí and Aguascalientes in Mexico, as well as local Hispanic businesses and George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Treviño’s vision is to engage both nonHispanic and Spanish-speaking groups and to offer dedicated space to advance Hispanic arts. On Wednesdays, Casa offers guitar lessons ($20 per

session) for adults and students ages 8-14, and art classes ($5; materials and snacks included) are held in Spanish for children ages 5-10 on Tuesdays.

“The art classes have become a center for community in the short time we’ve held them,” Treviño says.

In the evenings, TelaTúlsa theater company utilizes Casa as a rehearsal space, with hopes to get more young adults interested in acting. Casa also lends space to organizations like Young People of the Next Generation to hold FAFSA and Oklahoma Promise workshops.

“We are allowing these organizations to use our building to connect with our communities,” Treviño says.

On average, 50 people participate at Casa each week, and Treviño plans to triple that number this year. The Guatemalan Consulate just celebrated a community service event that gathered around 400 Guatemalans from a four-state area.

Casa’s future programming goals include offering entrepreneurial skill set development, Mexican folk-dance lessons for children and activity options for seniors, like lessons in Danzón — a traditional Cuban dance. The Mexican Consulate also will partner with Casa to offer cultural programming.

Treviño says he would like to thank Tulsa for the organization’s acceptance into the community.

Visit casadelaculturatulsa.org to learn more. TP

LEA ESTE ARTÍCULO EN ESPAÑOL EN TULSAPEOPLE.COM 16

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

On Dec. 9, KIPP Tulsa high school seniors demonstrated innovation and entrepreneurial prowess during the school’s inaugural pitch competition.

Challenged to come up with a unique product or service, senior teams presented two concepts before a panel of judges: ASAP Essentials, a Redbox-like service to help north Tulsans gain easier access to everyday essentials; and MEGA WAVE Comics, a comic book company focused on creating diverse characters within the superhero world.

Put on through a partnership with Littlefield Agency, a Tulsa-based marketing agency that works with local and national brands, the pitch competition was the first of its kind for Tulsa high schools. The MEGA WAVE Comics team took home the $5,000 scholarship — donated by Littlefield — and plan to invest the money into what they hope is the beginning of a life-changing brand.

“We want to make sure everyone feels included while also being entertained,” says Adrian Jasper, who’d originally come up with the concept in sixth grade with his friend, Colin Hurt. “It’s important because you don’t really see minority-made comic books.”

In the weeks leading up to the competition, teams received mentorship by Littlefield staff.

“This was one of the best decisions our agency has ever made,” says Sam Littlefield, president and CEO of Littlefield Agency. “The most important thing is that these teams created a product or service that can actually make a difference in today’s world.”

Littlefield was connected to KIPP through Tulsa Area United Way earlier in the year.

“We got together for a brainstorming session to really think about how we can make sure there are pathways for our students to succeed in Tulsa and beyond,” says Ray’Chel Wilson, director of development for KIPP Tulsa Schools.

In addition to future pitch competitions, Littlefield and KIPP are exploring potential shadowing and internship opportunities for students.

— TIFFANY HOWARD

GREG BOLLINGER; PITCH: COURTESY

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tarry-eyed, taken uncharitably, might mean naive or idealistic, but if you ask Cheyenne Smith, founder of the Tulsa chapter of Science Heads, you’d get a definition more in line with passionate, or courageous.

“I didn’t see anybody of color (who was) into astronomy growing up,” she says. “And so subconsciously I was like, ‘Oh, this isn’t for me.’”

She doesn’t want others to feel the same. “I want more people to be astronomers,” Smith says.

“Making it more visible and more accessible is my main mission.”

Smith, who by day is communications coordinator at Tulsa Artist Fellowship, was researching how to build her own mobile science center in 2019 when she encountered Science Heads. The California-based nonprofit partners with schools and teachers to provide STEM-based programming, with a clear soft spot for astronomy. They host “astronomy nights” for students to study the stars and offer opportunities for the kids to design experiments they send into the atmosphere with weather balloons, among other programming.

One of those programs involves the Mobile Observatory, or MOBS — a portable observatory with nighttime and solar telescopes and no shortage of astronomical gadgets. Built into a trailer, the MOBS can be towed to different locations and also happened to be just what Smith was looking to build.

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Smith pivoted from hosting small star parties in her backyard to instead building a public-facing MOBS for Tulsa. All funding is from Tulsa-based organizations including TYPROS, Builders and Backers, and George Kaiser Family Foundation.

At this time the Tulsa MOBS is still under construction, but it has turned into a community endeavor with help from Tulsa Welding School and other volunteers who have been inspired by Smith’s vision. Additional help may still come from a local contractor, and she aims to have the finishing touches done by late spring.

Upon its completion, expect to see the MOBS around town, in places like Chandler Park or O’Brien Park. She’s aiming for future partnerships with local schools and, of course, to hold some communal astronomy nights.

“I want to have a night for everybody,” she says. “Not just for kids. I especially want to be intentional about targeting minority and BIPOC communities — girls and women, women of color and other people of color.”

Science, after all, is for everyone. TP For further information or to find out how you can help, Cheyenne Smith can be reached by emailing her at cheyenne@blackspacegirl.com, or on Instagram @blackspacegirl.

ALL LIT UP Route 66 has attracted travelers from around the world in its near century of existence. Lately, those cruising through Tulsa’s 28-mile stretch of the Mother Road will notice a fresh glow of neon lights adorning local businesses.

“We thought, ‘What’s a way we can impact the 28 miles of Route 66 in Tulsa and do something meaningful?’” says Ken Busby, executive director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance. “And the thought was, ‘Oh, neon signs! We have some, but we could use more.’”

The Route 66 Neon Sign Grant, a brainchild of the City of Tulsa’s Route 66 Commission, began granting funds in 2019 for businesses along the famous road to install or refurbish their own neon storefront signs (though it doesn’t have to literally be neon, so long as the aesthetic influence is clear).

At about a 90-10 split between new and refurbished, the grant has so far provided funding for over 50 signs, including recent additions at Decopolis (1401 E. 11th St.), Josey Records (1020 S. Rockford Ave., Suite B.) and Chicken and the Wolf (3136 E. 11th St.).

The grant was inspired in part by the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture’s relocation of the Meadow Gold sign to near the corner of East 11th Street and South Peoria Avenue in 2009, but also by a recent influx of tourists interested in neon signs, Busby says.

Economic development is the aim, and as Busby reports, “We have heard — anecdotally — from some of the (storefronts with signs) that it’s really increased their business, even locally.”

Interested business owners can find more info at cityoftulsa.org/neongrant, including specific guidelines for eligibility. TP

GREG BOLLINGER

Passionate about astronomy and making it accessible for all, Cheyenne Smith is constructing a mobile observatory to take into places like local schools and parks for Tulsa communities to study the stars.

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YES TULSA OFFERS CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

W

here do you take a child experiencing an emotional or mental health crisis? Before intervention centers like the CALM Center and YES Tulsa, options were limited to hospitals and justice system involvement.

The CALM Center and YES Tulsa are two Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma initiatives, with YES Tulsa being the latest addition.

YES Tulsa is the city’s only 24/7 crisis intervention center for outpatients, complementing the inpatient services offered at the CALM Center, explains CRSOK Executive Director Bryan Blankenship.

YES Tulsa, launched in 2021, moved to a new location at 9912 E. 21st St. in November 2022, expanding the center’s capacity to six family rooms where youth ages 5-17 and their families can rest, connect to health services and leave with resources to help.

“We call them a family room because we have a limited time (because) we’re not an inpatient facility. The goal is to discharge by 23 hours 55 minutes, before the 24-hour mark, so they are (considered) outpatient,” explains Solmaz Bulut, YES Tulsa program director, while giving a tour opening day to local media, police officers, educators and social workers. Bulut describes the space as “a hub” for youth and their families seeking emergency services that include mental health screenings, prescriptive medication and trauma-informed crisis intervention.

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

“Emergency departments are so full of kids, they don’t have enough trained people to be able to assess the situation and make the referrals, and they will be waiting in the hospital rooms,” Bulut says. “It’s pretty traumatic, too, because it feels isolated. People don’t know how to take care of (the kids) or how to intervene.”

Bulut stresses the importance of YES Tulsa’s family-style model of care. It’s not a place where kids are dropped off, but rather a place where parents and caregivers can work through problems and identify a continued care plan after discharge in step with professionals.

YES Tulsa is operated by CRSOK in partnership with Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. “This is the entryway into all of the bigger things that we have planned for the Tulsa community,” CRSOK Board Chair Deneisha Johnson says. “I have been to a similar facility before as a patient. It was so much scarier than this. I walked in and I thought this is nice, this is calming. I would like to get help here.”

Johnson says she grew up in Texas the daughter of a parent with a mental illness. “In my adulthood, I was diagnosed with that same mental illness, and I find myself saying, ‘Wow, what if there had been a YES Texas? What if there had been a CALM Center in Fort Worth? How would my adult views have been transformed if my youth had been transformed?’”

For more information, visit crsok.org. TP

SPOTLIGHT Jackie Lawson speaks fluent numbers, thanks to an associate degree in accounting, a career in banking and 20 years of retail tax preparation experience.

Lawson started volunteering around 1987, when she took advantage of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. “They taught me how to do my taxes, then I had to help others,” Lawson says, explaining the trade-off.

She took classes taught by the IRS on how to prepare tax returns by hand during the day while processing transactions for Bank of Oklahoma at night.

After volunteering with the program for close to six years, she stepped back to spend more time with her kids. Then, three years ago (during the pandemic), she saw in her church communication that Tulsa Responds was looking for volunteers to meet with people remotely and help them file taxes from home.

As church secretary, Lawson wanted to help her community and “be a touchpoint to let people know about the program,” she says.

VITA is a well-established program, operated by Goodwill Industries of Tulsa and Tulsa Responds — a free one-on-one navigation service to help Tulsans enroll in benefits programs that launched in April 2020.

IRS-certified volunteers help households with incomes under $60,000 by preparing, reviewing and e-filing state and federal returns for free.

“In the 2022 season we helped file for 3,270 households and generated a total of $5,530,728 of refunds and tax credits back to the City of Tulsa,” says Emily Russell, program manager for Tulsa Responds.

Lawson considers it her civic responsibility to make the process understandable and to educate her clients about preparing and filing their taxes. “That’s what drives me,” she says.

Information about making an appointment is at getyourrefundtulsa.org. — JANE ZEMEL

GREG BOLLINGER

YES Tulsa’s new facility is the city’s first 24/7 Urgent Youth Crisis Assessment Center, offering six rooms for youth and their families to rest in and receive services. Inset, Solmaz Bulut, YES Tulsa program director; Deneisha Johnson, board chair for Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma; and Andre Campbell, CRSOK clinical director

OKLAHOMA'S FUTURE PHYSICIANS START HERE The Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine has been impacting our state’s health for 50 years and counting.

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21

SPOTLIGHT ON STEM

Brooke Randels

A young girl builds a small-scale hydraulic robot arm to move ping pong balls and witness fluid dynamics in action as part of a summer engineering camp put on by Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance. Inset, Levi Patrick, TRSA executive director.

TOMORROW’S INNOVATORS TULSA REGIONAL STEM ALLIANCE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OKLAHOMA STUDENTS TO GLIMPSE FUTURE CAREER PATHS.

BY ROBERT EVATT

W

ith partnerships in 78 school districts across Oklahoma — and still growing — the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance provides an array of exciting learning activities for K-12 students across the state. Last year, more than 50,000 students engaged with TRSA-affiliated opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math including robotics clubs, drone competitions, science fairs, coding clubs, and much more.

“We believe kids deserve the opportunity in and out of school to see what is possible and determine how they can get to that future,” says Levi Patrick, executive director for Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance.

TRSA helps students in three major ways. The first is to provide college and career-ready experiences that allow students to feel secure in their capabilities and demonstrate how others just like them are using STEM skills to solve problems, Patrick says. For example, TRSA teams up with Tulsa Community College to host the annual Sonia Kovalevsky Day, named after the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics. The event empowers female students by allowing them to see themselves in the STEM field and dream of potential career paths.

Extracurricular offerings are TRSA’s second major focus, with ongoing clubs and special events providing the opportunity for students to delve 22

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

deeper into their interests and discover even more STEM opportunities in the world.

“The students who continually succeed in STEM experiences have STEM experiences beyond the school day,” Patrick says. “Students that don’t could lose their competency during summer breaks.”

Finally, TRSA helps puts on competitions for students to gain real world experience solving STEM problems while also learning to work in a collaborative environment to overcome challenges. Just one of these competitions is the SeaPerch Challenge, in which K-12 students build underwater robots that must perform a series of tasks. This year’s event, scheduled for March 23, is a qualifying event for the International SeaPerch Challenge in May. Those interested can sign up through Feb. 19 by going to tulsastem.org/ seaperch-challenge.

In addition to student programs, TRSA also provides professional training opportunities to help teachers and volunteers become more effective STEM mentors. According to Patrick, interested organizations don’t have to be in Tulsa — TRSA has partnered with groups as far away as Oklahoma City and Guymon.

To learn more about programs offered by TRSA or for partnership opportunities, visit tulsastem.org. TP

The Tulsa area has hundreds of intern positions open each year at local businesses and nonprofit organizations, but college students near and far don’t always know about those opportunities.

That’s where Campus Tulsa comes in.

Brooke Randels, Campus Tulsa program director, says the program connects college students to relevant paid internships.

“We’re taking a very strategic approach to the students we work with and are reaching out to student populations who haven’t really had access to some of our more corporate and nonprofit spaces and internships,” Randels says, “… making sure they’re aware of these opportunities and (have) the confidence to go ahead and apply.”

Students don’t need to be from Tulsa to find an internship through Campus Tulsa, though Randels says local students are encouraged to apply. “How many Tulsa students are graduating and ready to step into these spaces where they can get the education to fill the workforce here?” she asks. “It’s not the number we want, so we spent a lot of time … working with our institutions and companies and nonprofits to make the matches happen once the students are in school.”

Randels says data shows students who land an internship in Tulsa are more likely to stay after they graduate. “If we can get a student here twice (hired for two internships), the data shows if the job is here, if the opportunity is here, then they’re going to say yes.”

Campus Tulsa is a branch of the economic development arm of George Kaiser Family Foundation. This summer, Randels expects more than 200 students to be hired for internships at local companies and nonprofits, connected through Campus Tulsa. The job board on Campus Tulsa’s website is constantly updating, though, so students can apply year-round.

Visit campustulsa.com for more information.

— BLAYKLEE FREED

STEM: COURTESY TULSA REGIONAL STEM ALLIANCE; PATRICK AND RANDELS: GREG BOLLINGER

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23

MUSIC NOTES

DJ Majda at St. Vitus

MIX AND MAX

LONGTIME TULSA BARTENDER FORAYS INTO DJING.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

I

t’s 5 p.m. on a winter weekday at The Max RetroPub, 114 S. Elgin Ave., and Majda Phillips is behind the bar serving the happy hour crowd between answering questions for this story without missing a beat. After 20 years bartending, this is a rhythm Phillips knows well.

But on a Friday night, you won’t find her bartending. Or at The Max at all, for that matter.

Phillips, aka DJ Majda, will now be out in the community regularly spinning tunes on the weekends, whether that be St. Vitus, Soundpony, Rabbit Hole or another local music hot spot.

Though a definite change in pace, Phillips describes how DJing and bartending are similar, crafting an experience for customers. “They’re not just out there playing music, they’re setting the vibe,” she says.

For the last couple of years, DJ Majda has played the Tito’s tent at Tulsa Tough with Afistaface, aka friend and mentor Andey DeLesDernier. “It’s like our tradition,” Phillips says. On Devil's Night, the night before Halloween, the pair played at Soundpony. Phillips recalls when they put on “Tear You Apart” by She Wants Revenge. “The whole mood in the room just changed,” she says. “You just could feel when things got dark and red and smoky.”

Phillips might be new to booking regular solo

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

gigs, but she’s always been the de facto DJ in her friend groups. Years ago, she DJed for the first time at the Crystal Pistol. “I was playing with (DJs) Robbo and Lynn K., from Starlite,” she says. “I burned two identical CDs and I made a set.”

Phillips doesn’t make sets or use CDs anymore, but she does have a soft spot for vinyl sessions, which is Afistaface’s specialty. During the pandemic, Afistaface asked Phillips to play with her at Fur Shop. DJ Majda’s solo gigs followed.

“With DJing, I’m not really producing or making any music, necessarily. I’m just trying to have a good time to sort of vibe. I just like to see people dancing and have fun,” she says, but she does have a few dream gigs. “Play either the Himalaya (ride at the fair) or a skating rink.”

Now with her dual careers, Phillips spends weekends as DJ Majda and weekdays bartending and managing The Max, which she assures will always be retro. “We’re going to be stuck in 1999, even 20 years from now,” she says. “My husband’s like, ‘So you guys have been open for 12 years, are you ever going to go to 2000?’”

Change The Max? Never.

Except the new ICEE machine, another 2022 highlight. Phillips welcomed the cold fluffy nonalcoholic goodness with open arms. TP

Seventeen years ago, a 15-year-old student found his smiling face on the cover of TulsaPeople’s August 2006 Arts and Education issue. Then an upperclassman at Central High School, Lordly Beard was photographed for his role in a leadership program developing ideas for improving Tulsa Public Schools.

“It was so surreal to see my face on the cover as an underserved kid,” Beard says. “It was so monumental for me to experience that.”

Just a few months after the cover was published his stepfather passed away, leaving him without a father figure to guide him into adulthood. That reflection influenced his journey moving forward.

In 2009, Beard began working at KIPP Tulsa in an advisory role helping middle school students map out a path to college, leaving in 2014 to recruit students and teachers for TPS. In 2020, he became the Director of NextGen — Transformation Church’s young adult ministry — where part of his work as a pastor involves building partnerships with local schools to create a pipeline for students to receive encouragement, resources and mentorship.

“It gives me the opportunity to be both a role model and a mirror to kids because I’ve been there,” he says.

Beard also has two sons — a blessing he says he prayed for 16 years ago when he was searching for his future and wondering about fatherhood. “I prayed for the strength and prepared for it, and I’ve been blessed with it,” he says.

Beard says his aspirations are to continue in full-time ministry and help churches maintain vision and sustainability in their respective communities.

— BRENDA CAROL

GREG BOLLINGER

Covers REVISITED

MUSIC NOTES Greg Fallis

Hip-hop artist Dangerous Rob, whose eighth studio record releases this month, looks to help build the next generation of local artists and highlight Tulsa’s talent within the music industry.

DANGEROUSLY GOOD

TULSAN WHO HELPED ESTABLISH THE CITY’S HIP-HOP SCENE OVER 30 YEARS AGO IS READY TO GIVE BACK. STORIES BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

DANGEROUS ROB: GREG BOLLINGER; FALLIS: PHIL CLARKIN

“D

angerous Wayz,” the eighth studio record from hip-hop artist and former Tulsan Robert C. Daniels II, aka “Dangerous Rob,” is out this month.

The single “I Love You” drops, appropriately, on Valentine’s Day. After three successful decades in the business, Daniels believes this album may be his last. He’s ready to help develop a new generation of talent in his hometown.

“Going into the new year, I’m really trying to focus more on establishing my management and entertainment company, along with my record label, Freedam Records,” Daniels says. “I want to work with younger artists from Tulsa and the Oklahoma area to help them build their careers.”

Daniels grew up in Tulsa. Inspired by the mixtapes of artists like Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Run-D.M.C., which his cousin brought back from summer visits to Harlem, Daniels wrote his first four-line raps in elementary school and developed his freestyle skills over time. While in high school at Rogers, the rap battles he participated in were banned from the school’s halls — not because of their content, but because of the crowds they drew that halted the flow of traffic between classes.

According to Daniels, music saved his life.

“I got into trouble when I was 12 years old, and I was on probation until I was 18,” he says. “I know when you go to jail, people forget about you.

I knew if I got into trouble, I would be forgotten. I just had so much talent built up in me, it drove me away from being bad.”

Daniels recorded his first album at 15 with Tulsa group THOB-MOB. A second followed with Partners-In-Rhyme. In the early days of the internet, he garnered a large following overseas, selling and shipping his own albums directly to international markets. During his career, he’s performed with many well-known artists including LL Cool J, N.W.A., Geto Boys, Tha Dogg Pound, Too $hort, Ice Cube, Doug E. Fresh, Mike Jones and Ice-T. For the past 12 years, Daniels has lived in Arlington, Texas, while regularly traveling to Tulsa where his daughter is a student at Oral Roberts University. He plans on moving back to Tulsa soon to use his experience and knowledge to help build up young local talent.

