Oklahoma Magazine August 2018 by Oklahoma Magazine

AUGUST 2018

Tribal Influences,

Great and Small

from regalia to multi-faceted businesses

PLUS

Education Outstanding Seniors Fall Arts Preview

Fury Road

Stay safe and sane on Oklahoma streets

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Caring for patients before, during and after joint replacement.

There is more to joint replacement than the surgery. At the Saint Francis Joint Replacement and Spine Center, there is a strong emphasis on patient education. “This is a program, not just a procedure,” said orthopedic specialist Dr. Ryan Gursky. “We teach patients about their upcoming procedures, encourage them to ask questions to ease their concerns, provide support after surgery and even while they recover at home.” Each patient is different and the Saint Francis Joint Replacement and Spine Center is a comprehensive program tailored to their needs. As Dr. Gursky said, “Our goals are plain and simple— to provide a positive outcome, an outstanding patient experience and help our patients get back to their lives.” For more information about the Saint Francis Joint Replacement and Spine Center, please call 918-502-3030.

Healthcare for life.

Ryan E. Gursky, D.O. ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

saintfrancis.com/jointreplacement

B e av e r s B e n d s tat e P a r k , ok

C h o C taw C ou n t r y. C om

Features AUGUST

2018 Oklahoma Magazine Vol. XXII, No. 8

42 Fury Road

Responsible driving isn’t just about staying safe. It’s about staying sane.

47 Education: Preparing for College Big decisions await you as your child prepares to enter college.

64 Tribal Influences, Great and Small

From spiritual dances and regalia to multifaceted businesses, Native people affect the state culturally and economically.

Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today

WANT SOME MORE? AUGUST 2018

AUGUST 2018

74 Fall Arts Preview

The 2018-2019 season for Oklahoma’s premier museums, entertainment agencies, performing arts centers and theater troupes bring worldclass entertainment right to your doorstep.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Visit us online. MORE ARTICLES

Read expanded articles and stories that don’t appear in the print edition.

MORE PHOTOS Tribal Influences,

Great and Small

from regalia to multi-faceted businesses

PLUS

Education Outstanding Seniors Fall Arts Preview

ON THE COVER:

Fury Road

Stay safe and sane on Oklahoma streets

SHELBY MATA, A COMANCHE, IS THE OKLAHOMA FEDERATION OF INDIAN WOMEN’S MISS INDIAN OKLAHOMA 2017. PHOTO BY JOSH NEW

View expanded Scene, Style, Taste and Entertainment galleries.

MORE EVENTS

The online calendar includes more Oklahoma events.

Now you can schedule care on the go. Schedule online with Ascension care teams at St. John Health System

Why wait to schedule an appointment to get the care you need? With online scheduling, you can quickly make an appointment no matter where you are, what time it is, or what you’re up to. Online scheduling with Ascension care teams at St. John Health System – the simplest way to get the care you need when and where you need it at GetStJohnCare.com.

Departments

ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

11 State 14 16 18 20 21 22

Totem Pole Park near Foyil and the Blue Whale in Catoosa have similar histories and ongoing preservation needs.

People Hobbies History Sports Outside the Metro Insider

25 Life and Style 26

Interiors A home in Jenks

30 32 34 36 38

Health FYI Destinations Guide Style New (school) year, new

Scene

utilizes the owners’ mementos, especially wood from old Army boxes, as unique design elements.

you! Don the duds that will make you excited to head back to class.

83 Taste 84 86 87

Nola’s spices up Tulsa’s Cherry Street with Napoleonic touches, an homage to the Roaring ’20s, and 21st-century shine.

Local Flavor Chef Chat Tasty Tidbits

89 Where and When 90 94

The Oklahoma River comes alive with a thrilling on-the-water competition.

In Tulsa/In OKC Film and Cinema

96 Closing Thoughts

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

83 83

OU - Oklahoma’s Leader in Excellence

• The University of Oklahoma has been awarded the largest federal research grant in its history — an eight-year, $161 million grant by NASA to advance understanding of Earth’s natural exchanges of carbon between the land, atmosphere and ocean.

• OU has achieved an all-time record freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of over 92 percent, ranking OU among the top universities in the nation. OU is one of only 30 public institutions in the nation currently reporting retention rates of 92 percent or higher.

• OU is the only university in the nation, public or private, whose students have won Goldwater, Mitchell, Truman, Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright and National Security Education Program scholarships in the same year.

• OU is the only Big 12 university to be selected as having one of America’s 25 most beautiful campuses.

• OU has produced 29 Rhodes Scholars; no other university in Oklahoma has had more than three.

• OU was recently awarded the prestigious Davis Cup for the fifth consecutive year in recognition of its record-setting enrollment of United World College international freshmen. OU is the only public university to ever be awarded the Davis Cup.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

- The Impact of Excellence

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA™ PRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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Subscriptions are $18 for 12 issues. Mail checks to Oklahoma Magazine P.O. Box 14204 Tulsa, OK 74159-1204 Copyright © 2018 by Schuman Publishing Company. Oklahoma Wedding, The Best of the Best, 40 Under 40, Single in the City, Great Companies To Work For and Oklahomans of the Year are registered trademarks of Schuman Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. All photographs, articles, materials and design elements in Oklahoma Magazine and on okmag.com are protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws, and are owned by Schuman Publishing Company or third party providers. Reproduction, copying, or redistribution without the express written permission of Schuman Publishing Company is strictly prohibited. All requests for permission and reprints must be made in writing to Oklahoma Magazine, c/o Reprint Services, P.O. Box 14204, Tulsa, OK 74159-1204. Advertising claims and the views expressed in the magazine by writers or artists do not necessarily represent those of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman Publishing Company, or its aﬀiliates.

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As always, we bring you plenty of can’t-put-down stories, including a feature on 14 outstanding seniors from around the state. These students wrapped up their high school careers and are heading off to hit the books at universities around the state and the country … ready to make our state proud. We also introduce you to a young woman making waves in the dance scene, a Tulsa native who played in the Major Leagues and is the radio broadcaster for the Houston Astros, a group of people with a passion for fossil hunting, and we take a look at some of our most famous Route 66 icons. In just a couple of weeks, children head back to school, and parents scramble to do some last-minute clothes shopping. To help you out, we have a back-to-school fashion spread for your enjoyment. You can read about a fabulous Cajun-inspired restaurant on Cherry Street in Tulsa, and in Oklahoma City, an innovative ice cream shop and an executive chef rocking modern Italian cuisine. Of course there’s much more packed into these pages, including a rant … uh … story about Oklahomans’ driving habits, an update on the state of six of our tribal nations, and our annual education feature to help you prepare for sending your youngsters off to college. Coming in September: We’ll explain the new liquor laws coming Oct. 1, and we’ll have our Fall Festival Preview and beautiful fall fashion spread. Enjoy! Sincerely, Wendy King Burton

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OK COMING IN AUGUST

This month is sure to be a summer treat – a frozen treat to be more precise. In August, we interview some of Oklahoma’s premiere ice cream spots and are walked through a variety of delicious desserts, including classic ice cream, gelato and frozen custard. Learn the differences between each, and find out what flavors you’ll want to try next. To continue our summer theme, we talk with the horticulture specialist at Tulsa’s new world-class park Gathering Place, and learn about the carefully selected trees, flowers and other plant-life Tulsans can expect to see when the park opens Sept. 8. To keep up-to-date on all things Oklahoma and find even more fresh video content, follow us on social media and subscribe to our e-newsletters at okmag.com. Subscribers are automatically entered to win our monthly prize giveaways.

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OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA 6/18/18 2:41 PM

Celebrating

40 Years Dr. Glenn and Arlene Ashmore on the steps of the original Dental Depot.

of Service to Oklahoma Forty years ago, lifelong Oklahoma City resident Dr. Glenn Ashmore introduced his hometown to Dental Depot. His goal was simple. He wanted to provide patients in Oklahoma City with an honest, common sense approach to dentistry, in a comfortable and unique atmosphere. He never imagined that his private dentistry practice would one day morph into the family of offices it is today. Today, Dental Depot operates as a group practice with 21 offices, more than 500 employees and more than 50 doctors, all with the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original leader still at the helm. Still, most of the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth has happened just in the last

15 years. In fact, the now iconic Dental Depot brand, anchored by its unique buildings that are modeled after early 20th century train stations, was not established until the early 2000s. After 40 years in business, Dental Depot remains a family company and plans to celebrate its anniversary through philanthropic work and by paying tribute on its social channels to the people who have helped develop Dental Depot into the iconic practice that it is today. From all the teams at Dental Depot, many thanks and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information about upcoming events and tributes.

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ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

Handcrafted A ractions

Totem Pole Park near Foyil and the Blue Whale in Catoosa have similar histories and ongoing preservation needs.

THE BLUE WHALE IN CATOOSA IS A LOVELY SITE FOR VISITORS.

PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY BURK

d Galloway’s Totem Pole Park and the Blue Whale were handcrafted from concrete by imaginative men who wanted others to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Both places fell on hard times but were restored with the help of volunteers and public and private funding – an ongoing effort for both today. Route 66 trekkers have many

eye-catching choices visible from the Mother Road, but many consider Totem Pole Park worth the 3.65-mile detour. About a dozen stone and concrete sculptures adorn the park, and the 90-foot pole featuring 200 basrelief depictions of Native Americans and nature is the centerpiece. “Most visitors just can’t imagine one man doing that,” says Patsy Anderson, who voluntarily manages the park with her husband, David.

“[Galloway] was an amazing, creative man.” Born in 1880 in Springﬁeld, Missouri, Galloway carved wood as a youngster and came to Oklahoma to teach manual arts to orphaned boys at the Sand Springs Home. The Totem Pole Park took shape after he and his wife retired and bought the property in 1937. The totem pole, completed in 1948, has a thick, concrete skin and was made from sandstone and framed with steel and wood, according to the National Park Service. The hollow structure rests on a large piece of sandstone, already in place at the site, which Galloway carved and painted as a turtle because that’s what it looked like to him. The park fell into disrepair after Galloway’s death in 1962. In 1982, AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

The State

the Kansas Grassroots Art Association took an interest and spent 16 years restoring it. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Erin Turner, a social practice artist and Oklahoma native who lives in New York, is involved with the latest restoration, which began in 2014. At an April preservation conference in Tulsa, Turner said the project would replace the totem pole’s weathered paint with a mineral-based silicate that is environmentally safe, won’t fade or peel, repels water and resists algae. The park is now a nonprofit owned by the Rogers County Historical Society, Patsy Anderson says, and gift shop sales and fundraisers such as an annual barbecue keep it open to the public. The top half of the totem was repainted a few years ago for $43,000, and supporters want to raise about $30,000 through grants and other sources to finish the job. Plans call for replacing the paint on the picnic tables, concrete replicas of trees and other structures in the park, and renovating the interior of the Fiddle House, an 11-sided building that serves as the gift shop, museum and exhibit space for Galloway’s handmade fiddles and furniture. “It’s just a nice relaxing place to go,” Patsy Anderson says. “It’s fun meeting all the people from everywhere. They are always friendly.” Twenty-two miles southwest on Route 66 sits the Blue Whale, built by Hugh Davis, director of the Tulsa Zoo for 35 years, as an anniversary gift for his wife, Zelta, according to Linda G. Ross-Hobbs, who manages the gift shop. The property is still owned by the family, but the gift shop, which maintains the site, is run by the Catoosa Arts and Tourism Society. The wooden walkway through the belly of the 80-foot whale, which rests on the edge of a pond, is scheduled for renovation this summer, Ross-Hobbs says. “The [whale’s] concrete has done amazingly well,” she says. “It does need to be power-washed, and it will need a paint job soon.” Davis was in his 60s when he started building the whale in 1970, according to a history written by his daughter, Dee Dee 12

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

BELOW: A CLOSEUP PHOTO OF THE BASE OF THE 90-FOOT-TALL TOTEM SHOWS THE ENTRANCE TO THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS HOLLOW AND FEATURES MORE NATIVE AMERICAN DESIGNS INSIDE. THE POLE RESTS ON THE BACK OF A TURTLE CARVED FROM SANDSTONE.

Belt, for the Catoosa Historical Society. His friend Harold Thomas, a welder, made the framework. Davis hand-mixed and applied the concrete one 5-gallon bucket at a time. The whale, closed for a time after Davis fell ill, was restored by the Catoosa Chamber of Commerce in 1997. Hugh and Zelta Davis died in 1990 and 2001, respectively. According to Belt’s article, her father “believed that every day was a beautiful day, that people should use the talents God gave them, that one should keep busy by thinking, planning and creating.” Catch-and-release ﬁshing is allowed at the pond, which is never stocked but contains largemouth bass, perch, bluegill and catﬁsh, Ross-Hobbs says. Hybrid grass carp eat everything green and keep the pond clean, she says. The 14-acre property includes the remains

ABOVE: THE 11-SIDED FIDDLE HOUSE GIFT SHOP, WHICH HOUSES ED GALLOWAY’S FIDDLES AND OTHER HANDMADE CREATIONS, IS DECORATED WITH TOTEMIC COLUMNS. THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED TO RESEMBLE A NAVAJO HOGAN.

of an ark and an alligator farm that were once part of the attraction, and picnic tables invite visitors to relax on the shaded banks of the pond. “People linger. They say it’s a peaceful place,” Ross-Hobbs says. “What I hear the most is they love the history about this man and his wife.” KIMBERLY BURK

The State

PEOPLE

Next Dance, Next Chance Oklahoma City native Kendra ‘K.O.’ Oyesanya hits the big time with Beyonce … and she’s not finished yet.

fter winning a national competition, Oklahoma City native Kendra “K.O.” Oyesanya triumphantly launched herself into the dance world stratosphere by performing backup moves for Beyonce, choreographing a Black Panther challenge that went viral and landing a role in a YouTube subscription series. Oyesanya is well aware that many aspire to becoming professional entertainers and, even with talent, few succeed. She also knows what has worked for her. “I am among those who attained success because I truly believe in my talents and the path God has for me,” she says. “There came a moment in my dance career where I wasn’t as confident as I should be. This was mainly because I didn’t have the training that most dancers had. “I realized that I was the only one holding myself back and finally decided to change my entire mindset. I started listening to motivational videos and writing down affirmations every day and got over my insecurities. Changing my mindset is what helped me to reach success and is very important for anyone else who wants to be successful.” Oyesanya topped the field in Pepsi’s international Dance for a Chance contest in 2013 and was awarded a shot to dance backup with Beyonce. From thousands of entrants, Oyesana was among eight chosen to work with Chris Grant, the superstar’s choreographer. With encouragement from Grant and other industry professionals, Oyesanya

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

PHOTO BY BEN WATTS, COURTESY KENDRA OYESANYA

moved to Los Angeles to build contacts, attend classes to hone her skills and land an agent. She did so all in her ﬁrst week in California. Soon Oyesanya had paid gigs on television, music videos and live shows, and toured with top artists, including another opportunity with Beyonce, this time at the famed Coachella arts music festival. That experience led to a choreography collaboration incorporating traditional African dance moves for a video that went viral on YouTube. “We had no idea it would blow up like it did, but it was really cool to see so many people not only share our video but remake their own videos based off of our choreography,” she says. Oyesanya has followed that success as a

character named Poppy in the YouTube Red program called Step Up High Water, based on the Step Up franchise starring Channing Tatum. A graduate of University of Central Oklahoma, Oyesanya wants to keep making her home state proud with more acting and dance opportunities. She ﬁnds that people are often surprised to hear of her origins and she’s happy to tell them. “The funny thing is when someone asks where I’m from I say, ‘I’m from Oklahoma,’ and a lot of times they mishear me and think I said, ‘Oakland,’ and get really excited,” she says. “Then I have to correct them and say, ‘No, not Oakland … O-kla-homa.’ Most reactions are of surprise because they have never met anyone from Oklahoma.” TRACY LEGRAND

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The State

HOBBIES

Fossilitating an Interest Oklahoma is rich with the preserved remains of plants and sea creatures who lived hundreds of millions of years ago.