“This journey has been all that I could ask for, with no complaints,” Daniels says. “I’m a giver, not a taker, and when you bless people, your blessings come in abundance.” TP

OF CABBAGES AND CAIN’S King Cabbage Brass Band returns Feb. 17 to Cain’s Ballroom for an all-ages Mardi Gras-inspired night of music and revelry. The Tulsa-based brass band made its debut on the stage of the historic venue last July, recording “Live at Cain’s” in front of an audience. The EP was released in October. It’s accompanied by a series of music videos that capture the band’s infectious energy and unexpectedly diverse, crowd-pleasing set list.

“I’m super proud of it. It’s a great representation of who we are,” says KCBB’s bandleader Greg Fallis, who plays trombone and sousaphone. “It’s exceeded my expectations.”

Local music fans embraced KCBB from the start, which is encouraging to Fallis, a Tulsa native and University of Tulsa grad who chose to return to his hometown in summer 2021 after living and working in Memphis and New Orleans for several years. Fallis’ decision to create a NOLA-inspired brass band in a city more familiar with line dances than second lines wasn’t a sure bet.

“It’s been overwhelmingly positive, and honestly, it makes me a little emotional just thinking about where I was,” he says. “It’s crazy to me because in high school and college, I always felt like kind of an outcast for being a jazz trombone player in Tulsa, like I never really fit in. I felt there wasn’t always a place for me. With Cabbage, I’ve found a lot of purpose putting my energy and time not only into the business end of it, but into the people that it impacts as well.”

Up next for KCBB: a studio album and plans for a regional tour in the fall. For more information visit kingcabbagebrassband.com. TP TulsaPeople.com

25

ART SPOT

Cady Shaw

MEET AND GREET

‘STRONGER TOGETHER’ HOME BASE FOR ART COLLECTIVE SERVES AS STUDIO AND GALLERY SPACE. STORIES BY BLAYKLEE FREED

T

welve artists currently make up Tulsa’s Black Moon Collective, which launched in 2019 and moved into studio space at WOMPA, 3306 Charles Page Blvd., in April. This year, Founder Elizabeth Henley says the group is working on becoming a nonprofit — the 501(c)3 status is one piece of a bigger puzzle to keep Black Moon Collective in its studio space, which has provided a home base for the artists and space to display and sell their works.

“We’ve worked with local institutions, like Living Arts, Philbrook and Gilcrease. I’d like to see more opportunities for local Black artists to hold space in these places and in public art locations,” Henley says.

“Black art is so vital and important, and our voice hasn’t been recognized or heard in those larger institutions as much as everyone else’s, so it was very crucial that Black artists came together and made our voice heard and known within the community,” Henley continues. “There are so many talented artists of color outside of Black Moon, I feel like us coming together was a catalyst to give permission to other artists to do what they want to do. Just go for it.”

A space of their own means Black Moon members don’t have to change their art to fit into the confinements of traditional gallery requirements, many of which have historically been white-owned. “I just realized that if we wanted to have control over what type of art we were creating, and also displaying, we needed our own space. Our art would still get rejected because it didn’t fit whatever criteria any gallery wanted

26

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

on their wall. So now we have permission to do whatever.”

Black Moon has open submissions for new members, and Henley says Black artists of all skill levels are encouraged to apply because the collective provides a support system for individual artists. “I do feel like we’re stronger together, and that’s why we are progressing,” she says.

As for supporting the organization, donations are accepted, but Henley says, “It’s just as powerful to support individual Black artists by purchasing a piece of art because then you have that treasure forever.”

Black Moon’s lease is up for renewal in April, and Henley is focused on keeping the collective headquartered at WOMPA. “With the way Tulsa is progressing, we have to support the arts, especially artists of color. Tulsa was known at one point for Greenwood, this group of Black individuals who came together to build up their community. And I’m always thinking about that — with intentionality — when it comes to Black Moon and how powerful it’s been to take that vision and implement it into life.”

Learn more and purchase art at blackmoontulsa. com. TP FEB. 1-26 Black Moon Collective will take over Mother Road Market’s LTO (Limited Time Only) retail space. Find prints, Black Moon merch and gifts, along with paintings, crafts and other artwork, all made by artists in the collective.

Woody Guthrie Center’s new director Cady Shaw has spent years developing and curating exhibitions and cultural centers for Cherokee Nation and Choctaw Nation, of which she is a citizen. She joined WGC in November and spoke with TulsaPeople, sharing her story and hopes for the museum.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN MUSEUMS? I’ve always been fascinated by stories and storytelling. Being Native, that’s a big part of our culture. I would always sit around with my elders at my grandparents’ house — they tried to shoo me away (laughs) — but I wanted to sit and listen to their stories.

HOW DID YOU MAKE THE PIVOT FROM COMMUNICATIONS? I was (at Cherokee Nation) for 12 years. I started in events planning, then helped to form a cultural tourism department. And through that, my love of history and research and storytelling really came into play when we did our first exhibit at (Northeastern State University). And that kind of fell into a wealth of exhibits and studying.

An opportunity came up to work for my tribe. (The) Choctaw Nation was in the process of building a cultural center, and they needed someone to build their collections. And that was a dream come true, because it’s my family, my tribe, but also helping form that (legacy).

HOW DOES FOLK MUSIC FIT INTO YOUR STORY? Growing up, a lot of my lullabies were folk singers. My mom was a huge fan of Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro and Ricky Lee Jones and Carly Simon. And my dad was into Bob Dylan, Bob Seger and the Rolling Stones. Music was a huge part of my family life. The storytelling and the songs were always really compelling, even if I didn’t understand them.

Woody Guthrie was a prolific creator … you can see how that creativity can lead to something bigger than yourself.

READ MORE AT TULSAPEOPLE.COM.

BLACK MOON: GREG BOLLINGER; SHAW: COURTESY AMERICAN SONG ARCHIVES

Bottom left, Elizabeth Henley, an acrylic painter and multimedia artist, founded Black Moon — a collective of Black artists in Tulsa (right). Top left, Henley’s yarn and fabric punchneedle portraits.

DO M I N I Q U E M O R ISSE AU D I R EC TE D BY R O B E RT S . WA LTE RS

FEB 18 AT 8:00 P. M .

F EB 19 AT 3:00 P. M .

F E B 2 5 AT 8 :0 0 P.M .

F E B 2 6 AT 3 :00 P.M .

In “Paradise Blue”, set in 1949, Blue, a gifted trumpeter, contemplates selling his once-vibrant jazz club in Detroit’s Blackbottom neighborhood to shake free the demons of his past and for a better life.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Tulsa Arts District is home to retail and

F E AT U R I N G

First Friday Art Crawl

service shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, galleries, museums, parks, private businesses, residences and historic

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

music venues. Plan to arrive early and

TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | LIDDY DOENGES THE ATRE

TULSA PERFORMINGAT ARTSTULSAPAC.COM CENTER | LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE TICKETS AVAILABLE OR 918-596-7111 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT TULSAPAC.COM OR 918-596-7111

stay late in Tulsa Arts District!

Scan for calendar

(Paradise Blue) by Dominique Morisseau is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

#TulArtsDist

@TulArtsDist

/TulsaArtsDistrict

TheTulsaArtsDistrict.org

TULSA’S PREMIERE DANCE CLUB

AVAILABLE ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.

VOTED BEST LGBTQ+ BAR & BEST NIGHTCLUB THURS • FRI • SUN 18+ TO ENTER, 21+ TO DRINK

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FEBRUARY 1

David Bizarro Puppeteer

PROSPERITY

TULSA TALKS FEBRUARY LINEUP:

Presented by:

» ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT » REGIONAL TOURISM

FEBRUARY 15

Dr. Tamecca Rogers CROWN Documentary

Subscribe for FREE on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or Spotify!

» GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS » COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT YOUR PARTNER IN PROSPERITY

TULSACHAMBER.COM TulsaPeople.com

Tulsa Talks Pod Cast - TulsaPeople-2.625x4.875.indd 1

27

12/18/19 3:22 PM

ON DISPLAY

THIS MONTH AT

Circle Cinema HAPPY HOURS

6-7:30 p.m., Every Thursday in February Thursday Happy Hours continue in February with special guest OmaleyB! The Tulsa-based R&B artist and singer will perform live in the Circle Gallery from 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday with movie-themed drink specials at the bar before any of the great films on Thursdays.

CAT DADDIES

“Smile” by Tulsa artist Christina Armendariz is one of the works displayed this month at Tulsa Artists’ Coalition’s “Help Ukraine Juried Exhibition” from which show proceeds benefit UNICEF’s humanitarian aid for Ukrainian children and families.

AID FROM AFAR

TULSA GALLERY SUPPORTS UKRAINIANS WITH FEBRUARY SHOW.

BY JANE ZEMEL

A

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

LITTLE DIXIE

Opens for daily screenings Feb. 3 See the latest thriller from Tulsa writer/ director John Swab, featuring scenes shot in Tulsa. Doc facilitates a fragile truce between the Governor and Cartel, trading prosecutorial leniency for finance. With no more truce, Doc is left to fend for himself and protect the one untainted thing in his life: his daughter, Little Dixie.

DRIVE

10 p.m., Feb. 10-11 Presented by Graveyard Shift, Ryan Gosling stars as a mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman who gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor’s husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.

Colleen Stiles, TAC Gallery vice president and show organizer

enced war or conflict on that level. At this point in the world’s history, we shouldn’t have to.”

An artist in her own right — working in pen and ink, watercolor and figurative sculpture — Stiles has been involved with TAC “off and on for years,” she says. Most recently, she rebuilt the organization’s website, and hopes to bring more community engagement to the gallery.

“We should all give back and do what we can from our corner of the world to help those displaced by war in Ukraine,” she notes.

Along with works by 19 other Oklahoma-based artists, Armendariz’s piece “Smile” will be on display from Feb. 3-25. Visitors to the gallery at 9 W. Reconciliation Way also can donate to UNICEF on-site during the show’s opening. TP

DR. JACK (1922) 11 a.m., Feb. 11 Enjoy a classic silent film with a live score played by Bill Rowland on Circle’s restored 1928 theater pipe organ with support from Play Tulsa Music. This month, comedy icon Harold Lloyd will have you in stitches as a small-town doctor who believes the true cure for illness lies in kindness and compassion.

THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS

Open for daily screenings Feb. 17 With all three categories offered, this is your annual chance to predict the winners and have the edge in your Oscar pool. Live Action Shorts open Feb. 17, Animated Shorts open Feb. 24, and Documentary Shorts open March 3.

Compiled by Circle Cinema’s Ryan Thomas. Visit circlecinema.org for pricing and more information.

“SMILE”: ARTWORK BY CHRISTINA ARMENDARIZ/COURTESY TAC GALLERY; STILES: GREG BOLLINGER

s an artist, Colleen Stiles is affected by images. When she began seeing photos and videos coming out of the Ukraine war, she was determined to find a way to help.

Her solution was to create the “Help Ukraine Juried Exhibition” for Tulsa Artists’ Coalition, an organization she serves as vice president. All entry fees and gallery commissions for the show — themed “Peace in a Time of Chaos” — will go directly to UNICEF to benefit Ukrainian families and children affected by the war.

“It was a way to pull others in to make an impact,” she explains. Stiles wanted a theme that would promote peace in the region without limiting the artists’ expressions.

Tulsa artist and graphic designer Christina Armendariz jumped at the chance to show her support when she saw TAC’s call for exhibit works.

“I don’t have any ties to Ukraine, but I see the turmoil the people are going through and it’s heartbreaking,” she says. “Many of us want to help in some way, but don’t always know where to start.

This exhibition is something I knew I wanted to be part of because it gives me the chance to get involved.”

While Stiles also has no personal ties to Ukraine, she is still an impassioned observer. “I can’t imagine what the people are going through,” she says. “They’ve been displaced. I haven’t experi-

Opens for daily screenings Feb. 3 Calling all cat dads — don’t miss this heartwarming and tender portrait of a diverse group of men whose lives have been forever changed by their love of cats. A refreshing and timely exploration of modern masculinity, the documentary shows us how being a “cat person” has no gender, and that the unlikely bond between man and cat is here to stay.

TULSA OR BUST Arjun Deepak

Tulsa-based performer David Bizzaro, who starred as Mochi in Netflix’s second season of "Waffles + Mochi," also creates his own puppets: (clockwise) Arturo, Jerry Fauchaughkle and an unnamed puppet that lip syncs along to songs on Bizzaro’s Instagram @davidbizzaro.

PUPPETEERING PURSUITS MULTI-TALENTED CREATIVE MAKES HIS HOME IN TULSA. STORIES BY JULIANNE TRAN

GREG BOLLINGER

T

ulsa is home to many artists — singers, poets, musicians and more. Now, the city welcomes another talented performer: a puppeteer.

David Bizzaro is an award-winning puppeteer and actor who recently starred as Mochi in “Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant,” an educational children’s show produced by Michelle Obama’s production company.

“Working with Michelle Obama was amazing,” Bizzaro says. “She’s such a delight to work with. It felt like hanging out with family.”

In 2020, his work on the 50th season of “Sesame Street” landed him a Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Effects, Costume, Makeup and Hairstyling.

Born in Fresno, California, to an immigrant mother from El Salvador, Bizzaro moved to Oklahoma City when he was 13 years old. He fell in love with performing on stage during theater class in high school and later explored music, joining multiple bands. In 2009, he began working as a visual generalist for the Flaming Lips “to create backing videos for live shows, merchandise, music videos, documentaries and original art,” he says.

After leaving the band in 2013, Bizzaro made his first foray into puppetry.

“I started puppetry because of a lie,” Bizzaro laughs. After showing his friend Jonathan Fowler a puppet advertisement, Bizzaro asked if Fowler

VW needed a similar one — despite having no formal puppetry experience.

“In a week, I quickly taught myself how to build, perform and write for puppets,” Bizzaro recounts. “I fell in love with puppetry. It connected my acting, dancing and movement experience.”

And so, Bizzaro pursued puppetry head-on.

He moved to New York City, met with people in the puppetry industry and started working for Jim Henson Co., which created “The Muppets” and “Sesame Street.” While there, Bizzaro built props and puppets for productions and wrangled puppets on set for “Sesame Street.”

“As a first-generation person of color, I’ve constantly had to create my own doors, and if there’s no door, I’ve got to build a window,” Bizzaro describes. “I’ve had to create my own way.”

After years in New York, Bizzaro recently moved back to Oklahoma to be closer to family and friends.

“We really love Tulsa, and we love the people here,” he says.

While in talks for upcoming puppetry productions, Bizzaro is also exploring the idea of starting his own clothing brand. In the meantime you can find him around town at Gathering Place with his 8-month-old son or exploring the city’s new restaurants and art spots with his wife, Cassandra.

Watch Bizzaro as Mochi in season two of “Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant” on Netflix. TP

LISTEN TO A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID BIZZARO ON THE FEB. 1 EPISODE OF TULSA TALKS: A TULSAPEOPLE PODCAST.

UP TO CODE

At 14 years old, Arjun Deepak already has a packed schedule that includes activities from competitive swimming and national math competitions to Academic Bowl and Indian classical dance. An eighth grader at University School, he’s also team captain of the robotics club.

“It can be hard for my mom to keep track of all of the things I’m doing,” Deepak says.

And so, Deepak set out to create an app to help his mom. Along with his extracurricular activities, this multi-talented teen also has been coding since age 10, when he first taught himself the skill. In 2020, Deepak joined BYJU’S FutureSchool. Named after founder Byju Raveendran, BYJU’S is an online learning platform that teaches coding and math via live oneon-one instruction.

“It really helped take (my coding skills) to the next level,” he says.

With these skills, Deepak built Parent Connect, an app to help parents keep track of their children’s activities and events.

Deepak’s app was selected as a finalist in the “18u18” global coding competition hosted

by BYJU’S FutureSchool — an impressive accomplishment for this busy Tulsan.

As he looks toward the future, Deepak has more apps in mind. “I think I would like to make another app or two that would help people with their daily lives.”

“That’s why I enjoy coding,” he adds. “It helps all of us every day.”

THE PARENT CONNECT APP IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ON THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE. TulsaPeople.com

29

CHARITABLE EVENTS COMPILED BY AMANDA HALL

3 Cooking Up Compassion Benefits Catholic Charities.

CCEOK.MAESTROWEB.COM

4 The Candy Ball Benefits Child Abuse Network.

CANDYBALL.ORG

Riverfield Rocks the Cain’s Benefits Riverfield Country Day School.

RIVERFIELD.ORG

United Way Night at the Symphony Benefits Tulsa Area United Way. TAUW.ORG

Christmas Luncheon and Fashion Show On Dec. 6, the Tulsa Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary hosted the 70th annual Christmas Luncheon and Fashion Show at Renaissance Hotel Tulsa and Convention Center. The theme was “We Need a Little Christmas,” and guests participated in one of the largest silent auctions in town followed by a lunch and fashion show featuring Tulsa news anchors. With about 540 guests in attendance, the event raised over $180,000 to go toward The Salvation Army’s programs and community resources including Boys and Girls Clubs, the Adult Rehabilitation Center and Center of Hope — Tulsa’s largest capacity emergency shelter that also provides daily meals to the community.

1. Tulsa Auxiliary President Linda Schaffer, Tulsa Auxiliary Chair Marolyn Allred, Tulsa Auxiliary Co-Chair Leah Gajan and Area Commander Major Sarah Nelson 2. KOKI meteorologist Mike Grogan and anchor Sara Whaley walk in the fashion show.

3. The event emcee was KOKI anchor Shae Rozzi.

4. With more than 100 baked goods and 300 items bid on by participants, this year’s silent auction brought in over $26,000 — the most it’s ever made.

5 An Evening with P.S. Gordon Benefits Tulsa Botanic Garden.

3

TULSABOTANIC.ORG

11 Bringing Broadway Home Annual Gala Benefits Craft Productions of Oklahoma.

CRAFTPRODUCTIONS.ORG

Mardi Gras Gala 2023 Benefits Youth Services of Tulsa.

YST.ORG/GALA2023

1

2

4

18 The Ancient Trail Trek Benefits Sand Springs Parks.

23 Heart of Henry Benefits Tulsa Day Center.

TULSADAYCENTER.ORG

25 Centennial Tea Party Benefits Junior League of Tulsa.

JLTULSA.ORG

Champagne and Chocolate Benefits Living Arts of Tulsa.

LIVINGARTS.ORG

Pennies for Pearls Mardi Gras Masquerade Benefits American Parkinson Disease Association Oklahoma Chapter.

APDAPARKINSON.ORG/OKLAHOMA

Splash Benefits Oklahoma Aquarium.

OKAQUARIUM.ORG

28 KIPP Star Talent Show and Gala Benefits KIPP Tulsa.

KIPPOK.ORG

EDITOR’S NOTE: HIGHLIGHTED EVENT S SPONSORED BY TUL SAPEOPLE

30

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award Gala The Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award Gala took place Dec. 2 at Central Library. Given annually by the Tulsa Library Trust and Tulsa City-County Library, the event brings in and formally recognizes an internationally acclaimed author.

Due to illness, this year’s chosen author Elizabeth Strout was unable to attend and accept the award, so 2014’s winner Ann Patchett stepped in as the night’s featured speaker. In addition to Patchett’s address, the 320 guests in attendance enjoyed a sit-down dinner catered by The Summit.

Thanks to the unwavering support of Peggy Helmerich and her family, the Distinguished Author Award has brought to Tulsa such renowned names as Norman Mailer, Ray Bradbury, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates and Kazuo Ishiguro. Honored with an engraved crystal book and a $40,000 cash prize, authors also speak to area high school students and give a free public presentation and book signing. Patchett will donate the $40,000 to her foundation, Parnassus Books Foundation, to purchase books for Nashville schoolchildren.

1. Kimberly Johnson, CEO of the Tulsa City-County Library, welcomes guests.

2. Central Library’s first floor was transformed into a glittering winter wonderland for the event.

3. Committee Chair Denise Payne with Peggy Helmerich and American novelist Ann Patchett 4. Gala Vice Chair Lissa Hair, hostess committee member Pam Hillis, and decorations committee co-chairs Susie Wallace and Susie Tatum Woody

1

3

4

2

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON: EMILY FREEL; PEGGY V. HELMERICH: JESSICA KARIN TROUT

FACEBOOK.COM/KEYSTONEANCIENTFOREST

An award and annual banquet named for the compassionate heart of the community philanthropist Henry Zarrow benefiting the Tulsa Day Center When: Feb. 23rd, 2023 6pm - 9pm Where: Southern Hills Country Club www.TulsaDayCenter.org

Chair, Andrew Wolov

Honorees: Lynn Schusterman, Kristi Krajiceck and Indian Health Care Resource Center

More info:

@TulsaDayCenter

918 556-6418 TulsaPeople.com

31

College Guide

Oklahoma colleges and universities, as well as popular regional options, offer countless opportunities for furthering education.

COMPILED BY J. D. MYER AND ANNE BROCKMAN

Bacone College 2299 Old Bacone Road, Muskogee 918-683-4581 | bacone.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 321 Student/faculty ratio: 12-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 8 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 13 Most popular academic programs: Business, exercise science, American Indian studies Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1880 Baylor University 1311 S. Fifth St., Waco, Texas 800-229-5678 | baylor.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 20,970 Student/faculty ratio: 15-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 127 Number of advanced degree programs: 129 Most popular academic programs: Business (accounting, finance, management, marketing), health/pre-med programs, biology, nursing, psychology, communication sciences and disorders, communication, political science Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1845

32

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Carl Albert State College 1507 S. McKenna St., Poteau; 918-647-1200 1601 S. Opdyke St., Sallisaw; 918-775-6977 carlalbert.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 1,900 Student/faculty ratio: 21-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 25 Number of certificate programs: 9 Most popular academic programs: Nursing, physical therapy assistant, business administration, pre-elementary education Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1933 College of the Muscogee Nation 2170 Raven Circle, Okmulgee 918-549-2800 | cmn.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 201 Student/faculty ratio: 8-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 6 Most popular academic programs: General studies, tribal services, Mvskoke Language Certificate Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 2004

Connors State College 700 College Road, Warner; 918-463-2931 2501 N. 41st St. E., Muskogee; 918-687-6747 connorsstate.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 2,310 Student/faculty ratio: 23-to-1 Number of associate degree/certificate programs: 25 Most popular academic programs: Agriculture, business administration, pre-nursing, nursing, general studies Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1908 East Central University 1100 E. 14th St., Ada 580-332-8000 | ecok.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 3,600 Student/faculty ratio: 18-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 65 Number of advanced degree programs: 16 Most popular academic programs: Kinesiology, nursing, computer science, education, business administration Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1909

Eastern Oklahoma State College 1301 W. Main St., Wilburton; 918-465-2361 1802 E. College Ave., McAlester; 918-302-3607 eosc.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 1,352 Student/faculty ratio: 22-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 40+ Most popular academic programs: Nursing, business administration, agriculture, life science, respiratory therapy Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1908 John Brown University 2000 W. University St., Siloam Springs, Arkansas 479-524-9500 | jbu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 2,236 Student/faculty ratio: 14-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 2 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 52 Number of advanced degree programs: 19 Most popular academic programs: Nursing, psychology, family and human services, kinesiology, graphic design Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1919 CONTINUED ON P. 34

CONTINUED FROM P. 32

Kansas State University 919 Mid-Campus Drive N., Manhattan, Kansas 785-532-6011 | k-state.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 19,722 Student/faculty ratio: 19-1 Number of associate degree programs: 2 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 131 Number of advanced degree programs: 124 Most popular academic programs: Business administration, animal science and industry, mechanical engineering, kinesiology, veterinary medicine, aeronautical technology, psychology, biology and education Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1863 Langston University 701 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, Langston; 405-466-2231 6700 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., Oklahoma City; 405-530-7500 914 N. Greenwood Ave., Tulsa; 918-877-8100 langston.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 3,000 Student/faculty ratio: 17-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 6 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 24 Number of advanced degree programs: 4 master’s; 1 doctoral Most popular academic programs: General studies, nursing, health, physical education and recreation; psychology; management Campus housing: Yes (Langston campus) Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural, Urban Year founded: 1897 Mid-America Christian University 3500 S.W. 119th St., Oklahoma City 405-691-3800 | macu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 2,083 (1,600 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 13-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 171 Number of advanced degree programs: 27 Most popular academic programs: Business and ethics, psychology (undergraduate); counseling, business (graduate) Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1953

34

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Murray State College 1 Murray Campus Drive, Tishomingo 580-387-7000 | mscok.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 2,133 Student/faculty ratio: 16-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 56 Most popular academic programs: Nursing, gunsmithing technology, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapist assistant, veterinary nursing Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1908 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College 200 I St. N.E., Miami 918-540-6203 | neo.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 1,800 Student/faculty ratio: 22-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 40 Most popular academic programs: Agriculture, general studies, nursing, business and technology, physical therapy assistant Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1919 Northeastern State University 600 N. Grand Ave., Tahlequah; 918-456-5511 2400 W. Shawnee St., Muskogee; 918-683-0040 3100 New Orleans St., Broken Arrow; 918-449-6000 nsuok.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 7,025 (5,523 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 17-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 60 Number of advanced degree programs: 26 Most popular academic programs: Psychology, nursing, accounting, cell and molecular biology, health and human performance Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1851 Northern Oklahoma College 1220 E. Grand Ave., Tonkawa; 580-628-6200 615 N. Monroe St., Stillwater; 580-628-6900 100 S. University Ave., Enid; 480-242-6300 noc.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 3,374 Student/faculty ratio: 17-to-1

Number of associate degree programs: 49 Most popular academic programs: Business, education, health, physical education and recreation Campus housing: Tonkawa, Enid Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1901 Oklahoma Baptist University 500 W. University St., Shawnee 405-275-2850 | okbu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 1,763 (1,657 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 14-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 53 Number of advanced degree programs: 5 Most popular academic programs: Nursing, education, business, communication studies, theological studies Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1910 Oklahoma Christian University 2501 E. Memorial Road, Edmond 405-425-5000 | oc.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 2,250 Student/faculty ratio: 13-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 104 Number of advanced degree programs: 5 Most popular academic programs: Mechanical engineering, nursing, cybersecurity, gaming and animation, computer science Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1950 Oklahoma City Community College 7777 S. May Ave., Oklahoma City 405-682-1611 | occc.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 17,021 Student/faculty ratio: 23-to-1 Number of associate degree/certification programs: 88 Most popular academic programs: Diversified studies, business, nursing, occupational therapy assistant, computer science Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1972

Oklahoma City University 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., Oklahoma City 405-208-5000 | okcu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 2,566 (1,374 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 11-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 59 Number of advanced degree programs: 27 master’s; 5 doctoral; 1 juris doctorate Most popular academic programs: Liberal arts, performing arts, law, business, health professions Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1904 Oklahoma State University 107 Whitehurst, Stillwater 405-744-5000 | okstate.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 24,649 (20,323 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 18-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 200 Number of advanced degree programs: 79 master’s; 45 doctoral Most popular academic programs: Business administration, agriculture, engineering Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1890 OSU Center for Health Sciences 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa 918-582-1972 | medicine.okstate.edu Type: 2-to-4-year, graduate, public Enrollment: 1,613 Student/faculty ratio: 7.8-to-1 Number of advanced degree programs: 14 Most popular academic programs: College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Health Care Administration Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1972 OSU Institute of Technology 1801 E. Fourth St., Okmulgee 918-293-4976 | osuit.edu Type: 2-year, with some 4-year, public Enrollment: 2,331 Student/faculty ratio: 17-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 33 Number of bachelor’s of technology programs: 5 Most popular academic programs: Allied health sciences, information technologies, high-voltage line technician, air conditioning and refrigeration technology, engineering technologies Campus housing: Yes CONTINUED ON P. 36

1801 E AST 4TH STREET, OKMULGEE 918.293.4678 • OSUIT.EDU

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

WHERE GRADUATION

MEANS YOU’RE

HIRED

O

SU Institute of Technology, founded in 1946, is Oklahoma’s only university of applied technology, where graduation means you’re hired. It is known for world-class teaching facilities, partnerships with industry and successful students ready to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation. OSUIT students have a 90% job placement rate in technical degree programs.

Instruction is delivered through hands-on training and innovative technology that businesses and industries seek today for globally competitive environments. Students choose from several dozen programs spanning four schools, earning either an Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science or Bachelor of Technology.

Popular programs include Allied Health Sciences, Culinary Arts, Natural Gas Compression, Instrumentation Engineering, Pipeline Integrity, Information Technologies, Cybersecurity and Truck Technician.

Many prospective students enter OSUIT’s degree programs with significant prior knowledge and experience directly related to their chosen field of study. At OSUIT, you can apply your relevant learning, work and life experiences toward college credit through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).

Even as it evolves and grows, OSUIT’s founding mission of serving and prioritizing veterans remains essential to its foundation today; OSUIT is consistently named a military-friendly school.

At OSUIT, you’ll find the career that’s right for you with instructors who will help you succeed. Our two-year programs combine classwork and real-world experiences with exciting internships to prepare you for what’s next. With a 90% career placement rate after graduation—you can answer the call and be true to you at OSUIT.

APPLY. ENROLL. TRAIN. WORK.

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION OSUIT’s Bachelor of Technology in Applied Technical Leadership is a 100% online, accelerated baccalaureate degree program that was created in response to industry demand for individuals who possess the technical, leadership, management and entrepreneurial skills to successfully fulfill supervisory and other administrative positions. That being said, building on associate-level technical degrees with advanced training, this program is designed for professionals to expand existing knowledge and step into leadership roles.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1946 ENROLLMENT: 3,009 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 16-1 NUMBER OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS: 34 NUMBER OF BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS: 5

ANSWER THE CALL + BE TRUE TO YOU AT OSUIT FREE, SIMPLIFIED, ONLINE APPLICATION. VISIT CAMPUS TO LEARN MORE.

OSUIT.EDU | 918.293.4976 TulsaPeople.com

35

CONTINUED FROM P. 34

Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1946 OSU OKC 900 N. Portland Ave., Oklahoma City 405-947-4421 | osuokc.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 4,949 Student/faculty ratio: 15-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 1 with 45 major options Most popular academic programs: Nursing Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1961 OSU Tulsa 700 N. Greenwood Ave. 918-594-8000 | tulsa.okstate.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 2,608 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 25 Number of advanced degree programs: 10 master’s; 4 doctoral Most popular academic programs: Management, marketing, finance, mechanical engineering, accounting, psychology, organizational leadership and educational leadership Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1999 Oklahoma Wesleyan University 2201 Silver Lake Road, Bartlesville 918-333-6828 | okwu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 1,100 (650 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 9-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 6 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 38 Number of advanced degree programs: 12 Most popular academic programs: Digital media marketing, exercise science, graphic design and strategy, ministry Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1905 Oral Roberts University 7777 S. Lewis Ave. 918-495-6161 | oru.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 5,126 (4,072 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 16-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 67 Number of advanced degree programs: 20 Most popular academic programs: Ministry and leadership, nursing, psychology, business administration, engineering 36

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1963

Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Rural Year founded: 1931

Phillips Theological Seminary 901 N. Mingo Road 918-610-8303 | ptstulsa.edu Type: Graduate seminary Enrollment: 140 Student/faculty ratio: 10-to-1 Number of advanced degree programs: 5 Most popular academic programs: Divinity, ministry Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1906

Southeastern Oklahoma State University 425 W. University Blvd., Durant 580-745-2000 | se.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 5,420 (2,933 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 24-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 36 Number of advanced degree programs: 19 Most popular academic programs: Aviation, elementary education, business and leadership, fisheries and wildlife Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1909

Rogers State University 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Claremore; 918-343-7777 401 S. Dewey Ave., Bartlesville; 918338-8000 2155 Highway 69A, Pryor; 918-825-6117 rsu.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 3,177 (3,067 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 16-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 12 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 21 Number of advanced degree programs: 2 Most popular academic programs: Business, nursing, biology, social sciences, fine art, unmanned aircraft systems, cybersecurity Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1909 Rose State College 6420 S.E. 15th St., Midwest City 405-733-7673 | rose.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 6,899 Student/faculty ratio: 21-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 60 Most popular academic programs: Nursing, business/information technologies, dental hygiene, engineering, aerospace Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1970 Seminole State College 2701 Boren Blvd., Seminole 405-382-9950 | sscok.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 1,493 Student/faculty ratio: 16-to-1 Number of associate degree programs: 5, plus 18 transfer associate degree programs Most popular academic programs: Health sciences, business, nursing, liberal studies, criminal justice

Southern Methodist University 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, Texas 214-768-2000 | smu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 12,053 Student/faculty ratio: 12-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 100+ Number of advanced degree programs: 108 Most popular academic program: Business administration Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1911 Southern Nazarene University 6729 N.W. 39th Expressway, Bethany 405-789-6400 | snu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 2,208 (1,529 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 14-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 43 Number of advanced degree programs: 10 Most popular academic programs: Kinesiology, biochemistry, education, graphic design, business, theology, music Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1899 Southwestern Christian University 7210 N.W. 39th Expressway, Bethany 405-789-7661 | swcu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 486 (458 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 12-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 21 Number of advanced degree programs: 3 Most popular academic programs: Business administration Campus housing: Yes

Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1946 Texas Christian University 2800 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 817-257-7000 | tcu.edu Type: 4-year, private Enrollment: 12,273 Student/faculty ratio: 13.5-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 117 Number of advanced degree programs: 100 Most popular academic programs: Business, nursing, biology Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1873 Tulsa Community College Metro campus, 909 S. Boston Ave. Northeast campus, 3727 E. Apache St. Southeast campus, 10300 E. 81st St. West campus, 7505 W. 41st St. Riverside community campus and aviation center, 112 W. Beechcraft Drive Owasso community campus, 10800 N. 140th E. Ave., Owasso 918-595-8000 tulsacc.edu Type: 2-year, public Enrollment: 21,523 Student/faculty ratio: 15-to-1 Number of associate degree/certification programs: 121 Most popular academic programs: Business administration, liberal arts, enterprise development, pre-nursing and nursing Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1970 University of Arkansas 1 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 479-575-2000 | uark.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 30,936 (26,269, undergraduate; 4,277, graduate; 390, School of Law) Student/faculty ratio: 19-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 96 Number of advanced degree programs: 83 Most popular academic programs: Supply chain managment, architecture, engineering, nursing, psychology, business economics, recreation and sports management, finance, agricultural education, communication and technology Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1871

CONTINUED ON P. 38

1701 W. WILL ROGERS BLVD., CL AREMORE; 918 - 34 3 -7777 • 401 S. DEWEY AVE., BARTLESVILLE; 918 - 338 - 8000 • 2155 HIGHWAY 69A, PRYOR; 918 - 825 - 611 • RSU.EDU

Rogers State University

R

ogers State University boasts one of the region’s lowest student debt loads for graduates. This is driven by RSU’s affordable tuition, along with the scholarships and financial aid available to deserving students.

RSU offers in-demand degree programs (nursing, chemical engineering, unmanned aircraft systems, cybersecurity) along with unmatched facilities, including world-class student housing, on-campus nature reserve, behavioral sciences lab and more. Programs in medicine are among the state’s leaders, and RSU nursing graduates are always in high demand.

RSU offers small class sizes with a student-faculty ratio of 16-to-1, allowing students to personally know their faculty. According to RSU’s Class of 2020 graduates, 94% reported

they were satisfied to very satisfied with their overall RSU experience.

RSU is the Tulsa metro area’s only public university with on-campus housing, allowing students to fully participate in the traditional college experience. Campus residents enjoy a variety of amenities including a swimming pool, sand volleyball court, outdoor gathering spaces with a fire pit, movie rooms, themed housing areas and nearby hiking/walking trails.

RSU has more than 40 student organizations that promote involvement and leadership, along with 12 NCAA Division II sports. The RSU women’s softball team won the 2022 NCAA Division II national championship. RSU offers bachelor’s and associate degrees entirely online, along with an online MBA, all for an affordable value.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1909

NUMBER OF BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMS: 22

UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT: 3,177 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 16-TO-1

NUMBER OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS: 12

NUMBER OF ADVANCED DEGREE PROGRAMS: 2

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

Nursing, Business, Chemical Engineering, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Cybersecurity

RSU is the only public university in the Tulsa metro area that offers a full collegiate experience, from residential life to NCAA athletics. RSU is affordable, with half of our graduates earning a degree with no student debt. ✓ Programs in today’s top fields, on campus and online. ✓ Additional scholarship support for freshmen and transfers. ✓ Ranked among the top 25 colleges in the west by U.S. News and World Report.

RogersStateU | #HillcatNation

CLAREMORE | BARTLESVILLE | PRYOR | ONLINE WWW.RSU.EDU | 918-343-7777 TulsaPeople.com

37

CONTINUED FROM P. 36

University of Central Oklahoma 100 N. University Drive, Edmond 405-974-2000 | uco.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 12,250 (11,817 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 16-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 119 Number of advanced degree programs: 81 Most popular academic programs: Psychology, forensic science, nursing, criminal justice, finance Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1890 University of Kansas 1450 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, Kansas 785-864-2700 | ku.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 27,685 (all campuses) Student/faculty ratio: 17-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 142 Number of advanced degree programs: 215 Most popular undergraduate academic programs: Psychology, finance, journalism, marketing, business, computer science, exercise science, political science, mechanical engineering, accounting

Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Yes Year founded: 1865 University of Oklahoma 660 Parrington Oval, Norman 405-325-0311 | ou.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 28,320 (21,294 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 16.7-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 123 Number of advanced degree programs: 105 master’s; 56 doctoral; 1 professional Most popular academic programs: Psychology, biology, finance, health and exercise science, marketing Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Suburban Year founded: 1890 OU Health Sciences Center 1105 Stonewall Ave., Oklahoma City 405-271-2332 | ouhsc.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 3,388 (984 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 8-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 10 includes HSC programs at OU-Tulsa

Number of advanced degree programs: 54 (including 5 certificates) includes HSC programs at OU-Tulsa Most popular academic programs: Medicine M.D., Nursing B.S.N., Allied Health Professional, Dentistry D.D.S, and graduate college doctoral research Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1910 OU Tulsa 4502 E. 41st St. 918-660-3000 | ou.edu/tulsa Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 1,100 Student/faculty ratio: 15-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 7 Number of advanced degree programs: 15 master’s; 6 2-year graduate programs; 9 doctoral Most popular academic programs: Social work, undergraduate nursing, physician assistant, allied health Campus housing: No Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1957

University of Texas at Austin 110 Inner Campus Drive, Austin, Texas 512-471-3434 | utexas.edu Type: 4-year, public Enrollment: 52,384 Student/faculty ratio: 18-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 154 Number of advanced degree programs: 232 Most popular academic programs: Natural sciences, liberal arts, engineering, business, communication Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1883 University of Tulsa 800 S. Tucker Drive 918-631-2000 | utulsa.edu Type: 4-year, private research institution Enrollment: 3,777 (2,658 undergraduate) Student/faculty ratio: 9-to-1 Number of bachelor’s degree programs: 71 Number of advanced degree programs: 28 master’s; 15 doctoral Most popular academic programs: Mechanical engineering, computer science, biology, psychology, exercise and sports science, nursing, finance Campus housing: Yes Online classes/programs: Yes Campus setting: Urban Year founded: 1894 TP

FINISH YOUR DEGREE.

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER.

Gather Here. Go Far.

@ Oklahoma's Immersive Learning Institution

Apply for Summer & Fall classes now!

Affordable Tuition Close to home

FLEXIBLE, CAREER-FOCUSED PROGRAMS TAILORED TO YOUR GOALS.

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tulsa.okstate.edu | 918-594-8355 | tulsa.info@okstate.edu 38

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

In-Demand Degree Options

Apply now at Go2NSU.com

Private school guide Tulsa’s private school options are plentiful — but perhaps overwhelming — for parents to navigate.

From tuition and class sizes to grade levels and academic integrity, it’s a lot to take in.

Here, we’ve compiled updated information for 37 local options.

COMPILED BY J.D. MYER

SCHOOL

YEAR FOUNDED

GRADE LEVELS

UNIFORMS

FINANCIAL AID

TUITION (ANNUAL, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

STUDENTTEACHER RATIO

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT OR AFFILIATION

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

BEFOREAND AFTERSCHOOL CARE

REGISTRATION/ TESTING INFORMATION

ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC SCHOOL 299 S. Ninth St., Broken Arrow | 918-251-3000 allsaintsba.com

1957

Pre-K-8th

Yes

Yes

$5,523, Catholic; $6,373, nonparishioner

18-1

Catholic

386

Yes

February.