ABOVE: JAMES PULS, 18, HAS AN AVID INTEREST IN FOSSIL COLLECTING. BELOW: A FERN LEAF CAN BE SEEN IN THIS FOSSIL THAT IS PART OF PULS’ COLLECTION. PHOTOS BY JOSH NEW

artha Rongey is a lifelong rock hound and she married a geologist. But the fossil-collecting part of her hobby really took off after she joined the Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society a few years ago. “I have personally dug up, in the Red River, huge specimens that weighed 30 pounds,” she says. “That was a club ﬁeld trip. Some of us camped and pretty much dug all day. “We hauled out so many beautiful species – animal specimens from the sea. I have an ammonite that’s bigger than the steering wheel in your car, and it’s lying in our ﬂower bed.” Fossils aren’t rocks, but fossils can be found within rocks. Many collectors, such as Bill Rushlau of the Ada Gem, Mineral and Fossil Society, came to fossils by way of rocks. As a teenager, he was hired to help a shop owner load his wares and travel to rock shows. For two summers, Rushlau and his boss also collected rocks and fossils on the East Coast and in Wyoming, South Dakota and his native Nebraska.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

In the more than 50 years since, Rushlau has consulted with scholars on scientific papers, found an extinct shark species from the Pennsylvania period (the fossil was eventually named for him) and built such a large collection that he often passes on duplicates he finds. He says he’s become interested recently in “odd things. There’s a conical animal that is square in crosssection. There is one that looks like a clam and has an opening to suck in nutrients.” At the other end of the age spectrum, James Puls, 18, has graduated from the Tulsa club’s Pebble Pups program and organizes adult field trips. “Oklahoma has a lot of fossils, but not a lot of people know it,” says Puls, keen on paleontology “for as long as I can remember.” Like many kids, he started with a fascination for dinosaurs. He branched out to searching for the many fossils of ancient sea creatures in southern Oklahoma and plant fossils in eastern Oklahoman. He also collects arrowheads, pottery and petrified wood. He says it’s amazing to hold something in his hand and envision

someone else doing the same thousands of years ago. Scientists don’t typically call the preserved remains of organisms fossils until they are more than 10,000 years old. Oklahoma has plenty of specimens much older. Ammonites, squid-like creatures with spiral shells, are among the invertebrates found in Lake Texoma and the Red River from the Cretaceous Period, 145 million to 66 million years ago. Trilobites, for which Coal County is famous, were three-lobed arthropods resembling horseshoe crabs and lived from 500 million to 252 million years ago. Brachiopods – from the Cambrian Period, 542 million to 488 million years ago – are found in the Arbuckle Mountains and north of the Wichita Mountains, according to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. To learn how to find these ancient treasures, people new to fossil collecting should join a society, Rongey says. “We have a wealth of knowledge in the club,” she says. “We have monthly field trips. We know what we are going to look for, and how to find it.” KIMBERLY BURK

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The State

HISTORY

Young Brothers on a Quest Bud and Temp Abernathy – 9 and 6, respectively – rode horseback 2,000 miles to greet and meet Theodore Roosevelt in 1910.

TOP: THE ABERNATHY BROTHERS TRAVELED 2,000 MILES ON HORSEBACK ON THEIR OWN AT AGES 9 AND 6 TO MEET FORMER PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

PHOTO COURTESY PIONEER MUSEUM

THE ABERNATHY BROTHERS ARE PHOTOGRAPHED AFTER THEIR TREK.

PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

etermined to greet former President Theodore Roosevelt upon his return from an African safari in 1910, two young brothers from tiny Frederick straddled their horses and headed east on a 2,000-mile journey to New York. Louis “Bud” Abernathy, 9, and Temple “Temp” Abernathy, 6, rode by themselves out of southwestern Oklahoma and across what remained of the American frontier. Alta Abernathy wrote their story as told to her by her husband, Temple, before he died. Bud & Me is published by the Pioneer Townsite Museum and Tillman County Historical Society in Frederick. Other information comes from a 1910 article in the New York Times and the museum. Jack Abernathy allowed his sons to ride halfway across the continent. Known by his nickname Catch’em-Alive for capturing wolves barehanded, he instilled in his boys a sense of adventure from his own exploits. Roosevelt, who befriended Abernathy after a wolf hunting trip, appointed him U.S. marshal of Oklahoma Territory in 1906. Jack Abernathy grew up in Texas, played piano in a saloon at age 6, worked cattle at 7, and rode as a cowboy on Charles Goodnight’s range at 10. He and his wife, Jessie Pearl, homesteaded a ranch just north of the Red River near Frederick, where she bore the boys and their four sisters. She died in 1907. The boys departed April 1; Bud rode Sam Bass and Temp had

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Geronimo. As they left, a frantic woman yelled: “Where are your parents? Are you runaways?” The boys camped out some, but many people supplied lodging. Quanah Parker, the famous Comanche, met them on his front porch outside Cache and put them up overnight. Reformed train robber Al Jennings, later an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1912, welcomed the boys to Lawton. In Dayton, Ohio, they visited the Wright Brothers’ ﬂedgling airplane factory and met Wilbur. In West Virginia, they saw Halley’s comet. Bud and Temp were famous by the time they reached St. Louis. Reporters mobbed them. An Indiana reporter asked Temp what he wanted to do when he grew up. “I want to drive a train,” he said. The reporter arranged just that. Some trouble arose. Geronimo foundered from drinking too much creek water. A deputy sheriff in Hominy secured a new mount for

Temp, who named the horse Wylie Haynes after the kind lawman. After more than two months of travel, the boys rode into Washington, where President William Howard Taft gave them a personal tour of the White House. Jack Abernathy joined them in Jersey City, N.J., at the Pennsylvania Railroad ferry. Roosevelt’s ship arrived in New York Harbor at 7:20 a.m. June 18. The three Abernathys accompanied the ship’s ﬂeet aboard the U.S.S. Dolphin, as arranged by Taft. More than a million people waited to greet the former president. Roosevelt had the Abernathys come forward and introduced them. “You made a long ride to see me,” he said warmly. In the subsequent ticker tape parade, Bud and Temp rode their horses behind Roosevelt’s carriage and in front of his famous Rough Riders. The Brothers Abernathy had succeeded in what they set out to do. CHARLES W. SASSER

The State SPORTS

Just a Whistle Away Steve Sparks has drawn on lessons (and humor) he learned in Tulsa during his pitching and broadcast careers.

STEVE SPARKS, RIGHT, IS A HOLLAND HALL GRADUATE WHO WORKS AS A RADIO BROADCASTER FOR THE HOUSTON ASTROS.

PHOTO COURTESY ASTROS MEDIA RELATIONS

ports are full of interesting personalities, especially in baseball. Tulsa native Steve Sparks, radio broadcaster for the Houston Astros and a former Major League pitcher, is a prime example because of his experiences and penchant for mischief. Sparks, 52, is a graduate of Holland Hall in Tulsa and made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1995 after spending 10 seasons in the minor leagues. He also pitched for the then-Anaheim Angels, Detroit Tigers, Oakland A’s and

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Arizona Diamondbacks before retiring in 2005. In 1991, the Brewers persuaded Sparks to throw the knuckleball, which has little spin and dips, dives and drops without warning. The pitch extended his career. “My time in the major leagues, because of the time in the minor leagues, made me appreciate every day,” says Sparks, adding that he “probably had a lot less talent than a lot of people, but the knuckleball allowed me to make a living at something I loved doing. I was very grateful.”

In taking the mound or broadcasting professionally, he has always carried the lessons he and his siblings learned while growing up in Tulsa. “I had a very hard-working family,” he said. “[My dad] will turn 82 this year [and] never missed a day working at the tire lot. He taught me a lot … about how to work and treat people. It was a great place to grow up. Tulsa’s a beautiful city; it’s very clean. I take that with me wherever I go.” Even at his own expense, Sparks is always up for a good laugh. One way he has tried to elicit chuckles is by including ﬁctional tidbits for his biographies to see if anyone would ask about them. In Detroit, he wrote that his hobby was whistling show tunes, so, during spring training one year, a TV reporter asked him to demonstrate. Hilarity quickly followed. “All I knew was ‘Oklahoma.’ I’m a horrible whistler, but I did it anyway,” he says. His biography in this year’s Astros media guide calls Sparks “a serial couponing enthusiast who has saved thousands of dollars the past few years,” another funny falsehood that came “off the top of my head,” he says. What Sparks does take seriously is the positive impact he, as color commentator, and Astros play-byplay man Robert Ford had on Houston and South Texas last year during the team’s run to its ﬁrst World Series title in franchise history. The postseason string of victories came just weeks after Hurricane Harvey devastated that part of the state. “The Astros were providing a lot of hope in desperate times and situations for a lot of people,” Sparks says. “People would send us pictures of being inside their homes, a tarp on their roof, with a radio on a chair everybody huddled around listening to the Astros. That meant a lot to us, knowing we could provide a little respite, maybe a little relief for a few hours. “The city really rallied around this Astros team and they brought a lot of joy to people when times looked pretty bleak.” STEPHEN HUNT

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OUTSIDE THE METRO

Outside Draw and Inside Charm

CHICKASAW CHOCOLATE Bedre Fine Chocolate, owned by the Chickasaw Nation since 2000, has a 34,600-square-foot facility where visitors can see scores of products made. ALMOST CHIGLEY Samuel H. Davis began a dry goods store in 1887; three years later, he moved it 4 miles north to land owned by Nelson Chigley, a Chickasaw. Davis started the post oﬀice and wanted the town to be called Chigley. However, that name was in use as a village 7 miles northeast, so the stop known as Davis Store on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway became Davis in 1898.

Davis has Turner Falls and other areas for those who enjoy physical activity, but also an old-fashioned aura in town.

TURNER FALLS, AT 77 FEET, TIES WITH NATURAL FALLS AS THE TALLEST IN OKLAHOMA.

PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA TOURISM

avis is paradise for people who love the outdoors … and those trying to escape the hottest parts of an August day. Turner Falls is one of the most-visited swimming, camping and hiking spots in Oklahoma. Action also abounds at Air Donkey Zipline Adventure, 777 Zipline, Cross Bar Ranch ATV Park, River Bottom Tubing and Arbuckle Wilderness. But even the bravest of souls enjoy respite from blazing temperatures. Close-knit Davis proper provides relief. City Drug Store, in operation since Indian Territory days of the late 1880s, has an old-fashioned soda fountain serving malts, shakes and pimento cheese sandwiches. “For $1, you’ve got a homemade sandwich,” says Heidi Wright, whose family has owned the store since 1970. “The secret’s in the magical bowl. You can take the same ingredients and try it at home, but it doesn’t taste as good.” Wright, who does “everything from cleaning to dispensing the meds,” bought the business from her uncle, Randy Moore, in 2010. She, like her predecessors, sells 10-cent coffee and 50-cent soft drinks while maintaining a place to socialize. “Our fountain isn’t a money-maker, but

it’s a drawing card,” Wright says. “The tile work is original – over 100 years old. It’s a tradition in Davis. I worked here as a soda jerk in high school. This is the place in Davis where you come.” Wright gets “a ton of tourists in the summer. They feel like they’re stepping back in time. It’s Norman Rockwellish.” Another rustic place loved by locals is Kerri’s Dougherty Diner. Kerri Buckaloo says the original owners – in Dougherty, 12 miles southeast – moved it after it had burned down twice. Buckaloo took over three years ago after Joe Wells, her boss at Smokin’ Joe’s Rib Ranch, saw that she had a nose for business and encouraged her to buy the diner. “We’re two different entities; we’re not competitors,” Buckaloo says. “He’s barbecue, and we serve 100-percent American, farm-raised catﬁsh. It’s more ﬂavorful.” The strawberry cake, from her grandmother’s recipe, “is also a huge hit. It’s moist and sweet enough that you want some more.”

WHY NOT MAZEPPA? Scottish immigrant farmer Mazeppa Turner married Laura Johnson, a Chickasaw. He is credited with discovering the waterfalls named for him in 1878. At 77 feet high, they are tied with those in Natural Falls State Park as the tallest in Oklahoma. The city of Davis bought the falls and surrounding park in 1919 and ran them until 1950, when it leased the property. The town regained operating rights in 1978.

BRIAN WILSON

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

The State INSIDER

A Punk Music History A new documentary, Oil Capital Underground, explores an overlooked genre that produced another type of Tulsa Sound.

CHAD MALONE WITH BROTHER INFERIOR PERFORMS AT GILMAN STREET, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, IN 1999.

PHOTOS COURTESY BRYAN CRAIN

hose of us who’ve spilled a lot of ink and devoted blocks of airtime to what many call the classic Tulsa Sound know that there were, and are, other Tulsa Sounds out there – all featuring their own stars, their own excitement, their own validity and vitality. And while there were a few Oklahoma writers – my good friend Thomas Conner among them – who devoted considerable amounts of time and talent to chronicling Tulsa’s punk-music scene, punk has long been one of the most overlooked of the city’s sounds. That situation, however, just changed. Oil Capital Underground, a swift, two-hour documentary from writer-director Bryan Crain and his co-producer, Dave Cantrell, gives viewers a sweeping look at – as the doc’s somewhat unwieldy but accurate subtitle puts it – The Genesis and Evolution of Punk Rock in Tulsa, Late ’70s-Mid ’90s. It’s a riveting piece of work, made so in part by the use of original concert and television footage and an inventive graphic style that ﬁts the subject matter perfectly. Crain worked with Terry Waska on the latter; like Crain and Cantrell,

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Waska is a veteran of the scene after playing bass with the metal-punk bands Pitbulls on Crack and Asylum. “I was in a band called the Outcasts, which was my main band,” Crain says. “We did parties and stuff, and we played with a lot of the other ones, but nobody talked about us. We weren’t that big. This doc is more about the bigger bands that either toured or put out cassettes or CDs.” Crain’s collaborators on Oil Capital Underground fall into that category. Cantrell was lead singer for Bunnies of Doom, among other groups, while Waska’s Pitbulls on Crack was another major Tulsa punk act. But the biggest of them all, notes Crain, was N.O.T.A. (standing for None of the Above), which transcended local success. “N.O.T.A. toured with the Dead Kennedys and a lot of other national bands,” he says. “They put out records. They played out of state more than they played here. And they put Tulsa on the map. If they would’ve stayed together, they would’ve been as big as Black Flag or anyone else. And they’re still recognized. People today still love N.O.T.A.” As is the case with most of the other bands covered in the documen-

tary, N.O.T.A. is represented not only by archival material but also by new interviews. In one of them, vocalistguitarist Jeff Klein reminds viewers that punk was as much as anything a reaction to the arena acts that had come to dominate rock music in the late ’70s. “Anything that wasn’t Journey, or Styx, or Emerson Lake and Palmer,” he says, “was punk rock.” And while there were significant differences between the American and British punk movements, including the reasons for their respective existences, many would agree with interviewee Anthony Lookout (of the New Mysterians) that the appearance of the Sex Pistols – the most notorious of Britain’s punk acts – at the Cain’s Ballroom in January 1978 fired the starting gun for Tulsa’s punk movement. Once it began, Klein says, a lot of different musical styles gathered under the same umbrella, without much separation between punk music and what was being called new wave. Because they were all outside the mainstream, they sought more or less common ground. The documentary credits Joe Danger (New Mysterians, Los Reactors) with finding a Tulsa venue that would commit to featuring these alternative rock-music styles. “The first place was the Bleu Grotto,” Crain says. “It was only open for maybe six months, but Joe Danger went in there and talked the owner into letting them have shows. So that was the starting point, and it was a really small period of time. Then after that, in the early ’80s, was the Crystal Pistol, over on North Sheridan.” After the national punk act Black Flag played the Crystal Pistol, he adds, “that’s really when the scene started to separate. It separated the real punks from new wave. In the Bleu Grotto days, they were kind of together. A band called the Jacks had played with N.O.T.A., and the Jacks were real mellow. Back then, it was like, ‘Hey, you’re a different band. I’m a different band. Let’s play.’” The Bleu Grotto and Crystal Pistol are long gone, along with most of the other punk venues of the ’80s and ’90s. But, as is the case with the people who made the music, some of the operators and promoters are still very much around, including a couple of well-known names: Davit Souders of Ikon and Khaled Rahhal

of Club Nitro. Both are featured in Oil Capital Underground. “Souders had a dance club, but he would have punk bands like D.R.I. in there,” Crain says. “It was so bizarre. He’d have local bands play with national acts, and that was genius. I went there all the time. “K. Rahhal is like the godfather of the whole [Tulsa] punk scene. He started in ’84, and he went the longest. We love him now, but we hated him then because he was so mean. But he was trying to wrangle all these teenagers, and they’re slam dancing. “He’d let you play, even if you sucked. It could be your ﬁrst gig, you could be terrible or great, but he would bring you back. That’s one good thing about K. His longevity and what he provided was what makes him important. I mean, where are you going to play if you don’t play at Nitro and you’re terrible? It was a starting-off point.” Rahhal is one of the most colorful ﬁgures in the Oil Capital Underground tapestry, but he’s far from the only one. There’s a conversational quality to Crain’s interviewing that allows the personality of each subject to shine through. “I wanted this to look more immediate,” says Crain, trying to emulate Dogtown & Z-Boys, the award-winning skateboarding documentary from 2001. “For the most part, I

wanted it to be like talking to friends. I didn’t want it to be too pretty. I mean, I’m a photographer, I’ve got to have framing and stuff, but I wanted it to be like I walked up and started talking to them. That was the whole feeling.” Early in Oil Capital Underground, Anthony Lookout concedes that “maybe we looked threatening” from the outside, and, indeed, much of the ﬁlm conveys that same sense of danger. Decades may have gone by, but much