AUGUSTINE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 6310 E. 30th St. | 918-832-4600 acatulsa.org

1997

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$7,395-$8,865

12-1

Christian

180

Yes

New students can apply in March; August enrollment deadline; admission stops when classes are full.

BISHOP KELLEY HIGH SCHOOL 3905 S. Hudson Ave. | 918-627-3390 bishopkelley.org

1960

9th-12th

Yes

Yes

$10,500-$12,500

12-1

Catholic, Lasallian

848

No

If accepted, enrollment contracts are due March 1.

CASCIA HALL PREPARATORY SCHOOL 2520 S. Yorktown Ave. | 918-746-2600 (Upper School); 918-746-2616 (Middle School) casciahall.com

1926

6th-12th

Yes

Yes

$16,075

10-1

Catholic, Augustinian

535

CHRISTIAN MONTESSORI ACADEMY 3702 S. 90th E. Ave. | 918-628-6524 christianmontessoriacademy.org

2006

Pre-K-8th

No

No

$670-$850 per month

12-1

Montessori

70

Yes

Call 918-628-6524 to schedule a tour.

CROSSOVER PREPARATORY ACADEMY 5424 N. Madison Ave. | 918-986-7499 crossoverprep.org

6th-12th grade 2017 boys; 6th-8th grade girls

Yes

Yes

$8,000

15-1

Christian

115

After-school extracurricular activities

Application deadline April 1

No

Yes

Sliding-scale

3-1, infants; 5-1, all others

Christian

66

Yes

Ongoing.

After-school 918-746-2604 for tour, testing study hall until Calland application information.

5 p.m.

HAPPY HANDS EDUCATION CENTER 8801 S. Garnett Road, Broken Arrow 918-893-4800 happyhands.org

1994

Age infant-6 for children who are deaf, hard of hearing or have communication disorders

HOLLAND HALL 5666 E. 81st St. | 918-481-1111 hollandhall.org

1922

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$8,000-$23,500

10-1

Episcopal

1,044

Yes

Registration begins in January and is dependent on grade level and availability.

HOLY FAMILY CLASSICAL SCHOOL: THE PARISH SCHOOL OF HOLY FAMILY CATHEDRAL PARISH 820 S. Boulder Ave. | 918-582-0422 holyfamilyclassicalschool.org

1899

Pre-K-11th

Yes

Yes

$5,000-$7,500

12-1

Roman Catholic, Classical

213

Yes

Registration begins in January and continues until classes are full.

IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 400 N. Aspen Ave., Broken Arrow | 918-251-5422 ilcanews.org

2001

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$6,700-$7,700

12-1

Lutheran

300

Yes

Begins Feb. 1. Testing by appointment.

LEGACY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 1201 N. Elm Place, Broken Arrow | 918-286-6794 legacyba.org

2007

Pre-K-6th

Yes

Yes

$5,500-$6,500

8-1 to 16-1

Christian

97

Yes

Begins Feb. 1.

Yes

$6,452-$8,598

16-3, 3-year-old; 16-2, Pre-K; 16-1, K; 18-1, 1st-4th; 20-1, 5th-6th; 24-1, 7th-12th

Christian, nondenominational

1,001

Yes

Ongoing.

Yes

$6,075, parishioner (multiple child discounts offered); $7,695, nonparishioner

22-1

Catholic

480

Yes

School tours and testing by appointment. Inquire at marquetteschool.org/admissions.

LINCOLN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 1003 N. 129th E. Ave. | 918-828-9200 lincolnchristianschool.com MARQUETTE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 1519 S. Quincy Ave.; 1528 S. Quincy Ave. (Early Childhood Development Center) | 918-584-4631; 918-583-3334 (ECDC) marquetteschool.org

1997

1918

3-year-old-12th

Pre-K3-8th

Yes

Yes

TulsaPeople.com

39

SCHOOL

YEAR FOUNDED

GRADE LEVELS

UNIFORMS

FINANCIAL AID

TUITION (ANNUAL, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

STUDENTTEACHER RATIO

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT OR AFFILIATION

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

BEFOREAND AFTERSCHOOL CARE

REGISTRATION/ TESTING INFORMATION

METRO CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 6363 S. Trenton Ave. | 918-745-9868 metroca.com

1983

P3-12th

Yes

Yes

$8,080-$12,720

10-1, Early Childhood; 12-1, K-12th

Christian, nondenominational

1,127

Yes

Call Admissions Office at 918-7459868, ext. 155 or visitmetro.com.

MINGO VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 8304 S. 107th E. Ave. | 918-294-0404 mingovalley.org

1976

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$8,750-$10,670

10-1

Christian

350

Yes

Ongoing. School tours by appointment.

MISS HELEN’S PRIVATE SCHOOL 4849 S. Mingo Road | 918-622-2327 misshelens.com

1954

Pre-K-5th

Yes

No

N/A

140

Yes

Ongoing.

MIZEL JEWISH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL 2021 E. 71st St. | 918-494-0953 mizelschool.org

1975

Preschool-5th

Yes

Yes

$9,000

8-1

Jewish

41

After-care enrichment program

Ongoing.

MONTE CASSINO SCHOOL 2206 S. Lewis Ave. | 918-742-3364 montecassino.org

1926

Pre-K3-8th

Yes

Yes

$7,800-$13,500

16-1, middle school; 10-1, elementary; 8-1, early childhood

Catholic

770

Yes

Call Brooke Jones at 918-746-4238 for open house dates, to schedule a tour or for your student to shadow.

PEACE ACADEMY 4620 S. Irvington Ave. | 918-627-1040 patulsa.org

1990

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

Pre-K, $6,450; K-12, $6,050

5-1 to 25-1

Islamic

229

N/A

Ongoing.

PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF SOUTH TULSA 10185 S. 85th E. Ave. | 918-364-0021 primroseschools.com/schools/south-tulsa

1982

Infants-Pre-K

Pre-K only

No

$1,300, monthly

9-1

N/A

175

After-school care

Ongoing.

REGENT PREPARATORY SCHOOL OF OKLAHOMA 8621 S. Memorial Drive | 918-663-1002 rpsok.org

2000

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$4,590-$11,590

14-1

Christian

585

No

Registration: November; testing: January-March.

Yes

Registration begins Dec. 1.

Preschool applicants complete a 30-minute developmental screening.

K-12th applicants complete an academic screening. Times vary.

Screening appointments are made in the online application.

REJOICE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 10701 N. 129th E. Ave., Owasso (preschool/ elementary); 13407 E. 106th St. N., Owasso (middle and high schools) | 918-516-0050 rejoiceschool.com

1992

Preschool-12th

No

Yes

preschool; $905-$925, monthly 10-1, 15-1, K-5th

$2,980-$8,870

16-1

Christian

1,103

RIVERFIELD COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 2433 W. 61st St. | 918-446-3553 riverfield.org

1984

Infants-12th

No

Yes

$12,150-$15,800

4-1 to 15-1, based on age

Nonsectarian, Reggio-inspired

625

Yes

New K-12th registration: MarchAugust. Prospective preschool students can submit applications at any time. Enrollment for the upcoming school year typically offered by mid-May.

SAINT CATHERINE CATHOLIC SCHOOL 2515 W. 46th St. | 918-446-9756 saintcatherineschool.org

1927

Pre-K-8th

Yes

Yes

$4,760-$5,889

13-1

Catholic

160

Yes

February-July.

17-1

Catholic

350

Yes

Re-enrollment: February; registration is ongoing. Testing for students entering kindergarten by appointment.

SAINT PIUS X SCHOOL 1717 S. 75th E. Ave. | 918-627-5367 school.spxtulsa.org

1957

Preschool-8th

Yes

Yes

$4,165-$6,317, preschool (3-4 year olds); $5,490, K-8 (Catholic); $7,075, K-8 (non-Catholic)

SAINTS PETER AND PAUL SCHOOL 1428 N. 67th E. Ave. | 918-836-2165 peterandpaultulsa.org

1951

K-8th

Yes

Yes

$5,250 (multiple child discounts offered)

13-1

Catholic

170

Yes

Begins Feb. 1.

Roman Catholic

316

After-school care

As needed.

1954

Pre-K-8th

Yes

Yes

$2,529-$7,187

15-1, K-2; grades 3-8 have a maximum of 30 students with smaller classes for math and language arts

SOLID FOUNDATION PREPARATORY ARTS ACADEMY 4025 N. Hartford Ave. | 918-794-7800 2004 sfpaeagles.com

Pre-K-5th

Yes

No

$5,760, Pre-K; K-5th, tuition-free

12-1

Fine arts academy

75

After-school care

Enrollment and shadow dates in February and March.

SUMMIT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 200 E. Broadway Ave. and 3500 W. New Orleans St., 1987 Broken Arrow | 918-251-1997 summit.school

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$6,768-$8,306

14-1

Christian

588

Yes

February-August.

Tuition-free.

12-3 with additional daily therapeutic intervention from an interdisciplinary team

No

Students must have a diagnosis from a doctor to enroll.

Visit littlelighthouse.org for next enrollment steps.

SCHOOL OF SAINT MARY 1365 E. 49th Place | 918-749-9361 schoolofsaintmary.com

THE LITTLE LIGHT HOUSE 5120 E. 36th St. | 918-664-6746 littlelighthouse.org

40

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

1972

Birth-age 6

No

No

Christian orientation; however, LLH is open 116, to all children with physical and mental Development Center; challenges causing a 126, Early developmental delay Intervention in two or more areas of development

CONTINUED ON P. 42

1519 S. QUINCY AVE., TULSA • 918.58 4.4631 • MARQUET TESCHOOL.ORG

Marquette Catholic School

M

arquette Catholic School has been educating the next generation for more than 100 years. Offering preschool (age 3) through grade 8, Marquette is a place and community that first and foremost belongs to Jesus Christ. Students are formed with care, intentionality and excellence, and then sent out into the world to transform it.

In the Early Childhood Development Center, 3- and 4-year-olds are immersed in a rich curriculum that prioritizes their physical and emotional needs in classrooms custom-made for their size.

In kindergarten through eighth grade, Marquette teachers focus on developing

YEAR FOUNDED: 1918 ENROLLMENT: Approximately 500 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 22-to-1

well-rounded, happy and faith-filled students through a whole-child approach. The rigorous academic curriculum upholds the Catholic tradition as faith animates every aspect of the school. The Sacraments, prayer and liturgy are not afterthoughts, but the source and summit of the school’s existence. With an enrollment of approximately 500 (PK-grade 8), students possess great character and virtue, and are academically prepared for high school. The best way to experience the Marquette community is to see it for yourself. Schedule a private tour today!

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

Marquette Catholic School is accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Oklahoma Private School Accrediting Commission.

GRADES: Preschool (age 3) - Grade 8

Over 100 Years of Academic Excellence SCHEDULE A TOUR! marquetteschool.org

Diocesan Catholic school Pre-K - Grade 8 Whole-child educational approach TulsaPeople.com

41

CONTINUED FROM P. 40

SCHOOL

YEAR FOUNDED

GRADE LEVELS

UNIFORMS

FINANCIAL AID

TUITION (ANNUAL, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

STUDENTTEACHER RATIO

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT OR AFFILIATION

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

BEFOREAND AFTERSCHOOL CARE

REGISTRATION/ TESTING INFORMATION

THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOOL OF TULSA 2444 E. Admiral Blvd. | 918-728-7337 sanmigueltulsa.org

2004

6th-8th

Yes

Yes

$100, monthly

12-1

Lasallian

72

Extended school day

February-August.

179

Yes

Ongoing.

TOWN AND COUNTRY SCHOOL 8906 E. 34th St. | 918-296-3113 tandcschool.org

1961

1st-12th

No

Yes

$14,080-$15,780, 2nd-12th

6-1

Improving the lives of students with learning disabilities by nurturing academic, social and personal growth.

TULSA ADVENTIST ACADEMY 900 S. New Haven Ave. | 918-834-1107 tulsaacademy.org

1916

Pre-K-12th

Yes

Yes

$5,875, Pre-K-8; $6,945, 9th-12th

15-1

Christian

105

After-school care MondayThursday

Pre-enrollment in March.

Testing by appointment.

UNDERCROFT MONTESSORI SCHOOL 3745 S. Hudson Ave. | 918-622-2890 undercroft.org

1964

Age 3-8th

No

Yes

$7,615-$12,960

11-1

Montessori

233

Yes

Ongoing.

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA 326 S. College Ave. | 918-631-5060 1982 uschool.utulsa.edu

Pre-K3-8th

No

Yes

$12,015-$13,245

6-1

Gifted

185

Yes

Ongoing.

VICTORY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 7700 S. Lewis Ave. | 918-491-7720 vcstulsa.org

1981

K3-12th

Dress code

Yes

Check website.

12-1 to 17-1

Christian

1,170

Yes

Ongoing.

WRIGHT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 11391 E. Admiral Place | 918-438-0922 wrightchristianacademy.com

1989

Pre-K3-12th

Yes

Yes

$2,680-$6,700, Pre-K3-Pre-K4; $6,610-$8,050, K-12th

9-1

Christian

250

Yes

Ongoing; tours by appointment.

2520 SOUTH YORK TOWN AVENUE, TULSA • 918.746.2600 • CASCIAHALL.COM

Cascia Hall Preparatory School

T

radition is the foundation of all aspects of life at Cascia Hall. Our storied legacy honors formal attire for classes, morning chapel meetings, and delicious meals prepared by our in-house chefs. Students become part of our educational success since 1926.

Our innovative approach to teaching and learning engages and inspires today’s young women and men to lead meaningful lives grounded in the Augustinian values of Truth, Unity and Love. Attending seven classes a day and learning relational and life management skills is a cornerstone of our tradition.

Honoring tradition at Cascia Hall teaches students that a respect for the past inspires excellence.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1926 ENROLLMENT: 535 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 10-to-1 GRADES: 6th-12th grade

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

Since 1926, our tradition has defined us, and we like it that way.

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

24 33 WEST 61ST STREET, TULSA • 918.4 46.3553 • RIVERFIELD.ORG

Riverfield Country Day School

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t’s an exciting time to be a Riverfield Raven!

Construction is underway on a 15,000-squarefoot Center for Creativity that will house a black box theater, rehearsal rooms, recording studios, visual art studios, maker spaces, and a severe weather shelter designed to meet ICC 500 standards. The expansion of the Clark Gymnasium is nearly complete, which doubles the footprint of the existing building, adding courts, seating, locker rooms and a concession stand.

Riverfield is a nonsectarian school providing quality innovative education for children 8 weeks old through 12th grade. Riverfield is dedicated to academic excellence and college preparation while remaining true to its family-oriented atmosphere and whole student approach to education and learning.

Small class sizes, along with the collaborative nature of the classrooms, provide opportunities

for students to cultivate critical thinking, creativity, leadership, interpersonal skills, and the confidence needed for success today and tomorrow.

Riverfield is home to the state’s first and most comprehensive school rock band program, with more than a dozen student bands. Through participation in the OSSAA, the school has achieved success in athletics, academics, extracurriculars, and arts including State Championships three of the past four years in Academic Bowl and five years running in Speech and Debate.

Riverfield is accredited through the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the Oklahoma Private Schools Accreditation Commission (OPSAC).

To learn more, please contact Director of Admissions Kacey Davenport at 918-446-3553 or kdavenport@riverfield.org.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1984

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

ENROLLMENT: 630

Located on a 120-acre campus, Riverfield’s students experience the barnyard, hiking trails, gardens and athletic fields as an extension of the academic excellence found in the classroom.

STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 4-to-1 to 15-1 (based on age/grade level) GRADES: Infants-12th grade

918.446.3553 • 2433 W. 61st St., Tulsa, OK 74132 • riverfield.org

Find Your Passion Innovative Education for Infants through 12th Grade TulsaPeople.com

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5666 EAST 81ST STREET, TULSA • 918.481.1111 • HOLL ANDHALL.ORG

Holland Hall

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olland Hall celebrated its anniversary in 2022, and its mission is the same as it was when it began — to provide a school “where each student may receive individual attention, within reach of any citizen of Tulsa.”

Holland Hall’s intentionally small-scale approach assures teachers truly know who their students are and where their strengths and passions lie.

“Students find it all at Holland Hall, and every student can find a place to excel,” says Director of Enrollment Management Justin Butler ’04. Holland Hall students see an average score of 1360 on the SAT and 27 on the ACT. Historically, 100% of graduates who apply are accepted to a four-year college and 90% of graduates receive some form of college scholarship.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1922 ENROLLMENT: 1,034 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 10-to-1 GRADES: Early Pre-K–12th grade

Holland Hall students have opportunities beyond the classroom, too. The Upper School offers 62 different art courses, 18 individual and team sports and more than 30 clubs.

A Holland Hall education may be more affordable than expected.

Pre-K tuition is up to $3,000 less per year than comparable local programs, and 31% of all students receive some form of tuition assistance.

“We believe the best way to learn what makes Holland Hall different is to visit our 162-acre campus and see for yourself,” Butler says. In addition to private tours, the school offers open houses on “Welcome Wednesdays.” To learn more, visit hollandhall.org/ admission or email justin.butler@hollandhall.org.

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION Holland Hall is the only Cum Laude School in Tulsa.

Colleges see having a Cum Laude Society chapter as a critical mark of academic excellence.

2206 S. LEWIS AVE., TULSA • 918.742.336 4 • MONTECASSINO.ORG

Monte Cassino School

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ince 1926, Monte Cassino, an independent Benedictine Catholic school, has been committed to providing an exceptional education while nurturing the whole student.

The PreK3–8th grade school features a campus-wide average class size of 17 and an 8-to-1 student/teacher ratio in the Early Childhood Learning Center. The dedicated faculty allows Monte Cassino to provide a comprehensive educational experience. The school, located at 2206 S. Lewis Ave., offers the traditional subjects of reading, writing, math and the sciences and also provides excellent programs in music, art, foreign language, STEM and athletics. Students are encouraged to take risks and explore concepts while developing learning strategies.

The Monte Cassino educational experience is complemented by a co-curricular program of over 25 clubs and offerings such as robotics, coding, chess, Makerspaces, musical theater, Academic Bowl, MCTV Broadcasting, book clubs, STEAM and more. Because experiential learning is important, the school offers unique and learning-based field trips, service days and

project work. The Monte Cassino athletics department offers 11 sports, ongoing development clinics and camps. Monte Cassino holds many state championships in basketball, volleyball and Academic Bowl.

Monte Cassino’s commitment to Catholic instruction focuses on eight universal Benedictine values: Love of Learning, Seek God, Prayer, Community, Simplicity and Balance, Hospitality, Service and Stewardship. These values enable students of all faiths to build life skills and grow in their own spirituality while serving the community around them. Monte Cassino’s rigorous, challenging and focused curriculum helps develop well-rounded and morally-grounded students who are prepared for high school and life beyond. Over $1 million in financial assistance is available. Come learn how a Monte Cassino education can make a difference for your family.

To schedule a tour and for more information, contact Brooke Jones at: bjones@montecassino.org or at 918-746-4238.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1926 ENROLLMENT: 780 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 8-to-1, ECLC; 16-to-1, elementary and middle schools GRADES: Pre-K–8th grade

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION Monte Cassino School is accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Cognia.

Monte Cassino provides a place for children and young adults to reach their fullest potential but more importantly, it is a community that helps develop kind, loving, and generous humans in a faith-filled environment. As parents, we are amazed by Monte Cassino and could not have made a better investment in our children’s education.

-The Galbraith Family

Come see why.

PreK - 8th Grade Benedictine Catholic Excellent Academics Student Learning Support Strong Community

Schedule a tour, call 918-746-4238 www.montecassino.org

326 S. COLLEGE AVE., TULSA • 918.631.5060 • USCHOOL.UTULSA.EDU

The University of Tulsa University School

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elebrating its 40th year, University School offers a dynamic full school program for gifted students from age 3 through eighth grade. University School provides an emotionally supportive and intellectually challenging learning environment that rewards both creativity and socially responsible behavior.

“We believe that a person learns best in a supportive, but kindly firm, atmosphere where they are actively involved and have some control over what occurs,” says Director Debra Price. “We know each student is an individual and therefore we do not expect uniform educational results.”

With a total enrollment of 185 students and a 6-to-1 student/faculty ratio, teachers can focus on the success of each student.

University School values are: The pursuit of excellence in scholarship, leadership and citizenship; the development of critical thinking, problem solving and responsibility; an environment that engages and empowers students to explore ideas prompting discovery and stimulating creativity; a culture where faculty actively model the philosophy and benefits of life-long learning; and a community of

acceptance that understands and celebrates diversity and shares cross-cultural values.

University School sponsors several opportunities for students to exhibit academic and artistic projects. The annual drama festival is a chance for students to write, produce and perform plays. Students can exhibit their creative projects and interact with professionals in their own academic interest area at the Creative Producers exhibit held each spring. The USchool Ambassadors program and student council allow students to serve as leaders within the school community. University School offers a variety of clubs and organizations often driven by student interests.

Another essential component of the curriculum involves making use of the school’s relationship with the University of Tulsa. The University Connection consists of TU Exploration, in which children may visit classes and interact with professors, staff and TU students, as well as attend exhibits and utilize university facilities. The relationship with the university provides USchool with tremendous unique resources that few schools can match.

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION YEAR FOUNDED: 1982 ENROLLMENT: 185 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 6-to-1 GRADES: PreK3-8th grade

University School students are gifted, creating a unique environment of high academic standards. Presentations about University School have been made in numerous states, Canada and Europe. Articles about the University School curriculum have been published in leading national magazines, newspapers and journals.

6363 S. TRENTON AVE., TULSA • 918.745.9868 • METROCA.COM

Metro Christian Academy

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e like to say around here that you can tell a lot about something by its name,” says Keith Currivean, Ph.D., head of school at Metro Christian Academy. “Metro is where we are, Academy is what we are, and Christian is who and how and why we are.”

Located on a 60-acre campus at East 63rd Street and South Trenton Avenue, Metro Christian Academy is an independent Christian school, serving students age 3 through 12th grade. High schooler students are challenged through enrollment in on-level, honors or advanced placement courses. College credit is also available through concurrent enrollment classes.

Beyond the books, students can participate in competitive athletics including 11 varsity sports, fine arts programs including band, studio art and drama. In addition, leadership and mission classes teach students to lead and serve others.

At the heart of Metro is a sense of community. Students, parents, faculty and staff work together to educate and nurture students to reach their full potential. “We work to develop this culture in which everyone knows who you are,” says Adam Taylor, director of school operations. “You are somebody here. You are someone important.” Visit metroca.com where you can find more details on curriculum, activities and more.

AREAS OF ACADEMIC DISTINCTION Metro’s elementary program offers two tracks for students. One features traditional curriculum that students may join at any time. The other is a Spanish immersion section that students may enter in Pre-K or Kindergarten and continue through fifth grade. Spanish immersion students become bilingual by learning core subject content in Spanish including history, language arts, science and math.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1983 ENROLLMENT: 1,134 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 12-to-1 GRADES: P3-12th grade

WE INVITE YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE METRO DIFFERENCE.

TulsaPeople.com

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• 2 0 23 •

For the past 12 years, TulsaPeople readers have named their favorite local businesses to the A-LIST. The A-LIST Hall of Fame recognizes those winners named to the list for five or more years. Each business is listed under the overall category it was recognized in: Dine Local, Shop Local, Head to Toe, Services and Fun for All. According to you, our readers, these businesses, restaurants, service providers, destinations and local sites are the best in Tulsa. Congratulations to those named to the Hall of Fame.

Nominate your favorite business to the 2023 A-LIST beginning Feb. 1 on TulsaPeople.com.

Businesses with stars designate those that have been on the A-LIST for 10 or more years.

Highlighted businesses have advertised in this issue.

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

• 2 0 23 •

Fun 108 Contemporary 108contemporary.org Ambassador Hotel A ambassadortulsa.com AMC Southroads 20 amctheatres.com/movietheatres/tulsa/amcsouthroads-20

Hunter Park tulsacounty.org/parks

Tulsa BalletA tulsaballet.org

Incredible Pizza incrediblepizza.com/tulsa

Tulsa Community College A tulsacc.edu

LaFortune ParkA tulsacounty.org/parks Living Arts of Tulsa A livingarts.org Lovetts Gallery lovettsgallery.com

Tulsa DrillersA tulsadrillers.com Tulsa Glassblowing School A tulsaglassblowing.org Tulsa Greek Festival tulsagreekfestival.com

Dine Local

Desi WokA desiwok.net

Lanna Thai lannathaitulsa.com

Dilly Diner dillydiner.com

Lone Wolf Banh Mi lonewolftulsa.com

2 POPS Catering 2popscatering.com

Doc’s Wine and Food docswineandfood.com

918 Coffee tulsa918coffee.com

DoubleShot Coffee Co. doubleshotcoffee.com

Los Cabos Mexican Grill and Cantina A loscabosok.com

Albert G’s BBQ albertgs.com

Ediblend Superfood Cafe ediblend.com

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AMF Sheridan Lanes amf.com

M.A. Doran Gallery A madorangallery.com

Andy B’s bowlandybs.com

Main Event Entertainment mainevent.com

BOK Center bokcenter.com

Mayfest tulsamayfest.org

Broken Arrow Lanes brokenarrowlanes.com

Mayo Hotel A themayohotel.com

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center brokenarrowpac.com

Mohawk Park tulsaparks.org

Tulsa Run tulsarun.com

Billy Sims Barbecue billysimsbbq.com

Oklahoma Aquarium A okaquarium.org

Tulsa State Fair tulsastatefair.com

Oklahoma City Thunder nba.com/thunder

Tulsa Symphony tulsasymphony.org

Blue Moon Bakery and Cafe bluemoontulsa.com

Oklahoma State University - Tulsa A tulsa.okstate.edu

Tulsa Technology Center tulsatech.edu

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Cabin Boys Brewery cabinboysbrewery.com Cain’s Ballroom A cainsballroom.com Cinemark Tulsa and IMAXA cinemark.com/theatres/ ok-tulsa/cinemark-tulsaand-imax

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OktoberfestA tulsaoktoberfest.org

Circle Cinema circlecinema.org

Osage Casino A osagecasino.com

The Color Run thecolorrun.com/locations/ tulsa

Philbrook Museum of ArtA philbrook.org

Cox Business Convention Center coxcentertulsa.com

Pinot’s Palette A pinotspalette.com

Discovery Lab discoverylab.org Dresser Mansion dressermansion.com Dust Bowl Lanes and Lounge dustbowllounge.com Gilcrease Museum A gilcrease.org Guthrie Green guthriegreen.com Hard Rock Hotel and Casino A hardrockcasinotulsa.com Hard Rock Live hardrockcasinotulsa.com/ entertainment/hard-rocklive Harwelden Mansion harweldenmansion.com 52

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Purple Glaze Studio purpleglazestudio.com Regal Warren Broken Arrow regmovies.com/theatres/ regal-warren-broken-arrow River ParksA riverparks.org River Spirit Casino Resort riverspirittulsa.com

Tulsa OilersA tulsaoilers.com Tulsa Opera tulsaopera.com Tulsa Performing Arts CenterA tulsapac.com

Andolini’s Pizzeria A andopizza.com Antoinette Baking Co. antoinettebakingco.com

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Bill and Ruth’s billandruths.com A

El Tequila Mexican Kitchen A eltequilatulsa.com Elote Cafe and Catering elotetulsa.com Fat Guy’s Burger BarA fatguysburgers.com First Watch firstwatch.com

Ludger’s Catering ludgerscatering.com Mahogany Prime Steakhouse A mahoganyprimesteakhouse. com Marshall Brewing Co. marshallbrewing.com Mazzio’s Italian Eatery A mazzios.com McAlister’s Deli mcalistersdeli.com McGill’sA dinemcgills.com

Bodean RestaurantA bodean.net

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine BarA flemingssteakhouse.com

Bonefish Grill A bonefishgrill.com

Fuji Sushi fujitulsa.com

Mi Cocina micocina.com

Tulsa Tough tulsatough.com

Bramble Breakfast and Bar bramblebreakfastandbar. com

Goldie’s Patio Grill A goldies.com

Mondo’s Ristorante Italiano mondositalian.com

Tulsa Zoo tulsazoo.org

Brookside By Day brooksidebyday.com

University of Tulsa A utulsa.edu

Brownies HamburgersA facebook.com/ browniesburgersharvard

Tulsa Theater tulsatheater.com A

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WaterWorks Art CenterA waterworksartcenter.com Williams Route 66 Marathon A route66marathon.com

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Bull in the Alley bullinthealley.com BurnCo. Barbeque burnbbq.com

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Charleston’s RestaurantA charlestons.com

Woody Guthrie Center woodyguthriecenter.org

Chimi’s Mexican Food chimismexican.com Chuy’s chuys.com

Scotfest okscotfest.com Spain Ranch spainranch.com

Coney I-Lander coneyi-lander.com

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure A komenoklahoma.org

Daily Grill dailygrill.com

Helen of Troy Mediterranean Cuisine 918-634-3536 Hideaway Pizza A hideawaypizza.com Hodges Bend hodges-bend.com In the Raw Sushi intherawsushi.com

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Woodward ParkA tulsaparks.org

Coffee House on Cherry Street chocstulsa.com

Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium A tulsamuseum.org

El Rio Verde facebook.com/ elrioverdetulsa

American Solera americansolera.com

Ludger’s Bavarian CakeryA ludgersbavariancakery.com

Dalesandro’s Italian Cuisine A dalesandros.com

India Palace A theindiapalacetulsa.com James E. McNellie’s Public House A mcnellies.com Jason’s Deli jasonsdeli.com Juniper Restaurant junipertulsa.com Just Catering by Orr justcateringbyorr.com Keo Restaurant keorestaurant.com A

Kilkenny’s Irish Pub A tulsairishpub.com Lambrusco’z To-Go A lambruscoz.com

Merritt’s Bakery A merrittsbakery.com

Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Cue A okjoes.com Olive Garden olivegarden.com Osaka Steakhouse and Sushi Bar osaka-steakhouse.net Outback Steakhouse outback.com P.F. Chang’s pfchangs.com Panera Bread panerabread.com Pei Wei Asian Diner peiwei.com Polo Grill A pologrill.com PRHYME Downtown Steakhouse A prhymetulsa.com Pure Food and Juice purefoodandjuice.com Queenies queeniesoftulsa.com

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Thank you Tulsa for voting us into the A-List Hall of Fame!

Locally owned and trusted since 1944

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R Bar and Grill A rbartulsa.com

Topeca topecacoffee.com

Black Optical A blackoptical.com

Home Depot homedepot.com

Red Lobster redlobster.com

Trenchers Delicatessen facebook.com/trenchersdeli

BMW of Tulsa bmwoftulsa.com

Ri Le’s 918-496-2126

Umberto’s Pizzeria umbertostulsa.com

Brookside A brooksidetheplacetobe.com

I-44 Antique Mall facebook.com/ i44antiquemall

RibCrib A ribcrib.com

Upper Crust Wood Fired Pizza ucpizza.com

Chelsea Gallery facebook.com/ chelseagallery.tulsa

Valkyrie valkyrietulsa.com

Cherry Street facebook.com/cherrysttulsa

J. David Jewelry A jdavidjewelry.com

Villa Ravenna villaravenna.com

Chico’s chicos.com

Savastano’s Pizzeria A savastanospizzeria.com

Vintage Wine Bar winebartulsa.com

Dillard’s dillards.com

J. Spencer Jewelry and Gifts shopjspencer.com

Savoy RestaurantA eatsavoy.com

Warren Duck Club hilton.com/en/hotels/ tulsydt-doubletree-tulsawarren-place

Dog Dish A dogdishtulsa.com

Roka rokatulsa.com Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili A ronsburgersandchili.com

Señor Tequila Mexican Grill and Cantina senortequilaok.com Shades of Brown shadescoffee.com SMOKE. Woodfire Grill smokewoodfiregrill.com Stonehorse Cafe and Market stonehorsecafe.com Sushi Hana sushihanatulsa.com Sushi Train sushitraintulsaok.com Tacos Don Francisco facebook.com/ tacosdonfrancisco1 Tally’s Good Food Cafe tallyscafe.com Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe tazikis.com Ted’s Cafe Escondido tedscafe.com Texas Roadhouse texasroadhouse.com The Brook Restaurant and BarA brookrestaurant.com

Waterfront Grill waterfrontgrilljenks.com White River Fish Market and RestaurantA whiteriverfishmarket.com

J.Cole Shoes jcoleshoes.com Jenks Main Street jenks.com Jim Glover Chevrolet jimgloverchevy.com Jim Norton Toyota jimnortontoyota.com Johnson Floor and Home / Carpet One A johnsonfloorandhome.com

Wild Fork wildforktulsa.com

DSW-Designer Shoe Warehouse dsw.com

Jos. A. Bank josbank.com

Yokozuna A yokozunasushi.com

Empire Optical A empireoptical.com

Whole FoodsA wholefoodsmarket.com

Shop local AbersonsA abersonstyle.com Aldi aldi.us Amber Marie and Co. ambermarieandcompany. com Andrew’s Lighting facebook.com/ andrewslighting B and B Liquor Warehouse A bbliquortulsa.com

The Chalkboard thechalkboardtulsa.com

Barnes and Noble barnesandnoble.com

The Spudder Restaurant thespudder.com

Best Buy bestbuy.com

The Tavern taverntulsa.com

Bicycles of Tulsa bicyclesoftulsa.com

Ti Amo Ristorante Italiano A tiamotulsa.com

Bill Knight Ford billknightford.com

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Don Thornton Automotive Group donthorntonauto.com

Israel Diamond Supply A israeldiamond.com

Dr. Robert H. Zoellner and AssociatesA drzoellner.com

The Bros. Houligan broshouligan.com

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Don Carlton Honda doncarltonhonda.com

Ida Red A idaredgeneralstore.com

Eyemart Express eyemartexpress.com Fleet Feet Sports fleetfeet.com Fleming’s Comfort Footwear flemingsshoes.com Gap gap.com Garbe’s Lighting and Home Accessories garbes.com

Joseph Gierek Fine Art gierek.com Kathleen’s KidsA kathleenskids.com Lexus of Tulsa lexusoftulsa.com Lowe’s lowes.com Luxe Furniture and Design luxetulsa.com Margo’s Gift Shop themargoshop.com Market at Walnut Creek themarkettulsa.com

Grant’s Frames grantsframestulsa.com

Mary Murray’s FlowersA marymurraysflowers.com

Grigsby’s Carpet and Tile A grigsbys.com

Mathis Brothers Furniture A mathisbrothers.com

Hahn Appliance Warehouse A hahnappliance.com

Metro Appliances and More A metroappliancesandmore. com

Hicks Brunson EyewearA hicksbrunson.com Hobby Lobby hobbylobby.com

Michaels michaels.com Mill Creek Carpet and TileA millcreekcarpet.com Moody’s Jewelry moodysjewelry.com

Mrs. DeHaven’s Flower Shop A mrsdehavens.com

The Snow Goose A facebook.com/the-snowgoose-125562967473667

Old Village Wine and Spirits 918-712-2115

Tom’s BicyclesA tomsbicycles.com

Parkhill’s Warehouse Liquors and Wine parkhillsliquor.com Petco petco.com Petsmart petsmart.com Phat Tire Bike Shop phattirebikeshop.com Posh poshtulsa.com Ranch Acres Wine and SpiritsA ranchacreswine.com Reasor’s reasors.com River City Trading PostA rivercitytp.com Royce Myers Gallery roycemyers.com Saks Fifth Avenue saksfifthavenue.com Snow’s Furniture snowsfurniture.com Southern Agriculture A southernagriculture.com Spexton Fine Jewelry spexton.com Spoke House Bicycles spokehouse.com Sprouts Farmers Market sprouts.com SR Hughes srhughes.com Stems Floral Design tulsaflorist.net Sunshine Furniture sunshineok.com T-Town BicyclesA t-townbicycles.com TA Lorton talorton.com Ted and Debbie’s Flower Garden tedanddebbiesflowers.com

Toni’s Flowers and GiftsA tonisflowersgifts.com Trader Joe’s traderjoes.com Travers Mahan A traversmahanapparel.com Tulsa Flea Market tulsafleamarket.net Tulsa Hills Shopping CenterA shoptulsahills.com Tulsa Hills Wine Cellar tulsahillswinecellar.com Utica Square A uticasquare.com Vincent Anthony Jewelers vincentanthony.com Woodland Hills Mall simon.com/mall/woodlandhills-mall Ziegler Art and Frame A zieglerart.com

Services 15th Street Veterinary Group 15thstvet.com 180° Kitchen Kitchen and Design Group 180kitchendesigngroup.com A-1 Auto Body a1autobodyba.com A-Best Roofing abestroofing.com Air Assurance A airassurance.com Air Comfort Solutions aircomfortsolutions.net Airco Service A aircoservice.com Arrow ExterminatingA arrowexterminatorsok.com Arvest BankA arvest.com

The Children’s Place childrensplace.com

Atlantis Pools and Spas atlantispoolsandspasinc.com

The Diamond CellarA diamondcellar.com

Baker Pools bakerpoolsok.com

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BancFirst bancfirst.bank Bank of Oklahoma A bankofoklahoma.com Barron and Hart barronandhart.com Bill Knight Collision Repair tulsacollisionrepair.com Blue Haven Pools bluehaventulsa.com Brookside Cleaners and Laundry brooksidecleaners.com Camp Bow Wow campbowwow.com

Hammond Animal Hospital hammondanimalhospital. com

Nook and Cranny Homekeeping nookhomestulsa.com

Harp Service Co.A getharp.com

Oklahoma Central Credit Union A oklahomacentral. creditunion

Hillcrest Healthcare System A hillcrest.com Houchin Electric Co. houchinelectric.com

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Hourglass Collision RepairA hourglasscollision.com Covenant Living at Inverness Village covlivinginverness.org

Orkin orkin.com Phoenix Cleaners phoenixcleanerstulsa.com PoochesA poochestulsa.com RCB Bank rcbbank.com

Center for Dermatology centerfordermtulsa.com

Thomason Design Associates thomason-design.com

Center for Plastic SurgeryA cpstulsa.com

Tom’s Outdoor Living tomsoutdoorliving.com

Clary Sage Salon and Spa clarysagecollege.com

Raj M. Patel, D.D.S. rajpateldds.com

Trinity Woods trinitywoodstulsa.com

Clear-tone Hearing Aid Laboratories cleartonehearingaids.com

Redbud Physical Therapy redbudpt.com

TruGreen trugreen.com TTCU Federal Credit Union ttcu.com VCA Animal Hospitals vcahospitals.com

Cooper, Chockley and Misner Orthodontics coopermisnerortho.com Downtown Tulsa Eyecare downtowntulsaeyecare.com

Video Revolution videorevolution.com

Emerge Medical and Well Spa A emergetulsa.com

W Design wdesignsite.com

Genesis Health Clubs genesishealthclubs.com

Renovations by Helms renovationsbyhelms.com

WeStreet Credit Union A westreet.org

Harrel Eyecare CenterA harreleyecare.com

Riggs Abney riggsabney.com

Whole Foods Market wholefoodsmarket.com

River Trail Animal Hospital and Pet Lodge rivertrailahandpetlodge.com

Williams Plumbing and Drain williamsplumbing.com

Health Zone at Saint Francis saintfrancis.com/ health-zone

KKT Architects kktarchitects.com

Robertson Tire robertson-tire.com

Dolphin Pool and Supply dolphinpoolstulsa.com

LaMode CleanersA lamodecleaners.com

Fiesta Pools and SpasA fiestapoolsandspas.com

Mabrey Bank mabreybank.com

Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service rotorooter.com/tulsa

Woodland West Animal Hospital woodlandwestanimal hospital.com

Firefl y Electricians fireflyelectricians.com

MaidPro Tulsa A maidpro.com

Four Star Import Automotive fourstartulsa.com

Merry MaidsA merrymaids.com

Christian Brothers Automotive cbac.com Clary Sage College clarysagecollege.com Clean Freaks of Tulsa cleanfreaks.info Communication Federal Credit Union comfedcu.org Dogville Daycare and Boarding dogville-daycare.com

Fox CleanersA foxcleaners.com GableGotwals gablelaw.com GH2 ArchitectsA gh2.com

Jackie Cooper Imports jackiecooperimports.com Karroll Martin Paint and Body Shop martinpaintandbody.com Kirkendall Design kirkendalldesign.com Kitchen Concepts kitchenconceptstulsa.com Kitchen Ideas kitchendesign.com

MidFirst Bank midfirst.com Molly Maid mollymaid.com Montereau A montereau.net

Red Crown Credit Union A redcrown.org Renaissance Hardwood Floors renhardwood.com

Saint Simeon’sA saintsimeons.org Same Day Auto Repair samedayautorepair.com Selser Schaefer Architects selserschaefer.com Shaw Homes shawhomes.com Simmons Homes simmonshomes.com Sloppy Dog Wash sloppydogwash.com

Gilley Electric Inc. gilleyelectric.com

Montgomery Exterminating montgomeryexterminating. com

Gracieland Hound Dog Hotel gracielanddogboarding.com

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The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma thanks the Junior League of Tulsa for 100 years of leadership and devotion to our community.