“For the most part, I wanted [the documentary] to be like talking to friends.” of this music still appears angry and extreme. Was it? To really know, you probably had to be there. “The music wasn’t dangerous,” Crain says. “Sometimes there were skinheads hanging around with the punks, and they’d always provoke ﬁghts. But other than that, except for the slam dancing, it wasn’t dangerous. It was just aggressive and young and full of angst. You didn’t have to be the greatest player to play it, but there were some phenomenal players who

did, like [drummer] Brandon Holder. I mean, he played with Leon Russell. He was in a band called Baby M, and they were actually great musicians.” Ultimately, he adds, those great musicians are who he wants to celebrate in Oil Capital Underground. “Except for maybe YouTube or word of mouth, these incredible players have gone unnoticed for all these years,” he says. “Hopefully, they get some recognition now.” Already, the documentary itself has won major recognition. In late June, it was one of 10 features from around the globe to earn a Gold Lion Award at the Barcelona International Film Festival. Oil Capital Underground begins a run at Tulsa’s Circle Cinema at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3. JOHN WOOLEY

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Life & Style

A M A P TO L I V I N G W E L L

Eternal Sounds of Childhood

Capture the feel of your carefree youth with outdoor games and activities.

PHOTO BY JOSH NEW

uring the dog days of summer, hours before the sunlight dissipates and you chase fireflies or listen to cicadas, sounds of childhood fun are never forgotten. You grip the hand of your best friend and yell, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Tommy right over!” He giggles while trying to break

through the barrier of your linked arms. In a back yard, as the seeker, you steadily count behind a tree as friends run to hide. In a pool, you swim with your eyes squeezed shut and shout, “Marco,” while listening for the splashes of those saying, “Polo.” A mallet clacks a ball while you and your crew play croquet. A bean bag goes thud

against a wooden platform as you miss the hole. A horseshoe clanks and spins around the metal post. People cheer or jeer during outdoor games. You still hear those joyous sounds, whether they’re in your memories or your children’s summertime delights. Decades later, nothing has changed. ALAINA STEVENS

AUGUST 2018| WWW.OKMAG.COM

Life & Style INTERIORS

An Airy Oasis

A home in Jenks utilizes the owners’ mementos, especially wood from old Army boxes, as unique design elements. By M.J. Van Deventer • Photos by Sarah Baker

ight. Bright. Airy. Happy. That’s how George Monks describes his family’s new custom-built home in Jenks. Paige Strawn, interior designer for the project, echoes those words. George and his wife, Rachel, like the contemporary, coastal design style seen in homes on Cape Cod or in New York’s Hamptons. George also researched the work of Australian architect Dean Herald, visited with Herald via email, then hired a drone to survey their three-acres so Herald could easily envision the terrain. “We wanted a home where our three children could grow up and entertain their friends – a ‘staycation’ setting so popular now,” George says. Having a storm cellar was a driving force in the design, along with a standby generator, geothermal heating and air conditioning for the home, and a pool in the backyard entertaining area. Foam insulation was used from floor to ceiling and under the slab foundation. This attention to construction detail and safety was inspired by an EF2 tornado that flooded the basement of the family’s Grand Lake vacation home. The couple also considered the aesthetics of their new home as much as structural features. “We didn’t want any dark woods,” George says. The cool color palette of white and gray is the backdrop for interesting light woods used throughout the home, especially in the flooring, which is all hickory with a high-grade, natural finish. “It looks amazing,” he says. “It gives such a light appearance in the house.” Strawn incorporated many of the family’s favorite possessions in the home’s decor. “We used Restoration Hardware throughout, eclectic things they

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

THE MAIN LIVING AREA, WITH A FIREPLACE FLANKED BY SHELVES AND CABINETS, IS DECORATED IN A MINIMALIST FASHION, ADDING TO THE THEME OF THE DECOR.

LEFT TO RIGHT: THE KITCHEN, THE HEART OF THIS HOME, HAS A CENTER ISLAND. THE BAR STOOLS ARE CRAFTED FROM WOODEN TRACTOR SEATS WITH IRON BASES FROM RESTORATION HARDWARE. A CRISSCROSS PATTERN SEEN THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE APPEARS IN THE DECOR OF THE BASEMENT WINE CELLAR. WINE STORAGE WAS ARTFULLY CREATED BY ROHLEDER CUSTOM CABINETRY AND MILLWORK. THE SLEEK STYLE OF THE ENTRY IS ACCENTED BY A TABLE, LAMP AND DECORATIVE MIRROR. THE STAIRCASE IS A DISTINCT FEATURE.

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Life & Style

RIGHT: RECLAIMED WOOD FROM U.S. ARMY AMMUNITION BOXES WERE USED FOR A FEATURE WALL IN THIS BEDROOM.

LEFT: AMONG THE POOLSIDE AMENITIES IS THE PATIO’S ENTERTAINING AREA, WITH PLENTY OF SPACE FOR HUNGRY GUESTS. BELOW:THE FAMILY PUT AS MUCH DESIGN THOUGHT INTO THE GUEST HOUSE AND OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING AREAS AS THE MAIN HOME.

loved, including a large coffee table they found in Dallas for the living room,” she says. Strawn added turquoise color pops and dressed the master bedroom in pale blues and grays with an occasional touch of navy. Woven wood window coverings and high-end, electronically controlled shades were designed to provide views of the rolling landscape. Repurposed wood was used for accent pieces. That design feature incorporates U.S. Army ammunition boxes from the 1940s and ’50s that George’s dad collected.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

“My father bought them in the early 1970s and saved all that wood,” he says. “He had hoped to use it to build a chicken house on his southeastern Oklahoma farm. My mom didn’t plan to use the wood, so I used those boxes for sliding doors, a shelf in the new basement storm cellar and game room, and an amazing wall in my son Hudson’s bedroom. “You can actually see the labels where the boxes were made and what kind of ammunition it was. The wood is an interesting artifact.” That old wood reminds George of his childhood. “My family never wanted to waste anything,” he says. “My dad was a research scientist with the Army. I served in the Persian Gulf War, and my brother also was in the Army. I enjoy the idea of having these boxes as part of our home.” Subtle color touches are evident in accessories and art, especially a painting commissioned from Oklahoma City artist Jason Pawley. George’s favorite area is the living room, which features a wall of windows overlooking the pool and providing abundant sunlight. Rachel’s favorite is the kitchen, with its open ﬂoor plan and high ceilings, much like the rest of the home. “It’s a happy place where everybody likes to gather and hang out,” Rachel says. Strawn, a close family friend for eight years, calls the home “a retreat. George and Rachel have amazing taste. My role was just reinforcing, guiding and validating their choices.”

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Life & Style H E A LT H

More than a Headache

Migraines present complex issues that stretch far beyond typical irritations.

rom nausea and piercing pain to vision loss and facial weakness, those who suffer from migraines – known as migraineurs – manage and endure an intricate web of symptoms. “Migraine is not just a headache,” says Charles Morgan, a vascular

neurologist and medical director for the INTEGRIS James R. Daniel Stroke Center of Oklahoma. “A great many migraines occur with no pain at all. Migraine is an episodic, neurologic disorder, usually associated with a prodrome – a sense that something is going to happen – and it may be as simple as fatigue. The

patient may say, ‘Uh oh, I think this is going to be a migraine day.’” Morgan says a migraine often, but not always, comes with an aura. The most common type is visual, and descriptions include shimmering or ﬂashing lights, or an area of vision loss that moves from one side to the other. “The aura can be extremely variable between patients, but often is stereotyped during repeated attacks for a single migraine patient,” he says. “If there is a headache, it can precede the aura, occur at the same time as the aura, or follow the aura. The pain can be a mild or severe, sharp or throbbing.”

MIGRAINE OR HEADACHE? Yoon-Hee Cha, a neurologist with Warren Clinic in Tulsa, explains that for a

formal diagnosis of migraine, a person would have to experience: � At least five episodes of headaches lasting 4 to 72 hours that are associated with either nausea and/or vomiting or light and sound sensitivity; � And at least two of the following types of head pain: one-sided; pulsating; moderately severe or greater; or aggravated by physical activity. “From a practical standpoint, a moderately severe headache that is associated with hypersensitivities is how you would distinguish a migraine from other primary headache disorders such as tension headache or cluster headache,” Cha says.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

WHO GETS MIGRAINES

According to the Migraine Research Foundation: � Migraine is the third most prevalent illness in the world. � About 12 percent of the U.S. population, including children, suﬀer from migraine. � Migraine is most common between the ages of 25 and 55. � 18 percent of American women, 6 percent of men and 10 percent of children experience migraines. � Migraine is hereditary, with about 90 percent of migraine suﬀerers having a family history.

TREATING MIGRAINES Charles Morgan, vascular neurologist, divides migraine management into two categories. Acute Treatment “In this category,

anti-inﬂammatory medications, such as aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen, are the mainstays,” Morgan says. “For infrequent headaches, a combination of acetaminophen with low-dose caffeine available over-the-counter is very reasonable, but that is not a good choice for frequent migraine because that combination tends to cause a rebound headache.”

Prevention Morgan says for frequent

headaches that interfere with work and social life, a migraine-preventing medication can help. “There is a long list of medications prescribed by neurologists for migraine prevention, some of which are FDA approved for this indication, many of which are not,” he says. “Commonly prescribed migraine

preventers include beta blockers such as propranolol, some seizure medications such as sodium valproate or topiramate, and candesartan, a blood pressure medication. Each of these medications has some potential side effects and you will want to talk with your physician before starting them. “There is a recently approved medication for migraine prevention (erenumab), which in studies has offered good protection from frequent severe migraines and have a good safety proﬁle. It is quite expensive and is considered a last resort. It is given by injection on a regular basis.” Morgan emphasizes that narcotics aren’t the best choice for treatment. “Narcotics for recurrent migraine are a very bad idea,” he says. “It is terribly ineffective in the long run and leads to rebound headache and addiction.”

THE MAYBE MEDICINE CABINET Migraineurs report using a variety of methods and medications to ward oﬀ pain Yoon-Hee Cha, a neurologist with Warren Clinic in Tulsa and an assistant professor at the University of Tulsa, serves as a principal investigator at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research. “About 30 percent of migraine sufferers will experience visual aura at some point … most typically preceding the headache,” Cha says. “There are other, more rare forms of migraine, however, such as migraine associated with stroke-like symptoms, migraines that actually cause strokes, migraines with symptoms that appear to come from the brain stem, and migraines that have very prominent autonomic symptoms. There are also migraines that are only associated with visual loss and not headaches, which we call retinal migraines.” Among the struggles of migraineurs is that while their condition is debilitating, it’s often unseen by others. “Invisible illnesses are some of the most devastating because the pain and suffering are real, but there are no outward manifestations that prove the person’s experience,” Cha says. “This experience can lead to depression due to a sense of helplessness that develops when pain is not controllable in a reasonable amount of time.” REBECCA FAST

– some prescribed by doctors, others they’ve found themselves. To each his own, but ask your physician before trying anything new.

Antidepressants

Some antidepressants, such as nortiptyline, may help to reduce the frequency of migraines. Tricyclic antidepressants are not approved by the FDA for this purpose, but doctors can legally prescribe them oﬀ-label.

Caﬀeine

Some migraineurs say they quickly suck down an icy soda and take a couple overthe-counter pain relievers at the first sign of trouble – and that cold can of caﬀeine does the trick by heading oﬀ a splintering migraine, or at least reducing the symptoms.

Anti-convulsants

Suppositories

For those who suﬀer debilitating nausea and/or vomiting with a migraine, some pharmacies make special ibruprofen suppositories, which can provide over-thecounter pain relief without you trying to hold pills or liquid down when you’re at your worst.

Daith piercings

Some swear by daith piercings, while some call them bunk. The daith is the fold of cartilage near the center of your outer ear. Some report experiencing fewer migraines after having a piercing placed there.

Topiramate and valproic acid are commonly prescribed to prevent migraines. For people with frequent migraines, these medications might do the trick. AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Life & Style

F YI

Garden Upkeep in the Heat

ou love summer, but you must admit, August is the cruelest month for your garden. Your plants gasp for cool breezes and beg for water. You can’t mulch enough. Perennials bloomed; now, their leaves wilt and crimp before your eyes. These specialists have solutions for your August garden woes: Clare Ashby, a Tulsa landscape architect; Brian Jarvis, a Tulsa County Extension Agent; and Barry Fugatt, founder of Tulsa’s Linnaeus Teaching Garden.

Start at the beginning of the season

“It doesn’t hurt most well-established plants to be a bit stressed in August,” Fugatt says. “But for survivability, no plant is ever better than its root system.” To ensure August garden survival, he encourages preparing spring soil properly for planting and mulching deeply. “This puts your plants in better shape

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

to withstand stressful periods,” he says. “If you wonder why your plants are croaking, maybe you didn’t get them off to the proper start.”

Mulching isn’t just for winter

“Keeping plants covered in wood bark mulch helps grow their root systems deeper in June and July,” Jarvis says. “It prepares them for the August heat. Mulching helps keep the soil cool and reﬂects the sun’s heat away from the plants.” Xeriscaping is another ploy gardeners can use to thwart nature’s oven. This gardening style uses plants requiring less water after they are established. A drip line between the mulch and the soil also saves water and keeps plants thriving. Like Fugatt, Jarvis recommends thinking ahead. “We know it’s going to be hot in August, so plant with that in mind,” he says. “Helping plants establish their root system by less frequent watering during that time encourages them to seek other water sources. Let your plants struggle a bit early in the season. It will help them survive the end of summer heat.”

Design with heat in mind

Ashby says a successful August garden is less about planting and more about creating inviting spaces featuring shade, phantom screens and water features. A customized sprinkler system is a must, she says. Rather than big ﬂower beds, she prefers pots with colorful plants and textures pleasing to the eye. Hostas, Japanese Hakone grass, yews, boxwoods and globe arborvitae are favorites. She loves Oklahoma stalwarts, such as crepe myrtles and grasses that withstand heat. “Sometimes, a colorful pot is so interesting, it doesn’t matter what’s blooming in it,” says Ashby, who suggests rotating pots to places that tolerate searing temperatures and have their own watering zones. M.J. VAN DEVENTER

FILE PHOTO

Anticipation, mulching, xeriscaping, drip lines and sprinklers can help flowers and plants survive in August.

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Life & Style D E S T I N AT I O N S

Hot and Ge ing Ho er Iceland’s tourist popularity grows each year.

T RIGHT: SOLFAR, ICELANDIC FOR SEA VOYAGER, IS SILHOUETTED AT SUNSET. IMMEDIATELY RIGHT: THE AKUREYRI CHURCH INCORPORATES NORDIC AND ENGLISH ELEMENTS INSIDE ITS WALLS.

he spectacular beauty and organic charm of the Land of Fire and Ice are surprising favorites for adventurers to the North Atlantic. Geysers, lagoons, waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, mountains and surrounding seas give Iceland a bounty of natural charisma that attracts increasing numbers of tourists to the Nordic island nation. A recent visitor, my son Eric, described Iceland this way: “It’s bizarre and strikingly beautiful … the closest you can get to visiting another planet. Plus, I was impressed by how

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

friendly and creative the people are.” Before you visit, keep in mind what you pack and what you will probably eat. Reykjavik averages 54 degrees in the summer and 34 degrees in the winter, and ﬁshing is Iceland’s No. 1 industry. If you read a dozen lists of “top 10 things to do in Iceland,” they will vary widely, except for three must-sees.

The Blue Lagoon

(not the movie)

This man-made geothermal spa is tops for tourists, yet rarely feels crowded. A huge pool of constantly circulating, 102-degree, milky blue, natural saltwater is surrounded by lava. Services include an in-water massage. You can soak in the therapeutic mineral waters as the steam

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN THIS ECLECTIC LAND Videy Island Near Reykjavik, Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower is a perpetual wishing well memorializing John Lennon. Vertical 15-beam beacons of light are visible from the mainland. On the well itself, the words “Imagine Peace” are inscribed in 24 languages.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: THE BLUE LAGOON HAS THERAPEUTIC MINERAL WATERS. THE AURORA BOREALIS IS REFLECTED BETWEEN TWO FJORDS NEAR TROMSØ. THE SAND ON THE BEACH AT REYNISFJARA GETS ITS BLACK COLOR FROM LAVA AND IS TYPICAL THROUGHOUT ICELAND.

soothes and succors you. A half-hour drive from the nation’s capital, Reykjavik, on the southwest coast, the spa features a restaurant and 35-room resort.

The Golden Circle

Tour the historic sites and quaint villages along a loop east of Reykjavik, then prepare yourself for the route’s geysers, tectonic plates and waterfalls. The Geysir Geothermal Field is home to the Great Geysir (meaning gusher),

from which all geysers are named. The Great Geysir is no longer active, but plenty of its neighbors are. Thingvellir National Park offers startling views of the junction of two tectonic plates, the Eurasian and the American. To be precise, the plates are drifting away from each other these days, by a little less than an inch a year. Also, the noisy Gullfoss Waterfall (meaning waterfall of gold) crashes down two massive steps, one 36 feet and the other 71 feet, into a deep gorge below.

Lights in the Sky

Iceland is famous for the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in winter and the Midnight Sun in summer. These astronomic wonders lend urgency to the question, “What time is it?” Residents and visitors get almost 24 hours of darkness and/or twilight in December and nearly 24 hours of daylight in June, with varying amounts of each in between. CHUCK MAI

Lystigardur Botanic Garden Iceland has no forests as we know them, but in this area in Akureyri, the most northern botanical garden in the world, botanists defy geography to grow trees, plants and flowers from across the globe. More than 7,000 specimens are on display, including many rare Arctic species and tropical and subtropical trees and plants. Akureyrarkirkja (Akureyri Church) This unusual landmark is perched on a hilltop above the town center. Inside, a ship suspended from the ceiling symbolizes the Nordic tradition of asking for protection for those at sea, while a stainedglass window, which originally graced Coventry Cathedral in England, illuminates the altar. Solfar (Sun Voyager) This stainless steel sculpture by Jon Gunnar Arnasons represents a stylized dreamboat honoring the sun and signifying light and hope. It sits by Reykjavik’s waterfront facing Mount Esja – which also has a marvelous hiking trail. Skuggie Hotel This inn is centrally located in Reykjavik – modern, chic and cozy. Black beaches Looking for white sand? Keep looking because Iceland’s beaches are mostly dark (thanks to the lava).

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Life & Style

able is that this is the best-known work in the canon. The cold moors, where the diabolical hound lurks, and an impending doom make you shiver.

GUIDE

Chill Out and Read

The Shining 1977 by Stephen King

Transport your brain away from the heat by losing yourself in these frosty novels.

t’s so sultry that not even your pooch should be outside during these dog days of August. Inside in the air conditioning is where you beat the Oklahoma heat. That cool air is for your physical comfort. You might also lower your mental thermostat by reading some novels with wintry settings and getting your mind away from the blast furnace outside. We offer eight icy tomes to help you get through this hot eighth month of the year – a literary way to chillax.

The Blizzard 2015 by Vladimir Sorokin

This work, the latest by one of Russia’s most popular novelists, has zombies, partridge-sized horses, monomania and curious crystalline pyramids underneath the deep snow. Existentialism meets dystopia.

Emma 1815 by Jane Austen

This is the only one of the author’s novels to have a snowfall … in Chapter 15, when characters develop, plot lines thicken and Austen’s wit and satire fully emerge. Close reading shows that even our title character has a touch of hypocrisy, maybe brought on by a recent cold.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Ethan Frome 1911 by Edith Wharton

Just the ﬁctional setting – Starkville – indicates that warm hearts freeze in this novel. An emotionally trapped husband, his passive-aggressive wife and her vivacious younger cousin create an impossible love triangle. It’s no coincidence that it’s warmer outside in the snow than inside Zeena Frome’s kitchen, where her frigid psyche is a staple in all meals. Watch where you sled.

Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus 1823 by

Mary Shelley

Astute readers have long understood that Victor Frankenstein, not his creation, is the true monster. What’s often forgotten is the arduous chase to the South Pole. “Chill, dude” isn’t just a catch-phrase at the end.

The Hound of the Baskervilles 1902 by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlockians around the world argue among themselves about whether this is the best Holmes story. Indisput-

The ghostridden Overlook Hotel, based on the Stanley Hotel in the Colorado Rockies, needs a winter caretaker. Jack Torrance, a writer with a violent past, and his wife try to ﬁght off homicidal cabin fever … and paranormal possession by the hotel. Plus, their son is telepathic. Good times.

Snow Falling on Cedars

1994 by David Guterson

During a blizzard paralyzing a Puget Sound island, a murder trial reveals long-hidden tensions, especially those involving anti-Japanese sentiments during and after World War II. The bitterness is as icy as the weather.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold 1963 by John le Carre

This curveball on the list is a Cold War classic, which brought fame to the writer. Le Carre spent years in British intelligence, so the intrigue rings true in this novel. Just about every action, twist and motivation are dark, nihilistic and cold-blooded. Amorality rules. BRIAN WILSON

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AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Life & Style

ST YLE

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP BY STORE: IPPOLITA CHERISH MULTI-LINK BIB NECKLACE, $495; IPPOLITA CLASICO HALF WAVY DISC HOOPS, $350; IPPOLITA CLASICO SMALL WAVY DISC RING, $195, BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS. BAILEY 44 JOY HOODED DENIM JACKET, $288; SPLENDID BLACK TANK TOP, $38; CINQ A SEPT AMELIA FLORAL SKIRT, $365; CHLOE KYLE HIGH-TOP SNEAKERS, $314; MARC JACOBS COATED LEATHER BACKPACK, $395; STUART WEITZMAN LEATHER ANKLE-STRAP SANDALS, $365; PRADA HAVANA CAT EYE SUNGLASSES, $400, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.

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FOR EVEN MORE OUTFITS FROM SAKS FIFTH AVENUE, URBAN OUTFITTERS AND TRAVERS MAHAN, VISIT OKMAG.COM/WEB. AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Life & Style

SCENE

Emily Stratton, Johann Neem, Dick & Lisa Pryor; Academic Awards Banquet, Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, OKC

Clayton & Marnie Taylor, Cathy & Frank Keating; Campaign Celebration, Allied Arts, OKC

Aimee & David Harlow; Campaign Celebration, Allied Arts, OKC

Lou Holtz, Peggy & Charles Stephenson; 25th Annual William Booth Society Dinner, Salvation Army, Tulsa

Susan Edwards, Bill Citty, M.T. Berry, Larry Nichols, Tricia Everest, Carl Edwards; Celebration of Recovery, A Chance to Change, OKC

Stacy McGinnis, Rachel Hardy; Triple Crown Tea, Infant Crisis Services, OKC

Joe Davidson, Linda Johnson, Trae Willerson; House Party, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tulsa, Tulsa

Mike Jansen, Michelle Swenton Jansen, Gary Oberste; All-Class Reunion, Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Jerry Thomason, Ann Felton Gilliland, Charlie Thomason, Aaron McRee; Maxwell Supply Co.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 60th Anniversay Celebration, Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity, OKC Kohl Stover, Kristine Stover-Walsh, Logan Stover; Taste of Tulsa Gala, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, Tulsa

Lindsay Funk, Gary England, Kelsey & Pryce Williams; An Evening with Gary England, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, OKC

Christine-Aurore Neyroz, Isabelle de Borchgrave, Vicki & David Hunt; Sustainer Preview, OKCMOA, OKC

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OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

Fury Road By Tara Malone

Responsible driving isn’t just about staying safe. It’s about staying sane. I don’t think I’m alone when I say: It seems like Oklahoma drivers are getting worse. Instead of expecting a blinker, I’m pleasantly surprised if someone signals to make a turn. It’s almost Old World chivalry at this point. And if someone actually yields instead of trying to race ahead of me on the highway, then that’s downright marriage material. It’s not like I’m completely innocent. No one is. But we all need some friendly-ish reminders about remaining human on the road.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

ACCORDING TO THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AUTOMOBILE WRECKS CAUSED BY DISTRACTED DRIVING OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY ON FRIDAY THAN ANY OTHER DAY OF THE WEEK.

I… andSAW THE LIGHT it…is probably the most contentious so did you. But to paraphrase Inigo Montoya, I don’t think that light means what you think it means. Every time I’m at an intersection and the light turns green, I wait. I yawn. I think of my grocery list. I file my nails. Because without fail, about four other drivers in cross-traﬀic saw a yellow light and decided to floor it, regardless of whether it was safe to clear the intersection. Sgt. Stephen Boyes of the Tulsa Police Department’s Riverside traﬀic team says running yellow lights frustrates many who are ticketed. “I receive the most inquiries – and

ordinance – in regards to yellow light violations,” he says. “Most drivers have a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact that running a yellow light is a violation of Tulsa municipal ordinances.” Boyes explains that unless you are positive you can safely – and completely – clear an intersection before the light turns red, don’t even try it. Since according to law enforcement, running a yellow light is a source of widespread confusion, we’ll cut you some slack … as long as you quit it.

SPEED DEMONS Is your wife in labor? Are there spiders in your WE’RE NOT PSYCHIC; NEITHER ARE YOU Maybe you know you’re about to cut into the next lane, or slam on

your brakes to turn. Maybe you don’t until you do it. Here’s what everyone should know, however: Your car does not automatically make your Blinky McThingies start to flash every time you decide to switch lanes. Signaling is your responsibility. It’s a matter of courtesy. It’s a matter of safety. And it’s a matter of your insurance premium possibly increasing if I hit you because you couldn’t figure out how to use the lever on the left side of your steering wheel.

backseat? Are you transforming into a werewolf and seeking medical attention? If you answered no to any of these questions, then slow down. We get it. You’re important. You’re going places. Unfortunately, one of those places may be jail if you’re not careful … or worse. “Our goal is to protect the public and to save lives on the roadways,” says Lt. David Steiner of the Oklahoma City Police Department’s traﬀic investigations unit, referring to proclivities for speeding and not wearing a safety belt. “One life lost because of a single driver’s decision to speed or to not wear a seatbelt is one too many. A ticket may be an expensive reminder to slow down or to put on a seatbelt, but it will always be cheaper and better than the resulting damage, injury or death from a collision.” In short, chill out. This isn’t Texas. AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

BUY ME DINNER FIRST Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but you’re tailgating … so back

oﬀ maybe? People who tailgate are creeps, plain and simple. Tailgaiting is one of the most overt aggressions on the road. No matter how much you honk and swerve and become alarmingly intimate with my vehicle, I can’t move any faster, sir. It’s not just infuriating. It’s scary. Little strikes as much terror in the hearts of responsible drivers as the jerk lurking in the car a few inches behind them. Remember the whole 3-second rule that we all learned in driver’s education? That guideline is there for a reason. As Steiner explains, it takes the average motorist at least 1.5 seconds to notice and react to potential dangers on the road. Tailgating is a two-fold problem: one for the driver who’s tailgating, and one for the person being closely followed and who may be so nervous that she’ll be rear-ended that she doesn’t see other dangers looming ahead. For victims of tailgating, I understand the urge to tap your brakes and scare the person behind you into a fresh pair of pants. I do. But please resist because it’s just as dangerous.

COLOR BETWEEN THE LINES I’ve heard my whole life that people should

never be afraid to color outside the lines – that it’s admirable and even brave to do so. That doesn’t fly with me. I was the girl who beat up her cousin for borrowing her coloring book and scribbling all over the place. And now that I’m a grownup, the road is my coloring book, and those lines are there for a reason. Please don’t do a floaty dance like the painted stripes on the road are ephemeral suggestions. You can have your own lane. That’s cool. But you can’t have any of mine. This may seem like common sense to most of us, but I see it every day. And that’s not just for the travel lanes; keep it clean when turning, too. That means no zipping around the waiting line of traffic to make it to the turn lane, no matter how tempting it may seem. Your time isn’t worth more than anyone else’s. “One violation I think people commit and then seem surprised when they receive a citation for it is ‘Disregarding a Traffic Control Device,’” Steiner says. “When a law-abiding driver is waiting patiently in line and then enters the turn lane properly, they are then struck in the driver’s side by the driver that chose to disregard the traffic control device clearly painted on the roadway. This is a violation of city ordinance and state statute.”

OKLAHOMA LAW MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO READ A COMIC BOOK WHILE DRIVING.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE You may believe life is a highway, but that highway is not

your own yellow brick road. Maybe you’re listening to a gut-busting podcast. Maybe you’re fighting with your grandmother on the Bluetooth about how to work the video machine. Maybe you’re just a relaxed person and you enjoy a leisurely drive.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

But if any of these commendable activities slow the pace of traﬀic, for the sake of everyone’s physical and mental health, get out of the left lane. Arguments like, “Hey, the speed limit says 60,” fall on the deaf ears of every enraged driver around you. It’s also not viable with Highway Patrol oﬀicers, who can pull you over for using the left lane as your own meandering passageway. Slower drivers, keep right.

THE HIGHEST REPORTED SPEEDING TICKET ISSUED IN OKLAHOMA WAS GIVEN TO A MAN AVOIDING THE HIGHWAY PATROL. REPORTS SAY HE REACHED SPEEDS UP TO 208 MPH BEFORE HE WAS CAUGHT AND ARRESTED.

19-YEAR-OLD

A PERSONAL AND SATISFYING NOTE FOR DAREDEVIL BICYCLISTS If you think a bicycle doesn’t count when it

comes to the rules of the road, then think again, Mr. Block-Traﬀic-Until-It’s-Convenientto-Ignore-the-Law-Every-Day-During-My-Commute (you know who you are). “Bicyclists should be reminded that, by state statute, a bicycle is considered a vehicle and therefore is bound and required to obey all the same traﬀic laws as a motorized vehicle,” Boyes says. That means no zipping through stop signs or lights, weaving around other cars or failing to signal a lane change. These violations can earn cyclists the same punitive measures that car drivers face … and some childish pointing and laughing from me. And, to be fair, automobile drivers need to give cyclists at least 3 feet of leeway (by state law) when they pass – 6 feet is nice, and 9 feet probably means the driver cycles, too.

THE WORLD’S VERY FIRST PARKING METER WAS INSTALLED IN OKLAHOMA CITY IN 1935 AND CALLED PARK-O-METER NO. 1. ALL JOKING ASIDE While these myriad regulations may sometimes seem like nui-

sances, dangerous driving can also increase blood pressure. Traffic violations increase the potential peril for us and others. Most of us tend to cut corners here and there – I’ll confess that I’ve considered monster-trucking over people who stop immediately when they see the railroad crossings start to flash – but traffic officers emphasize that rules have reasons. Steiner says it best: “Drivers need to realize that the traffic laws are put into place for their own safety as well as the safety of other motorists.”