Tulsa is a better place because of the Junior League.

Thank you, Laura Law, Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma Board Chair, for your leadership and commitment to fighting hunger in eastern Oklahoma.

INSET: COURTESY JLT ARCHIVES; JEFFREY S. METCALF/GOOSE AND GANDER CREATIVE

A CENTU RY of ser vice JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TULSA CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF COMMUNITY IMPACT.

BY JULIE WENGER WAT SON TulsaPeople.com

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Former Junior League of Tulsa President Bonnie Henke, President-elect Lesley Hess and President Chris Oden gather at the organization’s midtown headquarters to mark 100 years of the women’s volunteer organization.

Community reflection JLT is part of the larger Association of Junior Leagues International Inc., started in New York City by social activist Mary Harriman in 1901.

It since has evolved into one of the oldest and largest women’s volunteer organizations in the world, with more than 125,000 women in over 295 leagues in four countries.

“The league reflects women in society,” explains JLT President-elect Lesley Hess. “We have doctors, lawyers, stay-at-home moms, teachers, entrepreneurs and many more occupations represented. Every type of woman there is, from every background and education, that is who we are and who we represent. We welcome all women who value our mission, so if you have a passion for Tulsa, and you want to give back to Tulsa and to grow as a civic leader, then we welcome you.”

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Established in 1923, a mere 16 years after statehood, Tulsa’s chapter has been responsible for establishing or supporting organizations as varied as Children’s Medical Center, Leadership Tulsa, Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS), Ronald McDonald House, Mayfest and Oxley Nature Center.

Philanthropist, community leader and volunteer Bonnie Henke is a Junior League legacy of sorts. Her mother, Dottie Creekmore Davis, was a member in JLT’s early years. “She was involved in many things, including the Tea Room and Children’s Medical Center and those early projects,” Henke recalls. “I have so many friends, family and people from all generations who I’ve met through the league and with whom I became really close because we worked together to get something done.”

Henke too was active in the organization for many years, serving as its president from 19751976. Henke’s sister, two daughters and niece were also active JLT members. Today she remains a sustaining member, one of the three levels of Junior League membership.

President-elect Hess grew up in Tulsa, joining Junior League when she moved to San Diego after college graduation and later transferring to the Portland, Oregon, chapter. Th is is her 11th year with the organization.

“Every Junior League I’ve been in has been a little different. They’re a reflection of the community,” Hess says. “The Junior League of Tulsa has a very strong community impact.”

No organization can survive a century and

remain stagnant. Members, like President Chris Oden, attribute JLT’s longevity to its determination and ability to evolve with the community and its changing needs.

“You think about 100 years and all of the things that have affected us and our nation, such as war. In times of need, our league adapted quickly and helped by selling war bonds to aid in the effort,” Oden says. “That’s a really incredible thing about the league. JLT has a history of recognizing a community need and taking action to aid in a solution. It’s really remarkable to look back on our history and reflect on all of these women who realized, ‘OK, we need that. How are we going to make it happen?’”

Leadership development Membership in JLT requires both a financial and time commitment. In return, members receive the satisfaction that comes from making a positive contribution to the community in which they live. They also hone and expand their leadership skills through the training and service opportunities JLT provides. Developing women as community leaders and volunteers has always been at the heart of JLT’s mission.

“The purpose was the same then as the purpose is today — to provide trained volunteers for the community,” Henke explains. “The training was very rigorous and specific. Everything was checked and rechecked, and it was pretty sophisticated. Most women weren’t employed outside the home at that time, but you had people who

MICHELLE POLLARD

F

or a century, volunteer-driven nonprofit Junior League of Tulsa (JLT) has been instrumental in launching and supporting over 100 community projects in areas such as health care, education, social services, child abuse prevention and more — developing leaders and empowering women along the way.

Its mission “to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training” has remained constant while membership has grown to reflect a more diverse society and the ever-evolving roles and responsibilities of the women in it.

were rising through the ranks because they were good CEOs. They knew how to start an organization or run a project.”

That was the case for Deidra Kirtley, who recently retired from her position as executive director of the nonprofit Resonance Center for Women.

“My background was public relations and marketing, but I stayed home to take care of my kids. Junior League was my outlet,” says Kirtley, who served as JLT president from 2003-2004. “I joined because I wanted to give back to the community and stay engaged with other women. I started working with nonprofits on different programs and just fell in love with nonprofits.”

Henke’s many years at JLT sharpened her organizational and negotiating skills. She’s served as a member or leader on numerous nonprofit boards, including Tulsa Library Trust and Gilcrease Museum. “I learned to keep all the balls in the air,” she says.

JLT’s list of past presidents reads like a compendium of community leaders. Many, if not all, of JLT’s internal leadership have gone on to serve with other nonprofit organizations or contribute through their work in local businesses or government.

Hess says JLT develops civic leaders. “We have women who come through this organization, and then go out to lead in other organizations within the community, too.”

A significant number of JLT members have taken what they’ve learned as a volunteer in the organization and applied it to their own careers.

“I joined the league because I wanted to give back to my community, but also to help me grow as a person and as a leader. Now I’m president-elect, so it was successful. But it’s honestly really helped me in my career, as well,” says Hess, a senior cybersecurity engineer and cloud security assessment lead. “My background is engineering, so I’m a technical female in a male-dominated field. I didn’t have a lot of leadership opportunities within the company where I worked. I had the ability to manage people in my work, but I didn’t have that opportunity. I got that experience within the league.”

Kirtley says Junior League introduced her to the world of nonprofits. “I saw how they worked. I worked with volunteers, on the strategic planning committees, and on the fundraising committees all in Junior League. That’s pretty much everything you need to know to run a nonprofit,” she says. “Ultimately, I really do feel strongly that it groomed me to be able to be an executive director.”

Among the many organizations JLT helped establish is Leadership Tulsa, which began in 1973 as a joint project between JLT and Tulsa Regional Chamber. Leadership Tulsa, with its mission to identify, develop and connect diverse leaders to impact the community through service, and its executive director Wendy Thomas were honored at JLT’s 2022 GEM Gala event.

“The Junior League of Tulsa, which was the Who’s Who of women in leadership, and the Chamber, which at that time would have been the Who’s Who of men in leadership, decided

Above, former Resonance Center for Women Executive Director Deidra Kirtley at the nonprofit’s Take 2 Cafe. Kirtley is a former Junior League of Tulsa president and credits her time in the organization for grooming her for a career in nonprofits.

Below, Bloomingdeals is one of Junior League of Tulsa’s annual fundraisers. Held in the fall and billed as “Tulsa’s biggest garage sale,” it is one of several annual events that helps the organization underwrite its efforts and the organizations it supports.

MEMBERSHIP IN JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TULSA Provisionals are new members who focus their first year on learning about how the league operates, its community projects and fundraisers. They also serve on committees. Provisionals are non-voting, and at the end of completing the new member program, they are voted into active membership.

Active members are voting members and include the leadership of the league and committee members, who coordinate community efforts, determine the direction of the league and its initiatives, and handle fundraising coordination and day-to-day operations.

Active members can choose to go Sustainer after seven years of active service. Sustaining members are not required to attend meetings or have a placement, but can be as involved as they choose. All members pay dues to the organization depending on their level. Sustainers are supporters of the organization and serve to help sustain the organization, not only financially, but also as advisors and advocates within the community.

JLT welcomes women of all ages who are over 21.

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to do this thing together,” Thomas says. JLT continued to provide volunteers and guidance to Leadership Tulsa until it became its own 501(c) (3). The two nonprofits continue to collaborate today.

“For almost the entire 50 years we’ve been in operation, Leadership Tulsa has been sending talent out onto Tulsa area boards. Currently we partner with the Junior League and with the Chamber, through their Young Professionals program (TYPROS), to do a board leadership collaborative where we provide training around board best practices,” Thomas says. “There are other informal ways we collaborate, too. Obviously, there’s a lot of cross-pollination between both the leadership and the membership of the Junior League and of Leadership Tulsa. It remains just a really close and collegial relationship.”

Community impact In addition to their contributions as volunteers, JLT members have raised millions of dollars for numerous community projects over the years. In 1924, JLT opened the Tea Room, which ran for several decades. Members helped fundraise by serving as volunteers in the kitchen and as wait-

resses and cashiers. Now annual fundraisers like “Bloomingdeals,” billed as “Tulsa’s biggest garage sale,” cookbook sales, and the GEM Gala help underwrite JLT’s efforts and the organizations they support.

Each year, $10,000 of that money is funneled back into the community in the form of scholarships.

“Every year we give $10,000 in scholarships to four different individuals,” Oden says. “We focus two of them on what we call the ‘traditional student’ who’s gone the traditional high school route and is now getting ready to go to college. Then we give two to non-traditional students who, for some reason, had some kind of hiccup in their educational career and are getting back into it and need some extra assistance.”

Resonance Tulsa, where Kirtley was executive director from 2012-2022, also has a long history with JLT. Resonance provides substance abuse treatment to women in lieu of incarceration. The organization also works with women as they prepare to be released from prison and while they are incarcerated. Among JLTs contributions to Resonance was helping to create and grow Take 2 Cafe, which employs and trains women who’ve been recently released from prison.

Photos on left: 1923 Christmas Ball, sign making for the Christmas tree lot in the early 1970s, the pediatric enrichment program, Tara Payne and Dr. Brenda Lloyd-Jones at a general membership meeting, the Provisional Committee welcoming provisional members.

COURTESY JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TULSA; GEM: JEFFREY S. METCALF/GOOSE AND GANDER CREATIVE

Junior League of Tulsa’s 1929 provisional class

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“There have been so many dedicated women over the years,” Henke says. “It’s changed and evolved pretty well, I think. It’s stayed up with the times and stayed current with issues. I think that’s one reason it’s remained effective.”

Centennial activities

Junior League of Tulsa Immediate Past-President Elaina Osteen Beatt, Leadership Tulsa Executive Director Wendy Thomas and JLT President Chris Oden at the 2022 GEM Gala, where Thomas was an honoree. Leadership Tulsa was the product of a collaboration between Junior League of Tulsa and Tulsa Regional Chamber. Leadership Tulsa identifies and develops community leaders primarily through its cohort-based leadership programs that bring people from across sectors to experience its community as a classroom, to build leadership skills together and to build deeper personal networks.

“They were very helpful in coming up with the ideas to help us launch that. We were looking for a transitional work program, and they came up with four ideas to pitch to us. We landed on this one,” says Kirtley of JLT and Take 2. “They had a task force, did the research and did the whole business plan for us.”

JLT members also mentor women who work at the cafe. At one time, members taught classes for Resonance in fi nancial literacy and other useful topics to women inside a correctional facility near Tulsa. The program was only discontinued after the facility was closed by the state.

Kirtley says the mentorship makes a difference. “To have someone in the community show up for them every single week makes them feel good about themselves.”

Evolution and growth When it was fi rst established in 1923, membership in JLT was by invitation, and few — if any members — worked outside the home. Since that time, JLT has grown to become a more diverse and inclusive organization.

“In past years, a candidate for membership had to be sponsored and recommended by individuals within league. We have since dropped that requirement,” Oden says. “As one of our core values, diversity is of utmost importance to us.

We want our membership to represent the community it serves and we welcome all women who value our mission.”

Henke believes JLT’s ability to grow and evolve is one of the reasons it still exists 100 years after its creation.

JLT for a great partnership over the years. Your volunteers have made a huge impact at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tulsa.

In keeping with its mission, JLT’s centennial activities will combine service and celebration.

Many of the events are open to the public.

“On Feb. 25, we’re having a tea party, and it’s open to people in the community,” Oden says.

“We thought a tea party would be a fun event that also pays homage to our historic tea room, an important part of our history.”

A Mentorship Matters event is scheduled for March 30, with a featured speaker and scholarship announcements, and the Centennial Diamond Gala will take place April 22. JLT also is working on a children’s book to be released this year that focuses on the importance of volunteering.

Details about upcoming centennial efforts, events, book readings and general league information can be found at jltulsa.org.

“For example, for our 50th anniversary, we started Mayfest. In that same vein, we want to give a gift to Tulsa for our centennial by helping solve a problem in the community,” Hess says.

“We have a history of being a good partner to other existing organizations within Tulsa, but we’ve also acted as a catalyst for solving some of those problems. I’d like to see us do something similar for a new need because we have that history. We want to meet a gap in Tulsa.”

As JLT steps into the next 100 years, it’s clear that, from its inception, the organization has been meaningful to the city that hosts it and to the women who make up its membership.

“I can really say I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Henke says of her time with the organization. “I’ve been so impressed with the many, many people I’ve known who were involved. It was a lot of fun.”

Oden concurs, “I work with amazing women everyday that are truly dedicated to making a difference in our community.” TP

To The Junior League of Tulsa On Your Centennial ...With Our Appreciation...

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

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F I R S T O K L A H O M A B A N K C O N G R AT U L AT E S THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TULSA ON

Celebrating 100 Years of Service A N D T H E W O M E N W H O H AV E B E E N I N S T R U M E N TA L IN HELPING TO BUILD A BETTER TULSA!

Since 1923, you have been making a noticeable difference through the many charitable and educational causes you support.

Your volunteer works are woven into the very fabric of our community – in health care, education, the arts, and your dedication to ending the cycle of poverty in the community.

We appreciate the effort of hundreds of Junior League members – past and present – who have committed their time and leadership to the organization, including some employees here at First Oklahoma and wives of our bank lenders.

Thank you for your spirit of volunteerism and compassion for our community.

Best wishes on the next 100 years!

TulsaPeople.com

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1920s

1930s

With its founding in 1923, Junior League begins its legacy of community through fundraising events like Follies and Crystal Carnival.

The organization opens its famous Tea Room in 1924, popular for decades. JLT also starts a relationship with St. John Hospital by refurbishing hospital rooms.

Oilman and philanthropist Waite Phillips gifts JLT its first building in 1935. The League begins its support of the Convalescent Home (later Children’s Medical Center) with passage of state money, mortgage payment and a new wing. The group initiates its first publication called “Newssheet.”

1970s

1980s

1990s

Celebrating 50 years, Junior League initiates programs and events that are still a major part of Tulsa today. Leadership Tulsa, started with the Tulsa Regional Chamber, and Youth Resources Bureau with Youth Services of Tulsa, still serve the community in 2023. To celebrate JLT’s anniversary, the group creates Mayfest, a festival promoting arts and humanities in the city.

DVIS and Junior League of Tulsa join together to help survivors of domestic violence with advocacy and education. In 1986, the organization begins Bloomingdeals, known as “Tulsa’s biggest garage sale.” The decade also sees the initiation of the Child Abuse Network with Tulsa Community Service Council and Ronald McDonald House.

Through the decade, JLT expands and continues its work through programs like Going to Bat for Kids, Christmas in April and the publication of “Tulsa A to Z.” JLT volunteers develop Tulsa history curriculum for Tulsa third-graders, and also create an eating disorder awareness program for seventh-graders.

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COURTESY JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TULSA

Junior League of Tulsa turns 100

1940s

1950s

1960s

The legacy of the Tea Room continues in the form of a cookbook. The group continues support of local Tulsa organizations including the Children’s Museum Program at Philbrook Museum of Art, the Club Foot Clinic at St. John and Tulsa Figure Skating Club. JLT joins the war effort by selling more than $200,000 in war bonds.

The Convalescent Home becomes the Children’s Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (later Children’s Medical Center) and introduces other programs including the Preschool Deaf Therapy Program and Sunnyside School.

In 1956, JLT launches television programs for children with the Tulsa City-County Library, as well as Gilcrease Museum’s docent program.

The ladies raise charity through fashion shows, horse shows and other community events.

In 1962, Junior League begins the Pro-AM Golf Tournament, which in later years brought in support from Arnold Palmer and Bob Hope. The group initiates Case Aide support and the School for Hard of Hearing at the University of Tulsa. JLT’s existing programs, including a puppet program and the Science Center for Tulsa, continue to grow based on the community’s needs.

2000s

2010s

2020s

Several supportive task forces form including Child Abuse Network, Race for the Cure, DVIS Skills for Life and Global Gardens with community schools. In 2005, the group collaborates with Resonance Center for Women to create the Mother Read program, through which incarcerated mothers connect with their children through recorded stories.

JLT hosts its first GEM Gala in 2015. Through the organization’s short-term IMPACT projects, JLT supports local nonprofits including Food on the Move, Tulsa Girls Art School and Laura Dester Children’s Shelter. A partnership with Street School creates “Culinary Club,” cooking classes for high school students.

Today, there are more than 500 members of Junior League of Tulsa. The group’s impact is reflected today in its support of Food on the Move, Hawthorne Elementary School, Lunches with Love, Resonance Center for Women and Street School. Each year, $10,000 of funds raised is given back to the community in the form of educational scholarships. TP

TulsaPeople.com

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MEZZA PLATE

F die

S D N I F Pita Place Mediterranean Grill

Pita Place isn’t hurting for a loyal following. Owners Fred and Pary Zakerion have been in the Tulsa restaurant scene for decades. But they have found their biggest success at Pita Place, where they have been serving fresh Mediterranean food for 15 years.

SOME RESTAURANTS FLY UNDER THE RADAR.

The Zakerions came to the U.S. from Iran, and their menu of authentic Persian food has given them a following of customers who declare their food the best in the state.

But still, many people have never heard of Pita Place or tasted Fred’s lamb in tomato sauce or eggplant stew.

STORY BY NATALIE MIKLES • PHOTOS BY MICHELLE POLLARD These are the best-kept secrets of foodies, the restaurants that don’t always get the attention they deserve. It could be because they’re new or out of the way. Sometimes they don’t have a mainstream menu.

But food lovers know a good thing when they taste it. We talked to Tulsa foodies about their favorite underrated restaurants — the ones they recommend to friends who want to try a place they’ve never been.

If one of these five restaurants is already a favorite, consider yourself part of the in-crowd.

These are places too good to keep to ourselves.

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The cabbage rolls — rich with spiced ground beef or basmati rice — are among the best you’ll ever have. And many declare there’s nothing better than the falafel. A great way to sample several things is to try one of the mezza plates. We like the one with falafel, dolmehs, baba ganoush, hummus, Persian salad and pita.

Pita Place also has a small market, which is a great spot to pick up spices, dried nuts and fruit, Turkish coffee, date cookies, rice and feta cheese. Its food truck can be found at events throughout the season. Find where it will be on facebook.com/pitaplacebixby. 8315 E. 111TH ST., BIXBY

OREO AND WATERMELON PALETAS

La Michoacana Plus

As we stood in line at La Michoacana Plus, a woman turned to her boyfriend and said, “Babe — how have we never been to this place?” Same girl, same. Talk about a hidden gem. La Michoacana is an ice cream aficionado’s dream.

The selection of fruit popsicles, creambased popsicles, ice cream and sorbet fill cases that run the length of the store, stretching from the front to the back. The entire store is colorful, from the walls to the food. Fruit popsicles come in every shade, with flavors including watermelon, mango, gooseberry, kiwi, cucumber or pineapple with chile, chamoy and tamarind.

Kids love the cream-based popsicles like Oreo, strawberry and bubblegum. Grownups will like the avocado, blackberry yogurt and rum raisin. Ice cream scoops are served in cups, cones, sundaes or milkshakes. We are big fans of the cappuccino, pistachio and cinnamon toast.