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

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Education

Preparing for College BIG DECISIONS

await you as your child prepares to enter college.

As your child, or even you, prepare to enter the world of higher education, a multitude of questions arise. Which school? Which major? Should you minor? You must make decisions on paying for school, where you or your child will live and, in the case of new high school graduates, how in the world to do laundry correctly. Here you find answers to some of the hardest questions, including: How do I help my child transition to independence? Should I take out student loans, and how do I do it carefully? Should we visit campuses and is work study a good idea? AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Education

The Paradox of Loans Paying for college and related expenses may be necessary, but students must beware the consequences of large debt.

For many college graduates in their 20s and 30s, loans that financed their educations have become albatrosses around their necks. National reports indicate more than 44 million Americans have more than $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. Somewhat typical of this situation is Morgan Hope, a University of Oklahoma alumna in the banking industry. She struggles with a six-figure debt and describes private student loans as “the devil.” She received two private student loans – one in 2005 for about $16,000, the other in 2007 for about $11,000. Never missing a deadline, she has repaid more than $8,000 toward each, but, because of interest, she owes more than $20,000 on the first and more than $15,000 on the second. Hope seems to be going backward instead of forward, and that’s not all she owes. “The remaining seven years of my education was financed via federal student loans, originally consisting of both subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans,” she says. “My current balance due is $152,865.23. This loan is currently in forbearance, after having been deferred in August 2017 after I went back to school.” When in repayment, Hope follows an income-based plan; however, without such a plan, the monthly payment comes close to $1,500. Combined with the private loans, her usual monthly payments are almost $2,000, she says. With a college degree and steady work history under her belt, one might think Hope could handle those payments. Not really, she says. “I work in banking actually,” she says. “Queue the irony, right? I have been in my current position for five years. I do not have an entry-level job, and my salary has doubled since entering the industry seven years ago. But I still don’t make enough to cover the minimum payments on all of my loans under the standard 10-year repayment plan … even now that all of the federal loans are consolidated.” Hope’s experience serves as a warning of how to pay for college. Brad Burnett, associate vice president for enrollment and student financial services at OU, teaches a class called The

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

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Education Nine Things Every College Student Should Know About Money. No. 1 on his list is “you’ve got to have a plan,” Burnett says. “And No. 2 is, ‘So, hey, ya got a dollar I can borrow?” Not everyone can rely on parents to pay for meal plans, housing, tuition, fees and books, so students entering college must know that loans may be necessary, he says. But Burnett says using that option must be carefully planned. “Once they have a plan in place, we talk about the difference between what they need and what they want,” he says. “And having that conversation with a 20-year-old is really eye opening because it isn’t something they’ve necessarily put a lot of thought into before.” Burnett says many students fall into a trap by taking out loans for optional expenses. Students frequently getting in the most trouble with loan debt are those paying for “an elevated lifestyle.” “To take a student loan to go on a spring break trip – that is a want, not a need,” he says. “We say keep your lifestyle in check while you’re in college, so you have to live like a college student now, but you don’t have to live like a college student for the rest of your life.” In Hope’s case, it wasn’t a desire to have money to throw around and extravagant vacations that drove her borrowing. “I always worked, from my very second day on campus, and when I was in grad school I often had a job off campus in addition to my GA position,” she says. “But it’s hard when you see your parent struggling, only making $12,000 to $15,000 a year, or your grandparent on a fixed income, and you have this option for this ‘extra’ money that would make things a little easier for them, you know? “I gave a grandparent some funds, occasionally, and to my parent also. But I was never balling out with expensive clothes and other frivolous things.” Hope says she may have made different choices if she were better informed 15 years ago, when she first sat in a financial aid office; it felt like the only advice she got was, “Sign here.” “I’m not blaming anyone for my situation, but I honestly don’t remember anyone ever sitting me down and running through the numbers with me,” she says. “All I heard

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Should I have a work-study job or not?

You should. College students need extra money in their pockets and on-campus jobs fit their class schedules. Since it is on campus, employers realize that being a student comes first. Work-study shows employers diligence and teaches time management. Jodi Okun, founder of College Financial Aid Advisors, says: “Work-study is always a good idea. Building a resume while in college, creating network opportunities, and getting to know the staﬀ on campus – all of these options can lead to job placement upon graduation.”

How do you prepare teens to live on campus?

Teach them to do laundry – and insist that they do their own for the summer. Teach them the basics of banking and how to manage money. Teach them how to cook a few basic meals. Most freshmen are on some kind of meal plan, but knowing how to cook can come in handy. Discuss the reality of their decisions. Tell them what to expect and how to handle possible social, financial and medical situations.

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1,662

Number of Graduates

Rejoice Christian Schools admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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Today OSSM ranks as one of the nation’s top 10 STEM High Schools

4:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

+70%

Percentage of Faculty with Ph.Ds

Fulbright Scholar

Rhodes Scholar

Goldwater Scholar

300

116

Engineers

MDs

34 JDs

PhDs

327

National Merit Scholars

1141 North Lincoln Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104

EDUCATE 405.521.6436

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www.ossm.edu

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

7/9/18 5:12 PM

Education was, ‘Don’t worry; this is good debt – it won’t count against you like credit cards.’ “I do wish I would have been more informed of the process. I was the first person in my family to go to college, and none of us understood how the process really worked. Looking back, I can say that I should have been more proactive in seeking out the information, but I was only 18. I had never had a finance or economics class, and I had been told my entire life that to make something of yourself, you’ve got to go to college. Do whatever you’ve got to do to get there, and stay there, but you’ve at least got to go.” Burnett says OU, like many colleges across the state and country, tries to make the process easier, less confusing and less of a hassle for today’s students. OU has money coaches who advise newcomers when they enroll and can stay with those students through their collegiate careers. OU has put its financial aid, bursar and scholarship offices all in one place, he says. That way, students aren’t bounced from one office to another with questions about their financial statuses, and one person can help them rein in all issues and figure out solutions in one place. From a practical standpoint, Hope advises those enrolling in college: “Please take advantage of the wealth of information out there regarding student loans and their implications on your future. Do your research. Start applying for every scholarship, literally, right now.”

Should we visit colleges in person before choosing one?

Yes, visit campuses if possible. You learn about meal plans and average class sizes, and you can ask all the questions that you can’t find the answers to online. If you’re on the fence about where to go, visiting should be part of the decisionmaking process. However, families with limited travel budgets can take virtual tours online and many questions can be answered in chat forums with admissions oﬀicers. Many students save visits for the 30-to-90-day window between acceptances and the national commitment date of May 1.

WENDY KING BURTON

Should I minor in something, or is that old-fashioned?

Minors allow you to explore something new while also getting a leg up on other students in your field of study. There’s nothing wrong with added knowledge, and it can be a resume booster. Having a minor also emphasizes your work ethic to future employers because it is not mandatory at most colleges and adds versatility to your skills and career path.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Which ma ers more, choice of major or choice of college?

In College Majors Handbook With Real Career Paths and Payoffs, three economists from Northeastern University in Boston conclude that choosing a major is more important to future financial success than the college attended.

University School University School

Parent Teacher Institute The Joy ofTeacher Discovery Parent Institute Presentation on bullying by on Presentation bullying by

Jean Peterson Jean Peterson Professor Emerita Purdue University Professor Emerita College of Education Purdue University College of Education

7 p.m. Sept. 15 7 p.m. Sept. 15 TU Student Union TU Student Union

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including University School at TU, Bishop Kelley, ALSO: Private School Showcase Cascia Hall,School Holland Hall, Mizel, MonteHall, Cassino, including UniversityUniversity at TU,School Bishop at Kelley, Holland Hall, including TU,Cascia Bishop Kelley, Riverfield, Town & Country and Undercroft Montessori Mizel, Monte Cassino, Riverfield, Town & Mizel, CountryMonte and Undercroft Montessori Cascia Hall, Holland Hall, Cassino, 918-631-5060 • utulsa.edu/uschool Riverfield, Town & Country and Undercroft Montessori

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The University of Tulsa is an EEO/AA institution.

23319 Bishop Kelley.indd 1 Emily was abandoned by her mother.

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918-584-2272 www.tulsacasa.org

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Be the Difference.

Casady’s holistic approach to education leads students to pursue a diverse range of interests, inspiring academic, athletic, artistic, and spiritual growth.

And will likely never see each other again.

A LOVING FAMILY L. ADOPTS THEM AL

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Educating in Mind, Body, Spirit

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They live in four different foster homes.

This is CASADY.

Casady School is a PreK-12, independent, college preparatory Episcopal day school committed to deeper-level learning. Casady School seeks a student body that reflects the diversity of the world around us and therefore welcomes students without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, or ethnic origin.

9500 North Pennsylvania Ave. | Oklahoma City, OK 73120 | 405.749.3185 www.casady.org 23341 Casady School.indd 1 22520 CASA.indd 1

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Education

Freshmen Fear Factors Students heading off to college face common problems and challenges, but learning to cope is part of the process.

Excitement abounds – moving into a dormitory or apartment, meeting new people – but in the shadows are issues many college freshmen encounter. How they deal with these challenges often determines whether their paths to graduation are rocky or smooth. Common sense, open communication and no overreactions lower these hurdles, according to counseling directors at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. They say all freshmen face difﬁculties and parents should remove (not necessarily discard) their problem-solving hats and become sounding boards. In the process, parents see resilient young adults handling life.

Relationships

Scott Miller, Ph.D., director of OU counseling services, says today’s teenagers “developmentally have fewer skills in dealing with people” than those from previous decades. Freshmen can make their lives easier by cordially communicating with instructors and staff. “Some students don’t necessarily understand what to do in a university setting,” he says. “We need to communicate with students better on how to show respect.” Trevor Richardson, Ph.D., director of OSU counseling and sports psychology, says relationships outside class are vital, too. “Making connections is always the key to success,” he says. “It could be another classmate, a professor, a counselor, a mentor, a friend. They let you know that you’re not in this boat alone.”

Isolation

Setbacks can prompt collegians to cut themselves off from life … and exacerbate problems. “Those who are isolated aren’t retained,” Richardson says. “The more you isolate yourself, the more power it has over you. It’s important for students to meet with each other. When you join a group or organization, you take ownership of your school.” Miller says isolation can occur quickly. “More relationships are virtual now,” he says. “We speak more harshly on social media, so some students don’t know how to receive criticism face-to-face. On social media, you can

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

At ARC we recognize the importance of our educational system in Oklahoma. We sincerely thank all of the teachers, administrators and support staff for their devotion to educating our children.

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6/21/18 11:36 AM

At Tulsa Tech, we help students get on the path to a successful career. Prepare for your future and learn the skills to achieve your goals. Apply online at tulsatech.edu/apply or for more information, call (918) 828-5000. » Over 90 Career Majors » No Tuition for H.S. Students

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» State-of-the-Art Classes & Labs » Affordable Tuition for Adults

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Education craft an image that doesn’t reﬂect reality. Also, more time online leads to less sleep and more anxiety.”

Perseverance

Richardson and Miller decry so-called snowplow parents, the banes of young people acquiring problem-solving skills. Because many students lack resilience, anxiety and depression increase. “Snowplow parents want to ﬁx everything, but you can develop resilience,” says Richardson, adding that perseverance can keep a young person from having a crisis. “Taking that ﬁrst step is tough and there are many services available to help a student who’s struggling. Snowplow parents don’t want their kids to have failure, but that’s going to happen in some way in college.”

Substance abuse

Straight talk, not judgment, must prevail with alcohol or drug abuse. Miller sees many substance issues beginning in high school. “Some parents think that ignoring problems will help get their kids into college, but that just delays dealing with it,” he says. “If you see early signs of a problem, don’t avoid it. Enforce consequences. Have an open dialogue with your child. Don’t pretend that your child is perfect.” Once children get to college, parents should consider a different tack. “Parents should have open lines of communication,” Richardson says. “Make sure you understand what’s going on. Unless it’s a life-and-death situation, parents should give the child space to talk. You can help to ﬁnd resources. Often, the student comes up with a plan on their own, which is what we want.”

My first child heads to college in the fall. I’m not sure I’m ready.

Children don’t leave forever. You will see your son or daughter again. Just remember that when you drive away from the dorm that s/he will still want the comforts of home … and mom sometimes, especially when laundry needs folding and chicken-noodle soup and crackers have grown tiresome.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Academic stress

Time management eliminates most academic stress. The generations-old guideline of spending twice as many hours for studies as for class time prevails. A student in class 15 hours a week should budget 30 hours a week toward reading, writing and preparation. “Students today don’t realize how much time it takes to be successful,” Miller says. “They need to ﬁnd places and times to work comfortably without distractions.” Richardson says a student “should print a schedule and treat it like a work day. It includes class time, study time, social time, everything. You can avoid all-nighters and getting run down and sick.” Problems can arise when students who had

Prices of college textbooks are faint-worthy. Are there ways around this expense? Tricks to save money on textbooks include: ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

A search tool to compare prices Buying used books Renting books Buying e-books Sharing books with trusted classmates Regardless, you should always make sure you have the edition that a professor wants. Having an older edition may be cheap, but it may not have all the information for the course. success in high school without much effort stumble as freshmen. Academic advisers and tutors are available on any campus. “I always say, ‘If you already knew everything, why are you in school?’ You want to use all the resources available,” Richardson says. Miller says rushing into a major can increase academic stress. “Students need to determine their skill sets,” he says. “But if you really want a degree in a specific major and you’re struggling, go to the professor’s office hours, get tutoring, get into study groups.” Miller also says many freshmen lack daily functioning skills, like making appointments or paying bills. Efficiently dealing with chores reduces academic stress. “We don’t teach students how to deal with real life,” he says. “We need to let them practice these skills before they get to college.”

Advice for the folks

Miller reminds parents that “students aren’t going to get it right every semester. Be there to listen without ﬁxing the problem.” Richardson stresses that parents should “be a safety net, but let students make their own decisions and be independent. Your role is changing, and understanding that reduces frustrations for both the parents and the student.” BRIAN WILSON

READ MORE AT OKMAG.COM.

TestOptional Admissions Some top-tier colleges now accept students without ACT/SAT scores.

Do I have to know my major before starting college? I’m undecided.

According to the Education Advisory Board, 75 percent to 85 percent of students switch majors before graduation.

Beginning slowly more than 30 years ago, but now gaining momentum, is a movement of collegiate admissions offices not requiring students to submit standardized test scores. Bowdoin College in Maine, George Washington University in the District of Columbia, Pitzer College in California, the University of Texas at Austin and Wesleyan University in Connecticut are among an increasing number of highly ranked schools that make SAT and ACT results optional in the admissions process. Essays, academic achievement in rigorous classes, non-inflated grade-point average, portfolios and participation in extracurricular activities are some of the factors that counselors weigh heavily when they don’t see a standardized test score on an application. The University of Chicago announced in June its switch to test-optional admissions. “Today, many under-resourced and under-represented students, families and school advisers perceive top-ranked colleges as inaccessible if students do not have the means to help them stand out in the application process,” writes James G. Nondorf, vice president and dean of admissions at the university. “The UChicago Empower Initiative levels the playing field, allowing first-generation and low-income students to

use technology and other resources to present themselves as well as any other college applicant.” Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has test-optional admissions and “our students are better because we look at the whole person, not a test score,” writes Joseph A. Soares, professor of sociology at Wake, in the higher-education e-magazine The Conversation. “We emphasize high school grades because they have always been the best predictor of college academic performance.” In his book SAT Wars: The Case for Test-Optional College Admissions, Soares “presents a roadmap for rethinking college admissions that moves us past the statistically weak and socially divisive SAT/ACT.” Critics of the two major standardized tests have stated for decades that socioeconomic and racial disparities are reﬂected in students’ scores. Yet the vast majority of colleges across the country require an SAT or ACT score and many admissions ofﬁces cite it as a prime indicator of a student’s success in college, including the University of Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University. Admissions requirements regarding standardized test scores are clear on every school’s admissions website, so students should check there as they begin submitting their applications. BRIAN WILSON

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Photography by Dan Morgan Edited by Mary Willa Allen

This year’s collection of 14 Oklahoma high school seniors – starting their university experiences in the fall – includes philanthropists, athletes, scientists, musicians ... and even a professional chef. They’ve all gone above and beyond in their high school years, but their ambitions for the future are even more impressive.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Tucker Hill

Erika Ravitch

Cascia Hall Preparatory School College or University University of Pennsylvania What is your intended major? Biology. My love for science has been fostered in the high school classroom and in my independent science research. What is your biggest achievement? The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is the largest, pre-college science fair competition. I have been a finalist for this event for three years, competing with my independent science research. What is a career interest? I hope to pursue a career in pediatric surgery, specializing in clinical trials and novel medical treatments. This frontier of medicine and research actualizes the efforts of lab work in the real world, bringing the treatments to life. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? An astronaut on a space exploration mission. It seems really easy to be consumed in day-to-day life by small matters, and the opportunity to leave Earth and actually see and experience the magnitude of the planet would be an amazing experience. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I come from a family of four girls, and I am the daughter of a first-generation immigrant to the United States from Italy. My heritage informs my life in many facets, and my family is something that I hold very dear to my heart. Also, despite my scientific knowledge and type-A personality, I cannot draw to save my life. Even my stick figures are crooked.

Bishop McGuinness College or University Princeton University What is your intended major? I plan to study either chemical or aerospace engineering. I got my private pilot’s license when I was 17 and gravitate toward pretty much anything that flies. Who have been the biggest influences in your life? My mom and dad. They’ve taught me that the only way to find out if you really can’t do something is to go for it. So far, that philosophy has worked out really well. What is your biggest achievement? Receiving a full, four-year Army ROTC scholarship to Princeton. What is a career interest? My biggest dream is to some way or another get to space. I plan to commission out of Princeton ROTC as an Army oﬀicer and train to become a helicopter pilot, and hope that my path will eventually lead to being sent to space. Honestly, I wouldn’t even mind if Elon Musk just strapped me to one of his rockets. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Elon Musk. The guy is just about the coolest person out there. When he thought that cars needed to be electric, he started Tesla. When he thought humans should become an interplanetary species, he started Space X. That’s the kind of approach to the world I hope I will be able to embody one day. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I’m Level 2 high-power certified under the National Association of Rocketry. Basically, I build giant rockets.

AUGUST 2018| WWW.OKMAG.COM

Brandon Le Jenks High School

College or University University of California, Los Angeles What is your intended major? The fast track electrical engineering program at UCLA. I have always been fascinated with circuitry and how technological devices work. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My previous youth pastor, Seth Whitaker. He not only committed himself to his studies, which landed him an amazing fellowship in Scotland among globally recognized professors, but he has also remained loyal to his friends and family. What is your biggest achievement? Being a three-year All-State musician. I received this title for playing in the highly competitive Oklahoma All-State Orchestra for three years in a row (the maximum any high school student in Oklahoma can participate). If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius behind Hamilton. He not only has the creativity to come up with an entire Broadway musical

Luke Albert Casady School

Harvard University What is your intended major? I plan to major in government because I’m interested in politics. I’ve grown to realize that people are my passion, and politics is the platform to which I feel called. Who have been the biggest influences in your life? My family. My parents have always given me love and support in all my eﬀorts and taught me to College or University

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

about a treasury secretary, but he has the drive and ambition to help others in need. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? In 10 years, I want to work at a company that develops groundbreaking technology to help those in need. And as cliche as it sounds, I want to be married to the perfect person. In 20 years, all I need to be is happy. What characteristics make you stand out from other students your age? I have a way of dedicating myself to any task that I set my mind to. These tasks range from doing homework to mastering the art of Texas Hold ’em poker to magic tricks and dice stacking. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I have the strangest taste in music, from country to Korean pop to Broadway musicals and ’90s boy bands. I try to keep my Spotify playlists private.

believe myself, no matter the task ahead. My siblings taught me to never quit and how to pick myself up when I fail. What is your biggest achievement? The legacy of my positive leadership and the individual impact I’ve been able to have on people. I’ve had countless positive influences and examples in my life, and I’ve tried to provide the same to others. What is a career interest? I plan on going into politics and public service, and running for office. I have grown up with so much opportunity to chase my dreams and do what I love. I want to help create a world where all kids can experience the opportunity for their own pursuits of happiness. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? In 10 years, I see myself either working in someone’s office or practicing some form of civil law in the public or private sector. In 20 years, I see myself serving in federal public office and doing the best I can for my constituency and the American people. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I’ve played the piano for 12 years and am the principal chair of the bass section in the Casady Orchestra.

Shubham Gulati

Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics College or University Vanderbilt University What is your intended major? Biomedical engineering on a pre-med track. My mom is a researcher, and as a kid I was in the lab with her often. Who have been the biggest influences in your life? My parents. Every day, my mom shows me what it truly means to be a scientist: never giving up, no matter the outcome. Her work ethic and determination to accomplish everything she desires is something I aspire to have. Also, my dad has shown me that by working hard, you can achieve anything. What is your biggest achievement? Winning ninth place in the Protein Modeling event at the Science Olympiad national tournament my sophomore year. This was my fifth time competing, and my team had never come close to a top 10 finish. However, that year, my two partners and I had spent the majority of our weekends perfecting our model and learning all we could about protein structures. Our long nights of hard work finally paid off when we won the highest place in Oklahoma’s history. What characteristics make you stand out from other students your age? I have been involved in multicultural clubs, science tournaments, debate, student council, residential assistance programs and tutoring, and in all of these I have taken some form of leadership role. These experiences have combined to shape my perspective, and it is the ideology of inclusion that emerged from this, and my encounters with racism, that further differentiate me. This has led me to found my own multicultural social club and encourage others to appreciate the similarities, not the differences, among the people around them.

Olivia Studebaker Holland Hall

Tulane University What is your intended major? I am currently undecided. I want to give myself time and space away from home before I dive head-first into an area of study. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My mom. She has been an incredible role model for me growing up, and I would be lucky to be like her someday. Kind and smart, thoughtful and selfless, she has always been in my life as a constant source of good. Above all, she cares about me and my family so much, and I hope to make her proud. What is your biggest achievement? My induction into my school’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society. During my junior year, the top 10 percent of the class were honored and inducted, and I was among the six with the highest grades and the toughest classes. What is a career interest? I’m super interested in neuroscience and child development. I’ve had an internship at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa for the past two years and have absolutely loved it. The brain is so fascinating, and the work that I have done there has all been centered on how the adolescent brain develops over time. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I am a huge procrastinator. I like keeping myself extremely busy because, if I didn’t, I would never ever get anything done. College or University

Remmi Smith

Bishop Kelley High School College or University University of Tulsa What is your intended major? Chemical engineering. I’ve always had an interest in food and helping others. With my business now, I am able to explore both of these passions, but I think this degree could help me delve deeper into my culinary interests. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My mom. She’s been by my side since I was 8 years old, when I created Cook Time with Remmi (my business) and has supported me throughout these years, as well as taught me invaluable lessons that she learned in the corporate world. What is your biggest achievement? Being named one of 30 global teen leaders for the Three Dot Dash program of the We are Family

Braden Boyer Broken Arrow

College or University University of Arkansas-Fort Smith What is your intended major? I plan to major in business, using my degree to pursue a career as an actuary or accountant. All my life, I’ve calculated risks in my head before I chose to do something. I’m also a detail-oriented and analytical person, which match perfectly with either of these careers. What is your biggest achievement? Receiving a full scholarship to further my education while continuing to play the sport [basketball] I’ve been passionate about since I was 4 years old. Early on, I set a goal to go to college without having to take out any student loans. I worked hard in the classroom and on the basketball court. There is no greater feeling than knowing you accomplished something that was important to you. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Bill Gates. I’d like to get an inside look at how he got to where he is today, and I would hope to learn how to duplicate some of his business success. I would also like to treat myself and the ones I love to a few nice things … with Mr. Gates’ permission, of course. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I am almost 6 foot 9 inches.

Foundation. I have also been fortunate enough to be on Food Network’s Chopped and pursue entrepreneurship as a teenager, but going to the Just Peace Summit with Three Dot Dash allowed me to meet other teenagers who are each changing the world with their talents. What characteristics make you stand out from other students your age? My love for people. I always enjoy meeting new people and love to oﬀer the benefit of the doubt to anyone I meet. Additionally, I may have a bit more experience in the kitchen than others my age.

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Taylor Love

Booker T. Washington High School College or University Washington University in St. Louis What is your intended major? I plan to major in biology, neuroscience (pre-med), mathematics and philosophy. I became interested in neuroscience in the fifth grade when I decided to learn every component of the brain and its location. As I matured, I was increasingly fascinated with the idea that one organ manages to control every aspect of our lives. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My French teacher, Cynthia Leonard. I enjoy her bizarre life stories about her travels, her college days and her experiences as a teacher and Peace Corps volunteer. What is your biggest achievement? Being the first person in my family to attend college traditionally by going oﬀ to a four-year university free of charge. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? James Baldwin. I’d like to be able to impact the way people live, and the way they think about the way they live, in the same way he did. His observations are very insightful as he elaborates on the cycles of life, complex emotions and social hierarchies. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I am obsessed with bees. When I found out that bee populations experienced a drop, I annoyed my family with outrage about the eﬀects of a world without bees. I’m not sure why I love them so much, but I do.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Gene Moon Heritage Hall

Duke University What is your intended major? Neuroscience. For several years, I’ve been extremely interested in the molecular mechanisms of thought – how interactions between several molecules can generate consciousness. The implications of understanding this are boundless, from improving artificial intelligence to treating mental disorders better. Who have been the biggest influences in your life? My parents. They’ve sacrificed many great job opportunities back in South Korea to raise me and my brother in the United States. The sacrifices they made for us continue to motivate me to work hard and live with few regrets. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? I can see myself working for a hospital or a university, getting one step closer to understanding our brain, while having a happy life outside of work with two beautiful kids. What characteristics make you stand out from other students your age? While most people generally focus on activities that they show promise in, I enjoy doing activities that I’m horrible at. It’s as if my brain is conditioned to release endorphins whenever I break through personal limits. What would people be surprised to learn about you? My dream job is to become an NBA general manager. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be? Lebron James. I would like to experience what it is like to live with the constant pressure that he has to deal with every day. College or University

Noah Laubach

Riverfield Country Day School College or University Oklahoma State University What is your intended major? I plan to major in finance with a double minor, one in international business and the second in Spanish. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My grandpa. He worked extremely hard at his job for over 40 years and showed me that nothing is given and everything must be earned. He also showed me where to place your values, putting family above all else. If I can be half the man my grandpa is when I grow up, I’ll be extremely proud of my life. What is your biggest achievement? Being named first team Academic All-State for basketball my senior year; that recognition showed I was one of the top five student-athletes in the state because you have to be great at the sport and have a high GPA and ACT score. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? President Donald Trump. Not for any political reasoning, but just because before you criticize or praise someone for the job they’re doing, you have to understand the details of that job and its requirements. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? In 10 years, I see myself living in downtown Los Angeles working as the Lakers’ team lawyer, negotiating deals with players and free agents. In 20 years, I see myself living outside of LA so I can have a house with a yard for my family.

Megan Gold

Josie Uerling

Union High School College or University Emory University What is your intended major? Biology. I’ve always been interested in the subject, and classes like physiology and AP biology taught by amazing teachers solidified my interest in this field. What is your biggest achievement? Being successful in two major areas of my life: academics and swimming. Although it’s been diﬀicult to manage my time, I have earned academic honors such as National Merit Finalist and Academic All-Stater as well as swimming achievements like state champion and school record-holder. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Missy Franklin. She is not only an incredible athlete, but also an excellent role model through her positive attitude and compassion for others. What characteristics make you stand out from other students your age? My work ethic and dedication to the various areas of my life. I go to swim practice nearly every day at 5:30 a.m. while staying on top of my school work and spending time with family and friends. Anything else that you would like to add? I have an adorable black Labrador named Ginny who loves to eat socks.

Oklahoma Christian School College or University University of Oklahoma What is your intended major? I plan to major in meteorology and broadcast journalism. When I was 6 years old, I spent time watching The Weather Channel instead of cartoons. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My Uncle Phil was born with a mental disability, but his attitude and bright smile would tell you otherwise. Each morning, he wakes up and goes to work at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. His work inspires me to live life with a servant’s heart and go the extra mile to help those in need. What is your biggest achievement? Throughout high school, I have volunteered at Edmond Mobile Meals. Last year, I saw a need to engage my generation in the fight against elderly hunger. I created a blueprint for a teen leadership council made up of 15 local students. The council engaged in various projects to increase awareness about food insecurity in the community. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? I hope to be graduated from OU and living out my dream of being a meteorologist. I also hope to be married to a Zac Efron look-alike and have two or three children. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I have a twin. My brother, Michael, and I are three minutes apart. Anything else that you would like to add? I competed in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant in June. I performed the flute solo “Dueling Banjos” for my talent. [Gold was named fourth runner-up out of 45 contestants.]

Braden Wagner

Metro Christian Academy College or University Baylor University What is your intended major? Biology with a focus on premedicine. I have dealt with knee injuries for most of my life, and I look forward to helping people with similar struggles. What is your biggest achievement? Becoming a National Merit Scholar is my biggest achievement so far. What is a career interest? I look forward to learning about and experiencing all aspects of the medical field and finding the right fit for me. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? In 10 years, I hope to be finishing up medical residency and beginning my medical career. In 20 years, I hope I’m helping people and enjoying the benefits of my hard work. What characteristics make you stand out from other students your age? My ability to learn very quickly and my work ethic set me apart from others. What would people be surprised to learn about you? My best sport is rock climbing. I designed and built my own rock wall and started a rock climbing group. AUGUST 2018| WWW.OKMAG.COM

Tribal Influences,

Great and Small

From spiritual dances and regalia to multi-faceted businesses, Native people affect the state culturally and economically. By Tara Malone, Kimberly Burk and Chesley Oxendine

Native Americans have an impact on every part of Oklahoma, from smallscale operations and hobbies that allow people to celebrate their heritage to multi-million-dollar businesses that provide jobs and social services to tens of thousands of tribal members. Regardless of size – from the Otoe-Missouria, Sac and Fox, and Apache to the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek) and Choctaw – Oklahoma’s tribes are vibrant. On the micro level, Natives express themselves through ceremony and start small businesses supporting these values. On the macro level, the National Congress of American Indians says the state’s 39 tribes support more than 85,000 jobs – about 5 percent of the state’s total – and have an annual financial impact of more than $10 billion. We look at both ends of the spectrum by featuring individuals who show the cultural and spiritual power of Native regalia and dance, as well as leaders from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek), Choctaw, Seminole and Osage tribes discussing the present and future of business, health care, education, language programs and economic development.

For powwow video and more images of stunning regalia, visit okmag.com.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Tommy Conallis Blackbear

Sac and Fox PHOTO BY JOSH NEW

AUGUST 2018| WWW.OKMAG.COM

Tehi Chibitty

Comanche/ Ponca/ Delaware

Jacey Belin

Southern Cheyenne PHOTOS BY JOSH NEW

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

K Entering

the Circle

Native Americans fashion their ceremonial and dancing clothes, then find spiritual connections when they perform.