The shop also makes a variety of aqua frescas and mangonadas, the shop’s specialty. Some people skip the sweets entirely and come for the snacks, like corn in a cup, corn with hot Cheetos or nachos.

La Michoacana Plus started in California, where owner Ruben Jimenez has grown the shop’s reach, expanding across Mexico, California and as far as Dubai.

11360 E. 31ST ST.

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Alpha Grill BBQ

THE ALPHA BURRITO

DUMPLINGS WITH SPICY CHILE OIL

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Tulsa is home to some legendary barbecue joints. So when we tell you we’ve found a place that’s worthy of standing next to others in the Oklahoma barbecue tradition, we’re serious.

Frank Willis III started Alpha Grill as a food truck in 2016. As an entrepreneur, he’s tried multiple concepts — from the food truck to a macaroni and cheese-focused restaurant he’s rebranding near East 31st Street and South Sheridan Road to Alpha Grill’s brick-and-mortar location at East 66th Street and South Lewis Avenue. But one thing is consistent, and that’s Willis’ mastery of barbecue using homemade rubs, injections and sauces.

Willis caught the barbecue bug in 2015 when his wife bought him a smoker for Father’s Day. “I started smoking everything. And when I say everything, I mean I was smoking everything from ribs to lettuce,” Willis says.

But Willis, who has a real love for cooking, isn’t satisfied with traditional barbecue. He calls himself more of a barbecue guru than pitmaster. His food, “barbecue with a twist,” combines barbecue and Cajun or smoked meats in various plated creations like a burrito or nachos. He says it’s a surprise to some customers who are expecting a straight menu of ribs and pulled pork. But those twists are some of the best and unexpected surprises on the menu, sometimes featured as specials.

That’s not to say Willis doesn’t shine with his straightforward barbecue. The ribs are thick, with plenty of meat, cooked until tender, making them both smoky and delicious. We’re partial to the Alpha: a sandwich of chopped brisket, pulled chicken and hot links, topped with barbecue baked beans. It’s a seriously good sandwich. For a sandwich that’s less vertical, there are options of pulled pork, brisket or bologna that are customer favorites.

Sauces are made in house and include regular, hot, sweet and spicy bourbon, and Bama, his take on a traditional Alabama white sauce typically used on poultry.

6670 S. LEWIS AVE.

Chengdu

Chengdu is no hole in the wall. Traffic buzzes by the location at East 66th Street and South Memorial Drive — though no doubt many motorists have no idea they’ve just passed some of the best and most authentic Chinese food in Tulsa.

The brightly lit, open restaurant offers a view of the kitchen so you can watch as cooks pan fry beef and steam dumplings. Food is gorgeously presented — an important element of what makes for such a memorable experience. For instance, salt and pepper prawns, which may appear ho-hum on a white plate are instead presented in a small woven basket.

Chengdu specializes in traditional Szechuan-style food, punctuated with garlic and chile peppers. It’s found in the seafood dry hot pot, shredded pork with garlic sauce and Wanzhou grilled fish, among many other items. We couldn’t get enough of the dumplings with spicy chile oil and the beef with garlic sauce — both were exceptional.

Our server, Zoey, was great at offering recommendations, and says more adventurous eaters love the frog dry pot and chicken feet in lemon sauce. Americanized versions of Chinese dishes, like kung pao chicken and General Tso’s chicken are the best versions of themselves here. And, as Zoey told us, vegetarians won’t feel left out with such dishes as hot-and-sour shredded potato, bok choy in vinegar sauce and enoki mushrooms with chile oil.

One of our favorite endorsements for Chengdu came from a Facebook post, where the commenter said the restaurant had officially become his choice for a final meal, should he ever have to choose. 6620 S. MEMORIAL DRIVE

Sin fronteras

Victor Flores and Katie Hudson met when working in the restaurant industry.

It didn’t take long before the two — now married — decided to open their own restaurant, cooking food that made them happy and kept them connected to Flores’ Honduran roots.

Sin Fronteras translates to “without borders,” which speaks to the menu that highlights Honduran food but also makes a nod to Mexican and Caribbean fare.

Sin Fronteras is a casual, comfortable spot. When we stopped in for lunch to check it out, we saw a platter of pupusas, and knew we had to try them. Hudson also recommended the sopa marinera — a mix of crab, tilapia, shrimp and oysters marinated with coconut milk and served with rice, tortillas or fried plantains. It’s a popular soup that’s served daily.

Hudson is a welcoming host, and is happy to help customers new to Honduran food navigate the menu. For us she suggested the fried chicken, a heaping portion of crisp fried chicken piled with cabbage, pickled onions, white and red sauce, and plantains. It’s the most popular item for good reason. We also had to try Hudson’s favorite thing on the menu: chuleta. This Honduran-style pork chop with red sauce, salad and fried plantains is a great dish, and it’s big enough that you can take home leftovers.

5125 S. PEORIA AVE. TP

SOPA MARINERA

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W H AT’S COOK ING

FRY IT OUT I

n this month’s A La Carte (p. 89), we tell you about three great spots for a hot chicken sandwich. You can’t beat those places, but it’s also fun to make your own.

This fried chicken has some spice, but it’s not coated in the hot spice of the true Nashville hot chicken style.

This is more like a homestyle fried chicken with a kick. If you’ve been too intimidated to fry chicken, this is a great starter recipe. — NATALIE MIKLES

In a large bowl, stir the buttermilk, jalapeño and cayenne pepper together. Poke several holes into each piece of chicken and place into bowl with buttermilk mixture.

Marinate, covered and chilled, about 2 hours, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before frying, letting sit at room temperature.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Oil should be about 3/4-inch deep in skillet.

While the oil is heating, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic powder, garlic salt and oregano on a plate. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour to coat thoroughly, shaking off the excess. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack.

In two batches, fry the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side until chicken is cooked through. If the oil begins to smoke, reduce heat. If oil stops bubbling around the chicken, increase heat. Place chicken on paper towels to collect excess oil.

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MICHELLE POLLARD

SPICY FRIED CHICKEN Serves 4 1 cup buttermilk 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces and trimmed Vegetable oil (at least 2 cups) 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon oregano

CHEERS!

THE HAPPIEST OF HOURS

Noah Bush, left, and Trevor Tack; inset, cavatelli and pink Argentina shrimp with basil, tomato, saffron, capers, parsley, citrus and cervasi olive oil

MICHELLE POLLARD; LOWOOD: COURTESY

DD’s Bees Knees, margarita and old fashioned mocktails from WEL Bar

On a Wednesday in November, 45% of sales at WEL Bar in Mother Road Market, 1124 S. Lewis Ave., were from non-alcoholic drinks, something manager Daina Paul has never seen before.

It was the first NA Sober Sips Happy Hour, a social event with mocktails crafted as carefully as the finest top-shelf libations.

“There were tears, there was laughter, it was just beautiful,” Paul says. “There were people sober for 40 years (and) people sober four months — our bartender was celebrating her four-month sobriety.”

Paul is sober, as are two of WEL Bar’s bartenders. She approached her team of five with the idea for a sober happy hour, and they eagerly got to work on specialty drink options.

DD’s Bees Knees is the brainchild of Emily Rose, one of the sober bartenders.

The Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic London Dry is eerily similar in taste to gin, Paul says. She recalls a friend triple-checking it was booze free.

That’s what WEL Bar staff aimed for — drinks reminiscent of classic cocktails, sans-alcohol. Other NA options include takes on the mule, old fashioned and margarita.

Alcohol-free canned and bottled options are available, as well, including Bison terpene-infused carbonated drinks.

The monthly Sober Sips Happy Hour events will continue, and dates are announced on social media, Paul says.

— BLAYKLEE FREED

The lowdown on Lowood Much is happening at Lowood, though the restaurant has stayed true to its original concept since opening in 2019. We checked in with Noah Bush, co-owner of GB Provisions, which owns and operates Lowood, Topeca Coffee Roasters, Hodges Bend, Saturn Room and Vintage Wine Bar. Bush is a self-proclaimed wine and cocktail guy, and his appreciation for the conviviality of the bar environment comes through at Lowood, where food and drinks play off one another like poetry. That and the woodfired grill and oven give a feeling of being a guest in someone’s home, gathering around while they cook for you.

Trevor Tack recently joined Lowood as executive chef.

“He’s been on the scene for awhile, and his food is incredible,” Bush says. “I don’t think people in Tulsa realize just how much he’s influenced how they eat and drink.”

WHEN GRANT HUGHES AND SOPHIA BUSH’S TULSA WEDDING WAS FEATURED IN VOGUE MAGAZINE LAST YEAR, TULSANS PORED OVER THE DETAILS. EVEN THOSE WITH NO INTEREST IN CELEBRITY OR FASHION CULTURE WERE INTERESTED IN THE TULSA LOCATIONS INCLUDED IN THE ARTICLE. ONE OF THOSE SPOTS FEATURED WAS LOWOOD, WHICH SOPHIA CALLED HER “FAVORITE TULSA RESTAURANT.” I had no idea that article was going to come out! Out of respect for their privacy, we kept everything really quiet and confidential.

I just figured we’d do our job, give them a great party and that would be it. Then I woke up one morning and everyone I knew was texting me about the article. That article definitely put us on the map, and since then, we’ve had a number of famous people casually come into Lowood. I walked in one day and Jesse Plemons was sitting at the chef’s counter eating and having a good time.

We’ve also had people come in asking to sit and take a picture in front of the art where Sophia and Grant took their photo. Beyond the pride we feel, this was great for Tulsa. It is wonderful that a person outside Tulsa shares the same love for our city and understands what makes it special.

ON LOWOOD’S REPUTATION AS A FOODIE’S RESTAURANT … I think that when you are a true lover of food and wine, it’s common to want to share that experience with others. For Lowood, we wanted to create a convivial and relatable spirit of sharing. Our team understands that we eat with our eyes first, so the food has to be beautiful. But there is equal emphasis on quality of ingredients. A dish is only as good as its weakest link, so if it’s not a quality ingredient, we’re not going to use it. The flavors in the dishes are familiar and straightforward but plated with care and inventiveness. And that is what sets us apart.

If you make those two things work, the dish rhymes. Add in the perfect wine, and then it becomes the beat to an amazing hip-hop song; you’re just creating a cool vibe with friends.

ON TULSA’S RESTAURANT SCENE … It’s so different from when I started. I think the guests really understand food more than ever. Chefs in this town have really stepped up and are pushing the limits of what people expect when they go out. I’m a huge fan of the fact that we’re seeing more vegetables as the featured dish instead of just an afterthought to protein. I think one of the biggest changes within the past decade is seeing people who learned in this industry grow. They know how to do it really well and are the ones with the best places.

— NATALIE MIKLES TulsaPeople.com

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TRY THIS!

Sweet potato, mesquite and barley porridge bread from Country Bird Bakery

Mini ice cream hearts from Big Dipper Creamery

J

ust in time for Valentine’s Day, Big Dipper Creamery is bringing back its single-serving ice cream hearts.

This year, choose from five flavor options. Returning favorites are vegan cookies and cream with a chocolate cookie crumb topping, as well as cereal milk ice cream topped with a Fruity Pebbles crunch. Three new hearts debut this year: cookie butter ice cream with edible chocolate chip cookie dough, dark chocolate ice cream with a brownie base, and red velvet ice cream with red velvet brownie pieces. All are $7.99 each.

Visit bigdipperok.com/shop to pre-order the cakes by Feb. 5 for pick-up Feb. 10-14 at either of Big Dipper’s locations: 1124 S. Lewis Ave. inside Mother Road Market or 120 N. Main St., Sand Springs. Hearts are individually boxed — making it a perfect gift.

Big Dipper owner Sami Cooper expects to open the shop’s third location in Brookside this month. — ANNE BROCKMAN

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Standing in line at the Country Bird Bakery feels special — like you’re in on a secret. But the word is quickly getting out about this artisanal bakery that’s open only on Saturdays.

At Cat Cox’s small-batch bakery, 1644 E. Third St., early birds get first-choice, and it’s not uncommon for the beloved country sourdough loaf to sell out in a couple of hours. But Cox has plenty of other breads to satisfy.

So what’s so special about this sourdough bread that has grown adults lamenting if they’re too late to grab a loaf?

For starters, it’s super flavorful. It’s not hollow in taste or texture. The bread is fermented in a three-day process and naturally leavened with no commercial yeast. It’s made with 100% stone-ground whole wheat — it’s made the hard way, the laborious way, the way that signals to your taste buds that something is different about this bread.

Cox says the stone-milling process helps to preserve the germ and bran, retaining the fiber and minerals that make an exceptional loaf of bread. It’s something that can’t be replicated with wheat flour from the grocery store.

Cox’s desire to use local, whole, unprocessed ingredients was intensified during her time working with Living Kitchen, a farm-to-table kitchen in Depew. There Cox made bread, creating new varieties for the menus that changed every two weeks. Cox also baked for FarmBar, but then took a break to regroup when the concept closed for necessary renovations after a damaging 2022 fire at next-door neighbor BurnCo. She spent time working with artist friends in New York City and came back inspired to delve into sourdough bread-making.

Her passion began with a monthly Bread Club where Cox made loaves that members then picked up once a month. It was so popular the bread club went weekly. At that point, Cox invested in commercial equipment to open Country Bird Bakery.

The country sourdough loaf is only one type of bread Cox makes. She also makes a whole-wheat baguette with some buckwheat flour and an olive loaf with lemon zest and millet that are both popular. Cox makes specialty loaves that change seasonally. Some of her winter loaves included a pumpkin and polenta loaf and a cocoa, cranberry and rye porridge loaf. Beyond bread, Country Bird Bakery sells butterscotch brownies, chocolate chip cookies, scones and more. Cox also makes her own butter and buttermilk.

“There’s an incredible amount of attention and care that goes into the bread. It’s a very labor-intensive process,” Cox says. “And there’s a great sense of community and camaraderie here. I love seeing people on Saturday mornings, running into their friends or making new ones.”

Country Bird Bakery is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (or until bread sells out) on Saturdays. Learn more at countrybirdbakery.com. — NATALIE MIKLES

MICHELLE POLLARD

Local loaves

A LA CARTE

Chicken and the Wolf

Turn up the heat 3 FAVORITE SPOTS FOR A HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH

MICHELLE POLLARD; RED LIGHT CHICKEN: COURTESY

Red Light Chicken

Bramble

This is the one that put hot chicken on the Tulsa map: Chicken and the Wolf. It’s where hot chicken newbies regretted their decision to order it “hot” after the first bite. Even the medium spice could bring tears to your eyes. The uninitiated should play it safe with original or mild spice. As the menu says “Our heat is spicier than others. You’ve been warned!” We’re also fans of the hot chicken fries — cheese fries with chicken, pickles, dill and sauce. Chicken and the Wolf now has three locations. 3136 E. 11TH ST., 918-890-9653 | 1124 S. LEWIS AVE. IN MOTHER ROAD MARKET, 918-271-5262 | ONE WILLIAMS CENTER IN CENTER COURT OF THE BOK TOWER | CHICKENANDTHEWOLF.COM We love the old-fashioned crispy fried chicken at Red Light Chicken. But when we’re craving some heat, it’s also a great place to go for a hot chicken sandwich. Not only is the chicken spicy but the habanero mayo gives it even more of a kick. Topped with tomato and pickle on a brioche bun, this is a delightful sandwich. Crinkle fries, coleslaw or chips are all good sides. Red Light Chicken also has great mac and cheese and yeast rolls with honey butter. 332 E. FIRST ST. | 918-986-7733 | REDLIGHTCHICKEN.COM The chocolate chip pancakes or the chilaquiles might be calling your name on the brunch menu at Bramble. But don’t sleep on the hot-pickled chicken sandwich. Bramble brines the chicken in pickle juice for a slight dill flavor, then coats it with spicy seasoning and fries it crisp. Garlic aioli, house-made pickles and slaw round it out. It’s one of the best chicken sandwiches in town. 1302 E. SIXTH ST., 539-664-5635 | 400 RIVERWALK TERRACE, JENKS; 918-528-3054 | 121 N. ASH, BROKEN ARROW; 539-3671419 | BRAMBLEBREAKFASTANDBAR.COM — NATALIE MIKLES

Keo Asian Cuisine

ASIAN The winners of TulsaPeople’s annual A-LIST Readers’ Choice Awards deliver on authentic dishes spanning Asian cuisines.

Keo Asian Cuisine 3524 S. Peoria Ave., 918-794-8200 8921 S. Yale Ave., 918-794-0090 845 E. Kenosha St., Broken Arrow; 918-957-8100 keorestaurant.com Yokozuna 309 E. Second St., 918-508-7676 9146 S. Yale Ave., Suite 100; 918-619-6271 yokozunasushi.com P.F. Chang’s 1976 E. 21st St. 918-747-6555 pfchangs.com Lanna Thai Restaurant 7227 S. Memorial Drive 918-249-5262 lannathaitulsa.com Roka 1616 S. Utica Ave. 918-382-7777 rokatulsa.com Ri Le’s 4932 E. 91st St., Suite 102 918-496-2126 TulsaPeople.com

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MARCH 11, 2023 A TULSA TRADITION SINCE 1984

Take on the flat and fast 5K or 1 mile Fun Run/Walk Featuring participation medals for all runners, great prizes and corporate and school challenges! .

Start / Finish at 3920 South Peoria in Tulsa, OK Benefitting Special Olympics Oklahoma & Tulsa Running Club

WWW.SOOK.ORG / 918-481-1234

BESPOKE SPACE MICHELLE POLLARD

F

or more than 40 years, Mark Hawley has been designing one-of-a-kind, statement and timeless furniture creations under his Hawley Design Furnishings name.

In September, Hawley moved to a new showroom where natural light floods a space filled with modern pieces — many custom-made in Tulsa by Hawley and his team of craftsmen — ranging from dining tables, conference tables and beds to chairs, occasional tables, sofa tables and desks. The store also carries pieces from well-known brands.

Vignettes are often staged in the space, like this one that features paintings by Tom Savage with an art piece three-drawer bookcase Hawley designed using Italian black-and-white laminate from the Memphis Design movement.

Hawley is still producing his signature Sitting Image Chair, a design that can be customized to feature photography, commercial art and more.

Hawley Design Furnishings is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday. Follow on Instagram @hawleyco and at facebook.com/ hawleydesigntulsa. TP

710 S. LEWIS AVE. | 918-587-0510 | HAWLEYDESIGNTULSA.COM TulsaPeople.com

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STOREFRONT

Fashion forward I SHOP OWNER GOES ALL IN WITH WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE.

BY JORDAN COX Mari Rains

t’s amazing the difference two weeks can make. That’s the length of time Mari Rains asked off from her job to go to Market in Dallas to find out if her dream of opening a women’s clothing boutique was viable.

“I have always been so nervous to ‘go for it’, but this time I just wasn’t afraid,” she says. Rains’ store-opening timeline was ambitious; she took her two-week buying trip in June, left her oil and gas career in August, began the store build-out in September and opened for business in October 2021.

“Once I decided what I was going to do, there was nothing that was going to get in my way,” Rains says, “so I just did it.” Rains, who for years had been a single mom, was an avid saver and characterized herself as risk-averse.

Rains’ merchandise is upscale, dressy and elegant. “Come and get your statement piece,” Rains says. “For a girly girl, it’s a perfect spot.” The shop spotlights brands such as Hudson Denim, Paige, Amanda Uprichard, Zadig and Voltaire, Free People and home decor by Jonathan Adler.

You can get anything from a pair of jeans to a “forever piece” from Paris. Rains states her pieces are the pop that every wardrobe needs.

The Ella and Orchid name is a tribute to both of her granddaughters as well as Rains’ favorite flower. In an industry that has been upended since the pandemic, Rains has found consistency and success that validates her monumental efforts.

“That’s the thing about being naïve … you have no idea the level you could fail on, but every month we’ve done better than the month before.” TP

Ella and Orchid 6010 S. YALE AVE. | 918-530-2507 | ELLAANDORCHID.COM 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday

While most of Ella and Orchid features top design names, Rains also features a few local artists in-store, like terrariums from Boggy Creek Terrariums. Start at $55.

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Canisters from Jonathan Adler — a line known for its playfully eclectic home decor — come in a range of sizes and themes. Prices vary.

Find the hidden skulls in this dress by Zadig and Voltaire. $528.

No matter the season, denim is in.

Ella and Orchid carries several lines in various washes for the perfect fit. Prices vary.