Thorpe Sine

Ho-Chunk

The dancing and ceremonial regalia worn by Native Americans is beautiful to behold, and it represents the culture and traditions of tribes and families. Skills such as beadwork and embroidery provide a hobby, and sometimes a livelihood, for tribal members who learn from their elders and mentors. More than anything else, donning that handmade clothing allows them to step inside a mystical circle where they experience pride, healing and the spirits of their ancestors. “It puts me in another place,” says Oklahoma Citian Randy Frazier, who is Prairie Band Potawatomi on his father’s side and Oklahoma Choctaw on his mother’s. “I forget all my hurts, all my worries, when I’m in that arena and hear that music. All my mind and my thoughts are in that song.” McKayla Williams, an Oklahoma State University student who lives in Perkins, was 10 when her grandmother began teaching her to sew regalia in the family patterns. Her mother, Alicia McClellan, also taught her to dance. Both have been frequent prize winners in the Women’s Southern Cloth events. “We don’t go to powwows just to win,” Williams says. “We go because it makes us feel good to be in our Native clothes. It’s a family thing.” When she competes in powwows, “I feel good,” she says. “I feel completely diﬀerent.” Williams learned to do a type of machine applique that she calls ribbon work, which adorns her Ho-Chunk Nation skirts, blouses and shawls. The floral pattern that belongs to her family was oﬀicially bestowed upon her in Wisconsin, where the tribe has its headquarters. McClellan also sews her own regalia and specializes in beadwork, which covers the moccasins, leggings, purse and necklace she wears into the arena. Frazier, an engraver by trade, learned beadwork while attending an Indian boarding school. His clothing is sewn from broadcloth AUGUST 2018| WWW.OKMAG.COM

Jim Davis

Kansas Kickapoo PHOTO BY JOSH NEW

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Dancers wear vibrant regalia during a powwow at the 2017 Cherokee National Holiday. PHOTO COURTESY CHEROKEE NATION

and his aprons, leggings and moccasins are from elk hide. He has made some items; others are treasured gifts from his mother and mentor. He says he’s become adept at fashioning what’s called a roach, a striking headdress made from the guard hair of a porcupine and the tail hair of a deer. Taking part in a powwow, as a dancer or an arena director, “makes me feel proud that I’m a Native American,” Frazier says. “I pray to God, and I pray that my ancestors are all listening to me and watching me. I feel like they guide me. My ancestors and God are all up there together, telling me how to act.” Tulsan Regan Unap started dancing as a child even though her parents didn’t. “My mom and dad felt like I needed to be in the circle,” she says. “Before long, my mom started sewing and she made all my outfits.” Unap, who is Otoe and Ponca, says the powwow circuit is not always easy because it’s “very hot and a lot of hard work. But it’s always fun to see your friends on the weekends.” Unap, who taught herself beadwork, started sewing her children’s regalia about 10 years ago. She dances in a Poncan camp dress – a long skirt with a ruﬀle at the bottom, a long blouse, a shawl … and a fan. “You always take a fan,” she says. “That’s one thing my grandmother always taught me.” AUGUST 2018| WWW.OKMAG.COM

State of the Nations The leaders of six Oklahoma tribes talk about recent advances and upcoming projects. THE CHEROKEE NATION’S 470,000-SQUARE-FOOT OUTPATIENT FACILITY IN TAHLEQUAH WILL BE THE LARGEST IN INDIAN COUNTRY.

PHOTO COURTESY CHILDERS ARCHITECT

PRINCIPAL CHIEF BILL JOHN BAKER PHOTO COURTESY CHEROKEE NATION

Cherokee Nation

As a previous member of the Tribal Council, Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, emphasized the importance of economics, health and education for the tribe – goals he continues to fight for today. “Nothing is more important to Cherokee people than access to quality health care,” Baker says. “We made historic investments from our businesses to expand and build new health centers, we raised salaries for physicians to meet the industry standard, and in 2019 we will open the largest tribal health facility in the country in Tahlequah. “Through an agreement with the Indian Health Service, we are constructing a four-

Seminole Nation

Principal Chief Greg P. Chilcoat has a mission: “To create a foundation and an environment that will inspire and empower tribal members for success.” Previously a licensed funeral director and chairman of the board at the Seminole Nation Division of Commerce (and currently CEO of that same group), Chilcoat is a member of both the Tusekia Harjo and Deer clans. He was elected chief on a platform of accountability, transparency and leadership. He says those are foundations from which the Nation will approach and improve its future. The Nation is tackling economic and education issues, as well as care for seniors and children. The tribe’s Department of Commerce has created small economic ventures, such as a janitorial

story, 469,000-square-foot health center and we will soon be hiring an additional 850 healthcare [workers] for that new facility. We have the largest health-care system in all of Indian Country, with more than 1.2 million patient visits annually.” Baker also emphasizes the quality of health service. “Our system should also be the best,” he says. “Oklahoma State University has plans to install a campus of its medical school in the current W.W. Hastings Hospital when the new facility opens. These investments and expansions will help sustain the health and economy of the Cherokee Nation for generations to come.”

Baker reminds that tribal citizens will aﬀect the Nation’s prosperity. “The greatest strength of the Cherokee Nation has always been its people,” he says. “That’s why we work so hard for our citizens. Building a strong foundation for the future means opportunities for more education and workforce training, access to quality health care, and a safe and secure home to raise a family. “A strong and successful Cherokee Nation means a stronger Oklahoma. Between our sovereign government and our businesses, the Cherokee Nation is the economic and cultural engine of northeast Oklahoma.” To learn more, visit the Cherokee Nation’s website, cherokee.org.

supply company, while collaborating with the Seminole Nation Gaming Enterprise, which has casinos in Seminole, Wewoka and Konawa. The janitorial supply opened in late June, and is a subsidiary of Seminole Nation Division of Commerce. It provides janitorial supplies to local businesses and government agencies. The Seminole Nation Vineyard and Winery is located in Seminole, and has a tasting room in the historical Grisso Mansion. “We still have quite a bit of work to do,” Chilcoat says, “but we’ve made good strides to move forward.” The Nation is also trying to preserve its language. The Pumvhakv School, an immersion school, was opened in 2013, and Chilcoat recently hired a language director for the tribe.

“It is necessary that we progress in that department, that we try to implement that into who we are,” he says. “Because I don’t want to lose or the Nation to lose that, which was and is a part of our history. Moving forward with our language program, we are in a better place, and the new director … is working diligently to start and maintain the program.” To learn more, PRINCIPAL visit the Seminole CHIEF GREG Nation’s website, CHILCOAT PHOTO COURTESY sno-nsn.gov. SEMINOLE NATION PRINCIPAL CHIEF GREG CHILCOAT PHOTO COURTESY SEMINOLE NATION

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Chickasaw Nation

The Chickasaw Nation is “stronger than ever before,” Gov. Bill Anoatubby says. “More Chickasaws than ever before have engaged with our culture,” he says. “More Chickasaws are united and working together to move our nation forward.” He adds that more than 17,000 Chickasaws have enrolled as tribal members since 2001. Alongside its swelling population, the Nation has seen significant economic development. “In the early days, we had limited resources and had to be very selective with our eﬀorts,” Anoatubby says. “As we experienced success in key areas, such as business, health care, education and housing, and as our businesses began to make more money, we looked for opportunities to expand our eﬀorts.” Those initiatives include facilities, programs and services for seniors and veterans. In 2017, a community center and a senior center were built in Tishomingo. In October, the Chickasaw Nation cut the ribbon on a 15,000-square-foot lodge in Ada to serve area veterans and vets who travel to the medical center. The Chickasaw also ensure that students receive financial aid; the Nation supports more than 5,000 collegians each year. Anoatubby says money available for tuition will increase this year, along with funding for more credit hours (from 12 to 15 hours per semester). Textbook grants will also rise this autumn. The Nation’s growth and success will carry forward, Anoatubby says, because the Chickasaw government remains determined “to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people.” To learn more, visit the Chickasaw Nation’s website, chickasaw.net.

THE CHOCTAW NATION’S NEW HEADQUARTERS OPENED IN LATE 2017. CHIEF GARY BATTON

PHOTOS COURTESY CHOCTAW NATION

Choctaw Nation

The Choctaw Nation has seen much growth in the last year, and anticipates much more in the future, Chief Gary Batton says. Progress has been substantial in business, housing, medicine, education and employment. Business growth has created jobs and revenue for the tribe to invest capital in projects and has provided financial resources for social programs. Among the business openings are: the $50 million expansion of the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, which created more than 125 jobs; the third Chili’s Bar and Grill franchise for the Nation; Roots Restaurant in Durant; and travel plazas in Hugo, Heavener and Stigler. In education, the tribe has more than 1,000 youth enrolled in the Choctaw Nation’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a fiveweek summer program for 16- to 21-year-olds. The Partnership of Summer School Education also provides intervention in reading and math

for 4,100 kindergarten-through third-grade students. In 2017 and 2018, Choctaw Nation also opened a new tribal headquarters, the Choctaw Nation Regional Medical Clinic and the Choctaw Wellness Center, all in Durant, which added 350 jobs. The first set of 10 homes through the Nation’s home lease-purchase program was dedicated June 15 in Hugo. Each district will have 10 homes through the program this year, totaling 120. Culturally, the Choctaw Nation will break ground soon on a cultural center called Chahta Nowvt Aya (Choctaw Journey). “It will eternalize the perpetual cycle of life and learning of the Chahta people,” Batton says. “It will be a place to share stories, raise children and open the eyes of guests to the unique beauty and heritage of the Choctaw Nation.” To learn more, visit the Choctaw Nation’s website, choctawnation.com.

GOVERNOR BILL ANOATUBBY PHOTO BY MARCY GRAY

THE TRIBE’S NEW VETERANS LODGE OPENED IN OCTOBER. PHOTO BY JACQUELYN SPARKS

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Muscogee (Creek) Nation

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has seen much advancement lately, with a slew of projects slated to begin soon that will benefit tribal citizens, Principal Chief James Floyd says. “Keeping our cultural presence alive, maintaining it and restoring it, looking at economic ventures and looking at recreational aspects for our nation are all key to our progress,” he says. Health care is one of the tribe’s recent success stories. “We have spent a lot of time putting changes in place, including improvements in record keeping and billing, and now we can say our health care is profitable,” Floyd says. The tribe has three state-licensed facilities, providing care for tribal citizens and the general public, and has invested in two new health-care facilities, the Creek Nation Community Hospital in Okemah and a joint venture taking an existing clinic in Eufaula from 5,000-square-feet to more than 70,000-square-feet.

Other boons include Tulsa’s River Spirit Casino sign of the tribe’s headquarters, which has many Resort, which has won numerous state and nabuildings more than 40 years old; improvements tional awards and recognition for the property, ho- at the tribe’s Omniplex grounds in Okmulgee, intel, casino and restaurants over the last year. The cluding indoor facilities for rodeos and basketball; 483-room hotel is fully occupied every weekend, the creation of a veterans’ and citizens’ cemetery; and the tribe aims to develop nearby property for and the development of land for industrial and an expansion. retail use along U.S. 75. Rehabilitation of the tribe’s historic council To learn more, visit the Muscogee (Creek) Nahouse in Okmulgee nears completion, with a tion’s website, mcn-nsn.gov. celebration slated for REHABILITATION OF THE TRIBE’S HISNov. 17. The site was TORIC COUNCIL HOUSE IN OKMULGEE NEARS COMPLETION, WITH A CELEBRATION SLATED the original center of FOR NOV. 17. government function PRINCIPAL CHIEF JAMES FLOYD for the tribe; it will be PHOTOS COURTESY MCN restored to its look in the late 1800s. The master plan announced during Floyd’s State of the Nation address in January is moving along well, he says. Among those projects are: a rede-

THE OSAGE NATION’S NEWLY REVAMPED CASINO OPENS AUG. 29.

Osage Nation

PHOTO COURTESY OSAGE NATION

CHIEF GEOFFREY STANDING BEAR

PHOTO BY SHANE BEVEL

The Osage Nation has 21,000 members, with a little more than half living in Oklahoma and about 4,000 living in or near Osage County, Principal Chief Geoﬀrey Standing Bear says. Some tribes are much larger, but the Osage Nation has made notable advancements and has many more underway. The tribe opens its new casino in north Tulsa on Aug. 29 – going from 3,500 square feet of gaming space to 85,000 square feet, and adding a resort-style hotel and pool and a 15,000-square-foot event center. Inside the expanded casino is a microbrewery for Nine Band beer, which should be in stores in the future. Standing Bear says language and cultural preservation are two of the most important issues the tribe has focused on in recent years, and several projects are set to have a substantial impact in both areas. “Our language is endangered, and we have to do it now to save it,” he says. “We’ve learned through research on child development that we

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

need to be working with our youngest members now, so they are our main focus.” The Osage language immersion school, in its third year and serving about 40 students between the ages of 6 months and 4 years, is about to expand through the second grade. In addition, the tribe has about 200 private academy students in diﬀerent locations, with plans to combine those programs with the immersion school. The tribe just finished a new ceremonial arbor accommodating several hundred traditional dancers and a new community center in Hominy. A new fitness and wellness facility has been completed in Hominy with another set to be built in Fairfax. The Osage Museum has

new exhibits, including one on Osage wedding coats, and has become a local attraction, the chief says. The tribe purchased a 43,000-acre ranch two years ago. “Our enterprise board has been doing a really great job in developing a tribal cattle operation,” Standing Bear says. “And we brought our first buﬀalo in this summer. We’re going to be working on this more in the near future.” Bird Creek Farms is an 80-acre farm being developed in conjunction with several universities as a food source for the Osage people. Several acres are already being cultivated, he says. To learn more, visit the Osage Nation’s website, osagenation-nsn.gov.

OUR BUSINESSES BUILD

MORE THAN THE ECONOMY Choctaw businesses create a foundation for the Nation and for every memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future while helping preserve our past. When you support the Choctaw Nation, you help support all of the Choctaw people. Together, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more.

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Season 21 Is Almost Here!!! Open House Events July 28th, August 4th, 11th & 18th, 10 - Noon Grand Opening Celebration August 19th, 1 - 5pm

Come tour our new state of the art 10,000 SF facility at 10031 S. Yale Ave. 5 large dance studios with professional sprung floors Gym for teens and adults DanceBarre Boutique (Leotards, Tights, Shoes, Clothing & More) Study room for dancers Kitchen Michele Ross Studios (voice, piano, acting) Tour the new facility, register for classes, meet the teachers, win amazing door prizes and purchase your dance supplies! www.southtulsadanceco.com Facebook: South Tulsa Dance Co. Instagram: southtulsadanceco Questions: 918-369-5299

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Fall Arts Preview

Visit a Broadway show. Spend a night at the symphony. Explore an art exhibition. The 2018-2019 season for Oklahoma’s premier museums, entertainment agencies, performing arts centers and theater troupes bring world-class entertainment right to your doorstep.

By Mary Willa Allen

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA SYMPHONY

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra’s season is brimming with concerts, chamber music performances and movie-music shows. The fun kicks off Sept. 7 at Guthrie Green with Symphony in the Park, a Tulsa tradition that includes a dazzling ﬁreworks ﬁnale. Another highlight is the Chamber Music Series – Fridays in the Loft – which offers an intimate evening of music, Q&A sessions with musicians and light hors d’oeuvres at the Fly Loft downtown. The season concludes with Hanson String Theory, which brings the beloved Hanson brothers to the TSO stage on May 17. Visit tulsasymphony.org for details.

Hanson String Theory, may 17 royce myers art ltd.

AUTUMN ENDEAVOR, 40X60, COURTESY JEAN RICHARDSON

jean richardson, sept. 7-ongoing

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Tulsa-based art gallery Royce Myers Art Ltd. opened its doors to the public in 2017, along with continuing to help numerous clients ﬁnd pieces from its substanial inventory. September welcomes artist Jean Richardson to the gallery for a public showing. “Jean Richardson is an Oklahoma artist – she’s very well known, having shows in New York, Santa Fe, Colorado,” Myers says. “She used to show here, but she hasn’t in a long time. This show is sort of welcoming her back to Oklahoma.” Richardson, who has a studio in OKC, is known primarily for her abstract paintings of horses, drawing from her Oklahoma roots and connection to the frontier west. The show’s opening reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 7 at the gallery. The show has no concrete closing date but will run through September. Visit roycemyers.com for details.