MICHELLE POLLARD

SHOP FAVORITES

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www.TraversMahanApparel .com Now located 61st & Yale • KingsPointe Village

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6 N. LEWIS | 918.584.2217 zieglerart.com • CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING • FINE ART • HOME ACCESSORIES

TulsaPeople.com

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HEALTH

Across the age spectrum MEDICAL SPECIALISTS ON CARING FOR THE YOUNGEST AND OLDEST OF PATIENTS.

BY ANNA HOLTON-DEAN

Dr. Kyle Bielefeld

Danielle Hurd

D

rawn to geriatrics (seniors aged 65-plus) because of its uniqueness, Danielle Hurd, APRN, AGNP-C, says she wanted to focus her attention on the things that differentiated the geriatric population from the general.

“Caring for the elder population requires an individualized approach,” says Hurd, who works for Indian Health Care Resource Center in Tulsa. “However, there are some areas that require more attention with geriatrics.

Managing their care can be quite complex.”

Challenges in geriatrics include medical dosing, polypharmacy (the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by a single patient for one or more conditions), additional screenings, and the way one goes about gaining needed information from the patient.

“Medication dosing guidelines are often different from the general adult population, as some side effects can be more severe in older adults,” Hurd explains. Geriatric patients can also be prescribed a large number of medications, she says. “The challenge in that is figuring out where you can eliminate medications or lower doses without causing harm. Additional screenings and tests are recommended at a certain age, such as bone density scans, screening for abdominal aneurysms and screening for hepatitis, to name a few.

Communication can be another challenge. Sometimes Hurd rephrases questions to get patients talking. “This population is not always forthcoming with information, or they may downplay the severity of their symptoms, so a lot of my answers come from careful listening.”

Hurd also says she and her entire medical team work to meet other needs beyond the medical aspect.

“This age group can be vulnerable, so extra care is sometimes needed beyond their medical issues; social challenges must be considered, as well.”

The payoff of that extra care includes seeing the positive progression in a patient’s health status.

Due to the projection of the senior population doubling in the coming years, Hurd believes there will be a need for more practitioners specializing in geriatrics. Locally, the University of Tulsa offers an advanced degree program in acute care of adults and geriatrics.

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MICHELLE POLLARD

E

ven before medical school, all Kyle Bielefeld, M.D. loved working with children. When he discovered his interest in cardiology, combining the two made perfect sense.

“When I got to medical school, pediatrics was my favorite rotation, so I went into it for my residency training,” says Bielefeld, assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatric cardiologist at University of OklahomaTulsa. “Cardiology patients were my favorite patient population, so I went into an additional three years of training to be a pediatric cardiologist.”

While most pediatric practitioners stop seeing patients when they reach 18-21 years old, that’s not always the case for Bielefeld’s specialty.

“For pediatric cardiology, our area of expertise is in diagnosing and treating conditions people are born with — like heart defects — medically and surgically,” Bielefeld explains. “Our patients don’t stop having their condition when they turn a certain age, so there are those of us who still see our patients on into their adulthood.”

Nonverbal communication with patients who do not understand the necessity of medical care is one of the biggest challenges associated with pediatrics, but specialists like Bielefeld develop their own tricks and methods to keep little ones calm and get the job done.

“That’s one of the biggest nuances; we may need to do an ultrasound of the heart, and that can take 30 minutes,” he says. “It takes a lot of patience to get what we need in a quick amount of time and make a complete assessment.”

Bielefeld says patients should seek out a specialist whenever they need expertise. “Pediatricians have a very broad understanding of heart conditions, but mine is much more specific to children and their heart conditions.

Specialists have spent time focusing on those areas. If you need specific care, they’ve got that extra level (of training) where things can turn out not just good, but great.”

However, he emphasizes keeping patients healthy is a team effort. “By the same token, I rely heavily on their general practitioner to stay on top of all the other aspects of their health that I can’t focus on and trained myself to focus away from. It has to be a team game and group project to ensure best outcomes.”

OU Physicians in Oklahoma City has added several cardiologists in the past two years to expand pediatric cardiology care in Oklahoma. Locally, OU-Tulsa offers a pediatric residency program with 25 residents currently. TP

­ ­ ­

Deseree Monique Jones and Merhawit Ghebrehiwet are both second-year medical students at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and were named Scholars in Urban Medicine.

Representation matters OSU MEDICAL STUDENTS RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR DESIRE TO CARE FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

BY TOM DEKLE

D

iego Dominguez’ trail to becoming an Oklahoma State University Scholar in Urban Medicine and a third-year medical student started years ago when he was just 12 years old on his first visit to a doctor after moving from El Salvador to his new home in the United States.

That visit did not go well.

“I couldn’t explain my symptoms in a differ-

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ent language and unlike the other patients at the clinic I didn’t have anyone to translate for me,” Dominguez recalls.

He was there with his aunt who was also challenged by the new language.

“Eventually, I gave up and told the doctor I was fine,” recalls Dominguez, who is interested in studying ophthalmology.

Now, Dominguez is one of four OSU medical students named this year’s George Kaiser Family Foundation Scholars in Urban Medicine.

Also named are Deseree Monique Jones, Matthew Choate and Merhawit Ghebrehiwet.

All these scholars are medical students at OSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Each receives an annual $12,500 scholarship award for four years. A committee at OSU Center for Health Sciences selects students who have diverse backgrounds, are academically successful, have personal missions to improve health for vulnerable populations and may have financial needs.

“The Scholars in Urban Medicine program provides an opportunity for tuition assistance to OSU medical students who want to practice in underserved health care communities in Oklahoma,” says Monica Basu, senior program officer with GKFF. The program is part of GKFF’s work in Tulsa to reverse the generational cycle of poverty through community health initiatives, Basu explains.

“GKFF has sought best practices to combat Tulsa’s significant health challenges,” she says.

Urban medicine is not a program per se, but it is part of a larger effort by GKFF to focus on underserved areas in Tulsa. “The effort aims toward closing the disparity that exists in health care in the Tulsa area,” Basu says.

“You can’t provide equal opportunity without providing good health care. Urban medicine addresses health care access issues in urban areas,” she adds.

Ghebrehiwet is a second-year medical student.

She was born in Asmara, Eritrea, but grew up in Broken Arrow.

“Practicing medicine in an urban area involves providing care for a diverse population,” says Ghebrehiwet, who is open-minded about which area of medicine she might go into, but is most interested in internal medicine as of now.

“Having a physician workforce that is equally diverse as the population being served is one way health equity may be advanced,” she adds. “I especially hope to make my patients that come from a similar background as me and might even look just like me, feel seen and heard. In this way, I truly believe that an urban area like Tulsa could really benefit from committing to diversity.”

Choate is a third-year medical student from Tulsa who grew up near South Memorial Drive and Admiral Boulevard. He has a strong interest in women’s health.

“It has always been my mission to provide for communities like the one I grew up in,” he says.

“Being part of an underserved urban community growing up and now having this great opportunity is a blessing.

“As a physician I hope to have a positive impact on my patients in the community I serve, providing them the best care and advocacy possible.”

Jones, a Booker T. Washington High School graduate, is a second-year medical student.

“Growing up in an urban environment isn’t so bad,” says Jones of her childhood in north Tulsa.

CONTINUED ON P. 98

MATT BARNARD/COURTESY OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

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Matthew Choate and Diego Dominguez are both third-year medical students at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and were named Scholars in Urban Medicine.

“But growing up in an urban environment and poor in an underserved area is a recipe for a plethora of chronic illnesses without the resources to help them. The result is a cycle of medications, hospitals and follow-ups without resolution to the root cause.”

Jones describes how she witnessed her mother being caught up in just such a cycle. Finally, Jones found a doctor who listened and took the time to find an appropriate treatment for her mother.

“He did not just tell her what medications to take and leave the room,” Jones says. “He spoke to my mother as a person fi rst, not a patient. That’s the type of doctor I want to be. I want to treat people, not diseases.”

While watching her mother circulate through the health care system, Jones came to understand some of the many factors that cause health disparities in underserved urban areas — all of which are complex and multifactorial, she says, but come down to unequal divisions of resources and power. Jones also mentioned the lack of “Black and brown faces” in urban medicine as an issue to be addressed.

“I didn’t even see a doctor that looked like me until I was in college,” says Jones, whose top picks for medical practice include surgery and emergency medicine. “Representation matters and is often reflected in the trust built in doctor-patient relationships.” TP

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BEYOND CITY LIMITS

Nouveau Chocolates

Apple Tree Chocolate

Bedré Fine Chocolate

Sweet escape FIVE OKLAHOMA DESTINATIONS FOR CHOCOLATE THIS VALENTINE’S DAY.

BY RHYS MARTIN 100

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

COURTESY; NOUVEAU: MICHELLE POLLARD

C

hocolate is perhaps the most traditional gift given every year for Valentine’s Day, and lucky for us, Oklahoma is a melting pot of locally made chocolates across the state.

Why not pair a delicious treat with a little road trip with your sweetheart?

Guthrie is the original state capital. In addition to some fine museums and beautiful architecture in its historic downtown district, you can also find RICK’S FINE CHOCOLATES AND COFFEES. It opened its doors in November 2006 on the same day as the town’s parade to mark the Oklahoma Centennial. Rick’s pink “ruby chocolate” is a specialty, but you can’t go wrong with any of the options inside the display case. There’s also coffee roasted especially for Rick’s and it makes for a great companion to the shop’s sweet treats.

BEDRÉ FINE CHOCOLATE sits right off Interstate 35 in Davis, the gateway to the Arbuckle Mountains. What started as a small operation in an elementary school in nearby Ada has grown into a proud Chickasaw Nation business with a focus on quality. While bedré is Norwegian for “better,” the handcrafted chocolates are rooted in Native American recipes and tradition. Turner Falls, Oklahoma’s largest waterfall, is not far away; even if it’s frozen over, it’s a picturesque spot for a Valentine’s Day selfie and a bite of chocolate.

It’s probably no surprise that Oklahoma’s oldest candy company resides in Oklahoma City.

WOODY CANDY CO. was founded in 1927 by Lucille and Claude Woody Sr. and has remained family owned and operated ever since. Their priority has remained the same for the last 96 years: to make the best candy in the world. From old-fashioned candy to new concoctions to a pecan “Toffle” (a mix of toffee and brittle), there’s something for everyone at this Nichols Hills institution.

Did you know Norman has an annual chocolate festival? Now in its 40th year, this January festival has been organized with proceeds going to the Norman Public School system. Four-time winner APPLE TREE CHOCOLATE is open year-round and is a local favorite. Caramel-covered apples are a specialty here with all manner of chocolate and nutty toppings available. Of course, that’s not all.

Pretzels, bark, strawberries and other chocolatecovered delights are also on offer here.

If you’d rather stick closer to home around Valentine’s Day, take a short drive over to Broken Arrow and stop in at NOUVEAU CHOCOLATES. Located in the heart of the Rose District, Melvin and Hailey Piper were inspired by the old-world Belgian chocolate traditions in place when they purchased this shop in 2019. You can find some wonderfully unique items here, such as a dipped strawberry shortcake or a hot cocoa bomb. Watch chocolatiers at work as you pore over their selection of fine chocolates; no matter what you take with you, it’s sure to make the holiday special. TP

MUSINGS

READ OUT THE NAMES!

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

ASHLEY GUERRERO

I

’m thinking about changing my name.

I’ve changed my last name twice with very interesting results. What wonderful adventures would befall me if I changed my fi rst name?

Sadly, my favorite names are already chosen.

These are names I really like. Athletes Joe Montana, Lovie Smith and Catfish Hunter.

Actresses Maud Gonne, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Stella Adler and Tuesday Weld. Musicians Blossom Dearie and Thelonious Monk. Writers Jack Wonder and Huston Smith. Fictional people, Tiger Lily and Holly Golightly. Tongue twisters Evel Knievel and Yakima Canutt (a gallant cowboy whom I once interviewed.)

These are all names of color, imagination or heft. A new name with some mojo would propel me through the new year. Do you think someone named Maud Gonne (I pronounce it “gun” not “gone”) would sink into a funk about politics? Can you imagine Blossom Dearie dragging through a low energy day?

Across cultures, from folklore to religion, there is authority in naming things. In stories from “Rumpelstiltskin” to “The Hobbit,” there is power in discovering a name.

Once I was involved in a church squabble that had two camps of us hissing and spitting at one another like cranky cats. A man in the opposing camp waved a paper at us and said, “I have

the names here of seven or eight people who can prove you wrong.”

“Who are they?” shouted the man sitting beside me. “Read out the names!”

The man with the list did not read out the names. The shouting man and those of us with him lost the day. I forget what the issue was, but I remember so fondly the cry, “Read out the names!”

I often want names read out or printed or listed. When a nonprofit organization closes, I want to know the names of the board members and management who failed in their fiduciary duty. When legislation can’t get passed to ban assault weapons — my personal soap box — I want names of the responsible, not bland terms “lobbyists” or “activists.”

I like seeing the names of politicians who accept funding from the National Rifle Association and how much money they take. I want to know what gun manufacturer the lobbyists are supporting and who benefits financially from that manufacturer.

Names can be bludgeons for shaming.

In 1850, Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter” condemned adulterous Hester Prynne to public shaming and shunning. A hundred years later, in 1954, U.S. Army special counsel Joseph Welch deflated Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunt with the death-blow question,

“Have you no sense of decency, sir?”

Time has hardened us. Being called out in public doesn’t carry the same punch it once did.

Public shame amounts to nothing more than a Bronx cheer. The more shocking the behavior, the bigger the headlines, but little shame.

Shame is a complex emotion. On a pain scale, it’s head and shoulders above its cousins, guilt and embarrassment. We have abandoned public shaming methods of history — standing in stocks in the public square (Colonial America) and forcing the poor to wear red or blue badges (17thcentury England). Contemporary shaming has gone underground, spread on social media.

Women have always been easy targets for shame, often for sexual conduct, but males can be stigmatized, too. When I worked with a soup kitchen, I met many teens and young adults living on the street after being put out of the family home because of their sexual orientation.

Psychologists say adolescents feel shame more acutely than adults do. Adolescence is such a tender age, trying to grow the protective shell of adulthood, hyper-sensitive about self-image and identity. How cruel of us to subject adolescents to public skirmishes about gender identity, library books and school toilets.

Shame on us.

We should have our names read out. TP TulsaPeople.com

101

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Beautiful home on a quiet cul-desac in Preston Woods Subdivision in Jenks Southeast School District! True 5 Bedroom home with formal dining, formal living & study. Kitchen opens to den. Master suite with double closets & stunning brand new master spa bath.

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Extensive hardwoods. Newer paint, carpet & roof. Covered Pergola overlooks a beautiful park-like yard. $559,900

1.65 acre parcel in Owasso. Situated on 106th St North between Sheridan and Memorial. Enjoy country living just 2 miles outside of town. Flat lot ready to build your dream home.

Per survey 125’ frontage on 106th St. Zoned AG. Excellent location with easy access to Hwy 75 and just minutes to downtown Tulsa. $145,000

GRAND LAKE LOT Enjoy living at the Points on this lakefront lot with 155 feet of shoreline, unbelievable views of Grand Lake, dockable cove, utilities

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E N J OY T H E LU X U RY L I F E ST Y L E YOU D E SI R E 102

TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

Gorgeous well maintained home near Whiteside Park. 3 bedrooms with 2 full baths. Laundry room inside. Master bedroom features a walk-in closet and bathroom. Granite countertops throughout. Large back yard. Must see!

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8231 S. Kingston Avenue| Beautifully updated home in gated Stonewall Estates; 1.65 acres w/ mature trees & heavy landscaping; 2 large bed down, 3 up, each w/ walk-in closet & private bath. Large game room with bath and mini kitchen, theater, office & a gym. Outdoor living w/ kitchen, FP, pool, spa, tree house and even a zip line! Truly a Staycation!

9,149 Sq. Ft. $2,290,000

2858 E. 67th Place | Southern Hills Contemporary 1.26 acre secluded cul-desac lot. Dramatic architecture by Frank Wallace, ORU architect. Vaulted ceilings/ incredible natural light. Primary suite offers floor to ceiling windows. Designated office. Spacious beds w/ensuite baths & walk in closets. 2 BR suites on 1st floor. Private lush yard/greenbelt & mature trees. Walk out basement/game room. Outdoor kitchen & patio w/entertaining space. Entire home renovated to perfection. Short golf cart ride to back gate of Southern Hills. Pool site plans available. 6 bed, 7.5 bath, 4 car garage, 8,716 Sq. Ft. $2,295,000

3732 S. Utica Avenue| Midtown shopping, dining and entertainment nearby! Easy

2200 S. Utica Place 7C | Exclusive penthouse community with limited number of residences for low maintenance elegant living . Fabulous views and extreme privacy. 24 hour security provides residence comfortable secure living. Dramatic ceiling height and abundant natural light fill the rooms. 2 bedroom, 2 full bath. Secure private garage parking in the residence only garage. Views of Cascia Hall and Utica Square. Large outdoor terrace with outdoor kitchen. Gardening space on balcony. Architecturally the building is stunning. 3,104 Sq. Ft. $1,690,000 2200 S. Utica Place 6C | Rare opportunity to own the last unfinished unit.

Architectural plans and detailed design plans are available for the condo space created by the team of John R. Allen (Architect, Dallas) and Barry Williams of Williams Design (Dallas). Italian Valcucine kitchen and Rimadesio closet designed by Scott Pohlenz (Tulsa) in collaboration with John Allen and Barry Williams. Plans and numerous materials (Pohlenz cabinetry, appliances, HVAC units,slabs of marble and ceramic surfaces) convey with purchase. Majestic views and extreme privacy. Large outdoor terrace with room for outdoor kitchen. Gardening space can be created on balcony.

Highest level finishes throughout the building. Come experience the Utica Place lifestyle. 3,755 Sq. Ft. $1,500,000

highway access. Updated Kitchen with high-end appliances, including subzero refrigerator, dishwasher drawers, and gas stove. Large Island with bar seating, walk in pantry, and breakfast nook. Light and airy Living Room with generous space and flexibility for your furnishings. Second casual living area. In home office. Main level Primary Bedroom Suite.

Huge laundry with mud area. Three generously sized bedrooms on the second level with full hall bath. Covered back patio can be enjoyed in all seasons. Oversized lot with an in ground pool. Storage shed and green house. 3,721 Sq. Ft. $875,000

1419 S. Rockford Avenue A | Sleek modern urban living. Simple low maintenance living just off Cherry Street. Central location near Cherry Street, Brookside, Downtown Tulsa, and Utica Square. 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath.

Elevator. Hardwood floors throughout. 2 balconies and small fenced yard.

2 car garage. HOA takes care of all lawn care. Kitchen fridge and wine Fridge remain. 2,539 Sq. Ft. $500,000

TulsaPeople.com

103

TULSA TIME WARP

BUILT BY BROTHERS STORY AND COMPOSITE IMAGE BY PATRICK MCNICHOLAS

D

avid R. Travis was the oldest of four brothers, all of whom immigrated to the United States with their parents in 1892.

The brothers worked in the oil supply business, which ultimately brought them to Tulsa by 1914.

David and his brother Sam both found success in Tulsa and soon used their wealth to build two side-by-side mansions on South Peoria Avenue. They hired local architect Noble B. Fleming to design the homes. Both Travis estates were designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style but differed in ornamentation and architectural detail. Inside, features of David’s home included 21 rooms, 10 bathrooms and a basement ballroom; Sam’s featured a split staircase,

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TulsaPeople FEBRUARY 2023

a library with authentic Tudor plaster ceiling and a tiled sunroom with a terra cotta fountain. Shortly after the two homes were completed, however, both brothers ended up selling them and leaving for California before the start of the Great Depression.

In 1954, the City purchased David’s former mansion in order to have a permanent location for the Tulsa Garden Center, organized by the Tulsa Garden Club. The neighboring Sam Travis Mansion was purchased by the Tulsa Historical Society in 1997, and the museum wing was completed in 2004, opening with three galleries. The mansion was renovated once more in 2007 before fully opening to the public. TP

“HISTORIC TULSA HOMES” CIRCA 1920 (P. 108) BY JOHN BROOKS WALTON (2012)

Two members of the Junior League of Tulsa pose beside a Packard automobile outside the mansion of David R. Travis in the late 1920s.

Located at 2435 S. Peoria Ave., it is now home to the Tulsa Garden Center.

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