108 Contemporary, TUL

Gilcrease MUSEUM

The Experience Ongoing Spection: Coalescence Aug. 3- Sept. 23 TAC Members Show Oct. 5-Nov. 25

American Theatre Company, TUL

The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots Oct. 5-13 A Christmas Carol Dec. 7-23 R.U.R. March 8-16 What the Butler Saw May 31-June 8

Armstrong Auditorium, edmond

Time for Three Oct. 18 Anne Akiko Meyers with Gerard Schwarz and Mozart Orchestra of New York Nov. 1 Vienna Boys Choir Nov. 20 Bach Collegium Japan Dec. 4 Swan Lake Jan. 29 Julian Bliss Septet Feb. 14 Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra Feb. 24 Celtic Nights March 11 Canadian Brass April 2

BOK Center, TUL Imagine Dragons Aug. 1 Panic! At the Disco Aug. 5

Chris Young Sept. 15 Fleetwood Mac Oct. 3 Bruno Mars Oct. 11-12 Ozuna Oct. 19 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince Oct. 20 Kevin Hart Oct. 28 Cirque du Soleil Crystal Nov. 7-11 Paw Patrol Live Dec. 1-2 Metallica Jan. 18 Elton John Feb. 9 Jeff Dunham Feb. 14 Shawn Mendes July 20

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

Daddy’s Dyin’ Oct. 12-14, 19-21 A Winter Rose Christmas Dec. 7-9, 14-16 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged Feb. 8-10, 15-17 Steel Magnolias April 5-7, 12-14 Godspell June 7-9, 14-16

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center

Monty Python’s Spamalot Nov. 6 The Ten Tenors Nov. 11

THE BUFFALO TRAIL, CA. 1867. OIL ON CANVAS, 31 7/8 X 48 INCHES. MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON, BOSTON, MA. GIFT OF MARTHA C. KAROLIK FOR THE M. AND M. KAROLIK COLLECTION OF AMERICAN PAINTINGS, 1815-1865. 47.1268.

Ahha Tulsa

Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West, nov. 3-feb. 10

Sam Noble Museum of Natural History & Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

The University of Oklahoma’s two on-campus museums offer a bevy of art and exhibitions to explore this year. Upcoming exhibitions at FJJMA include Ticket to Ride from Oct. 5 to Dec. 30 and Daren Kendall: Threshold With Me from Oct. 16 to Dec. 30. Ticket explores the relationship between train transportation and art during key decades in passenger travel, while Threshold uses sculpture to explore themes of love, loss, suffering and spiritual growth. At Sam Noble, explore the fascinating history of the largest shark that ever lived at Megalodon through Jan. 6, or enjoy the photos on display during Osage Weddings, running March 29-June 30. For more information, visit ou.edu/fjjma and samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY SAM NOBLE MUSEUM

Amanda McCavour: Diaphanous Embroidery Aug. 3-Sept. 23 VisionMakers2018 Oct. 5-Nov. 25 Northeastern Oklahoma Wood Turners Association Show Dec. 7-Jan. 20

PHOTO COURTESY 108 CONTEMPORARY

Gilcrease Museum, which holds the largest repository of American West art in the world, doesn’t disappoint with its 2018-2019 season. Must-sees include Americans All!, an ongoing exhibition beginning Sept. 1, which features immigrant artists from Gilcrease’s permanent collection, and Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West. Largely considered one of America’s best Western landscape artists, Bierstadt commonly used American Indians and bison as the centerpieces for his art. The exhibition runs Nov. 3-Feb 10. Visit gilcrease.org for details.

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Canterbury Voices, OKC

War Requiem Nov. 11 Canterbury Christmas Dec. 2 Carmina Burana April 13

Celebrity Attractions, TUL

Wicked Sept. 5-23 Love Never Dies Oct. 30-Nov. 4 The Play that Goes Wrong Feb. 26 – Mar. 3 Waitress April 16-21 Fiddler on the Roof June 18-23 Hamilton Aug. 20-Sept. 8

Chamber Music Tulsa

Quicksilver Baroque Sept. 9 Montrose Trio Sept. 22-23 Tesla Quartet Oct. 12-14 Brentano Quartet with

Hsin-Yun Huang Nov. 9-11 Kenari Saxophone Quartet Jan. 26-27 Gryphon Trio March 1-3 Carpe Diem String Quartet April 26-28

Aug. 11 Vince Gill Aug. 18 Johnny Mathis with Gary Mule Deer Sept. 6 Danny Gokey: Hope Encounter Tour Oct. 11 Straight No Chaser – One Shot Tour Nov. 8 An Evening with David Sedaris Nov. 14 Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Nov. 16 Lewis Black: The Joke’s on Us Tour Dec. 6

Chesapeake Energy Arena, OKC

Fall Out Boy Sept. 22 Thomas Rhett Oct. 12 The Kevin Hart Irresponsible Tour Nov. 3 Justin Timberlake Jan. 26 P!NK March 23

Congregation B’Nai Emunah, TUL

Rise Up Singing at the Synagogue Aug. 19 Shabbat for Everyone Aug. 24 Sisterhood Wellness Kickoff Event Aug. 26 Kapparot: Releasing the Doves Sept. 16

Choregus Productions, TUL

Piaf: No Regrets Sept. 7 10 Hairy Legs Oct. 20 Sounds of Science: Jeff Ziegler Jan. 25 Compagnie Herve KOUBI March 5

Civic Center Music Hall, OKC Miranda Sings Live … No Offense with Special Guest Colleen Ballinger

BY JOHN BIVENS, COURTESY AHHA TULSA

The Experience, ahha tulsa, ongoing

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Cox Business Center, TUL

Wild Brew Aug. 25 BrickUniverse Tulsa LEGO Fan Expo Sept. 29-30 Runway Tulsa Sept. 29 Zarrow Mental Health Symposium Oct. 4-5 Kicklahoma Oct. 7 The Big Mad Morning Show presents: Ghost Oct. 26 Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute Nov. 2 Taste of the City Cooking Show Nov. 3 Crash Landed Feb. 15

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, NORMAN Space Burial

autumn in the garden, Oct. 4-Nov. 11 Tulsa Botanic Garden

Enjoy the outdoors this autumn with a collection of communitycentric events at Tulsa Botanic Garden. The organization welcomed its ﬁrst sculpture exhibit in March, and guests can meet the artist, Christopher Curtis, at a farewell reception Aug. 26. For those with a passion for gardening, enjoy Writers with Dirty Hands on Sept. 29. This informative day uncovers the lives of Vita Sackville-West and Eudora Welty, two writers who incorporated their passions for gardening and nature into their literature. For more information, visit tulsabotanic.org. Through Sept. 2 Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art Through Sept. 9 Ticket to Ride: Artists, Designers, and Western Railways Oct. 5-Dec. 30 Daren Kendall: Threshold With Me Oct. 16-Dec. 30 Still Looking: The Photography Collection of Carol Beesley Hennagin Through Dec. 30 Seeds of Being Through Dec. 30 Visualizing Art History Through Dec. 30

of America Through Oct. 7 Blake Little: Photographs from the Gay Rodeo Through Nov. 28 Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West Nov. 3-Feb. 10 Hidden in Plain Sight II: Unexpected Views of Gilcrease Museum Through Dec. 31 Exploring the Big Trail Through Dec. 31 To Endure in Bronze Through Dec. 31 The Chisholm Kid: Lone Fighter for Justice for All Dec. 15-March 17

Gilcrease Museum, TUL

Living Arts of Tulsa

Americans All! Sept. 1-Ongoing T.C. Cannon: At the Edge

Recess/ed: Texture, Sound, Vision Sept. 7-Oct. 12

Johnny Laguardia’s Trinitron Mixtape Oct. 19-20 Dia de los Muertos: Festival and Exhibition Nov. 1-17 Tulsa Artist Fellowship + Living Arts: Curating for the Vital Dec. 7-Jan. 11

Lyric Theatre, okc When We’re Gone Sept. 26-Oct. 14 A Christmas Carol Nov. 23-Dec. 24 Curious George: The Golden Meatball Jan. 23-Feb. 17 Girlfriend Feb. 27-March 17 Bright Star April 3-21 Singin’ in the Rain

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN

David Phelps Dec. 15 Home Free Dec. 29 Jersey Boys Feb. 18 Something Rotten! May 4

COMING IN DECEMBER

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE

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The 47th Annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale June 7-Aug. 11

Celebrity Attractions

From wicked witches to waitresses to an inﬂuential founding father, Celebrity Attraction’s newest season brings Broadway hit after hit to Tulsa. The season opens with Wicked, which runs Sept. 5-23, the wildly popular musical that sheds light on the “true story” of the Wicked Witch of the West – Elphaba. Waitress, the creation of pop sensation Sara Bareilles, tells the story of Jenna, a small town baker who wants to rebuild her life, which runs April 16-21. The season closes with the musical sensation of the decade – Hamilton – running Aug. 20-Sept. 8. For more information, visit celebrityattractions.com.

OKC Ballet

Alice in Wonderland Oct. 26-28 The Nutcracker Dec. 14-23 La Sylphide Feb. 22-24 Visionaries: A Triple Bill April 19-20

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS COURTESY CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

OKC Broadway

Hamilton, Aug. 20-Sept. 8

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, shawnee On the Road Again: Art and Objects of Travel Through Sept. 2 Sacred Landscapes: The Photographs of Lorran Meares Sept. 22-Oct. 28 Regional November 9-25 Jesse Rieser: Christmas in America Dec. 22-Jan. 27 Treasures

Feb. 9- March 24 Linus Bailey May 4-June 23

elton john, BOK Center, feb. 9

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, okc

American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters Sept. 1-May 12 Cowboy Crossings Oct. 4-Jan. 6 Small Works, Great Wonders Winter Art Sale Nov. 9-Nov. 25 Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend Nov. 8-10 In the Principles Office: Tom Ryan the Art Student Through Nov. 11

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

OKC Philharmonic

Classics 1, The Rebels Sept. 15 Classics 2, Wild Individualism Oct. 6 Pops 1, Melinda Doolittle Oct. 12-13

Oklahoma City Museum of Art

The Art of Oklahoma Through Sept. 2 Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper Through Sept. 9 Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement Oct. 13-Jan. 6 The New Art: A Milestone Collection 50 Years Later Through Dec. 30 Dale Chihuly: Magic & Light Through Dec. 31 Van Gogh, Monet, Degas: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts June 22-Sept. 22

Oklahoma City Town Hall PHOTO COURTESY BOK CENTER

June 25-June 30 Disney’s Newsies July 9-July 14 Titanic July 23-July 28

Les Miserables Sept. 18-23 Love Never Dies Nov. 13-18 The Phantom of the Opera Jan. 9-20 On Your Feet! Feb. 5-10 A Bronx Tale March 5-10 Waitress March 19-24 Cats May 21-26 Hamilton July 30- Aug. 18

Classics 3, Fantastic Contrasts Nov. 3 Pops 2, The Christmas Show Nov. 29-Dec. 1 Pops 3, Revolution: The Beatles Symphonic Experience Jan. 4-5 Classics 4, Independent Creativity Jan. 26 Pops 4, The Hot Sardines Feb. 1-2 Classics 5, Impressionist Variations Feb. 16 Pops 5, The Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel March 1-2 Classics 6, Grand Romanticism March 16 Pops 6, E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial in Concert March 29-30 Classics 7, Dance of the Seasons April 6 Classics 8, Deep German Romanticism May 11

Dr. G. Keith Smith Sept. 20 Jimmy Wayne Oct. 18 Patrick Moore Nov. 15

FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART FALL 2018 EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS FJJMA.OU.EDU | @FJJMA | ADMISSION IS ALWAYS FREE! STILL LOOKING: THE PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTION OF CAROL BEESLEY HENNAGIN

June 12–Dec. 30, 2018 SEEDS OF BEING

June 12–Dec. 30, 2018

Welcome Oklahoma Artist

Jean Richardson

TICKET TO RIDE: ARTISTS, DESIGNERS, AND WESTERN RAILWAYS

PUBLIC OPENING: Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. EXHIBITION RUNS: Oct. 5–Dec. 30, 2018

Opening Night Friday, Sept. 7th 6-9pm

SILVER SOIRÉE: A PARTY TO SPY FOR

Royce Myers Gallery

Thursday Dec. 13, 6–8 p.m.

1706 S. Boston Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74119 918.582.0288 • www.roycemyers.com

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Friday, Oct. 19, 7–11 p.m. ALL ABOARD! FAMILY NIGHT

FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART

The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Ave. Norman, OK 73019-3003 For accommodations, please call Visitor Services at (405) 325-4938. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

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T.C. CANNON

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AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

visual voices, fred jones jr. museum of art, through Sept. 9 Nancy Miller Feb. 21 Meredith Meuwly March 21 Shelly Finley April 18

Oklahoma State University Business Forums, stillwater

Bozoma Saint John Nov. 7 Daniel Coyle Feb. 6-7 Frank Abagnale April 9-10

Philbrook Museum of Art, tul Hopi Bean Dance Kachinas (Philbrook Downtown) Aug. 4-Nov. 4 Remember This: Life on Video (Philbrook Downtown) Sept. 7-Jan. 6 Innovative Impressions Through Sept. 9 Amazing! Mel Bochner Oct. 14-Jan. 6 Flutter Through Oct. 21 Zink Rotunda Series: Rachel Hayes Through Nov. 1 The Modern American Landscape, 1900-1960 Feb. 3-May 27

Royce Myers Art Ltd., tul Jean Richardson Sept. 7-Ongoing

PHOTO COURTESY FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART

Classics 5: Mahler’s Resurrection April 20

Sam Noble Museum, norman

Putting Baskets to Work in Southwest China Through Aug. 12 Megalodon: Largest Shark That Ever Lived Through Jan. 6 Winged Tapestries Jan. 26-May 12 Osage Weddings March 29-June 30 Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost May 25-Sept. 2

Sapulpa Community Theatre

A Murder is Announced Oct. 5-7, 12-14 Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus Dec. 7-9, 14-16

Signature Symphony, tul Pops 1: The Streisand Songbook Sept. 7 Classics 1: Symphonic Dances Sept. 22 Pops 2: Star Wars and Beyond Oct. 19 Classics 2: Beethoven’s Eroica Nov. 3 Pops 3: Christmas in Tulsa Dec. 14 Classics 3: Bach and Sons, Inc. Jan. 26 Pops 4: Breaking Good Feb. 15 Classics 4: Power of Diversity March 16 Pops 5: Tulsa Sings! II April 5

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Science Museum Oklahoma, okc

Decomposition: Discovering the Beauty and Magnificence of Fungi Through Aug. 12 Tinkerfest Sept. 29 Camp Smonawanna: Salute Your Science Aug. 17, Oct. 19 Into the Fold: The Art and Science of Origami Through Jan. 13

Theatre Tulsa Newsies Aug. 10-26 Barnum Nov. 2-10 Beauty & The Beast Jan. 4-20 My Fair Lady Feb. 22-March 2 The Wedding Singer April 5-14

Theatre Tulsa Academy Les Miserables: School Edition Dec. 7-16 The Wizard of Oz May 3-5

Theatre Tulsa Next Stage

Hedwig & the Angry Inch Sept. 6-15 The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time May 18-26

Theatre Pops, tul

Heisenberg Aug. 3-12 Lungs Aug. 3-12 Shakespeare in Love Aug. 3-12 Circle Mirror Transformation Nov. 9-18 Songs for a New World Dec. 14-23 Sunday in the Park with George Feb. 15-24 Denim Doves April 2019

van gogh, monet, degas: the mellon collection of french art from the virginia museum of fine arts, june 22sept. 22

OKC Philharmonic

OKC Philharmonic recently saw the appointment of a new music director, Alexander Mickelthwate, and he doesn’t disappoint with his ﬁrst season at the helm, entitled Phil the Electricity. The season opener, The Rebels on Sept. 15, welcomes the talents of Canterbury Voices, the Oklahoma City University Chamber Choir and the OCU University Singers troupe. Other concerts of the season include Revolution: The Beatles Symphonic Experience on Jan. 4-5 and the Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel on March 1-2. Visit okphil.org for tickets and details.

OKCMOA

Two majors exhibitions come to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art this season: Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement and Van Gogh, Monet, Degas: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “This season is yet another exciting year at OKCMOA,” says president and CEO E. Michael Whittington. “This season will offer unparalleled access to masterworks in Oklahoma City.” Victorian Radicals explores the young, rebellious artists of the 19th century, while Van Gogh, Monet, Degas features works from the titular artists as well as other French and European master artists such as Edouard Manet and Henri Rousseau. Visit okcmoa.com for details. EDGAR DEGAS (FRENCH, 1834-1917). LITTLE DANCER AGED FOURTEEN (PETITE DANSEUSE DE QUATORZE ANS), MODEL EXECUTED CA. 1880; CAST IN 1922. VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, RICHMOND. STATE OPERATING FUND AND THE ART LOVERS’ SOCIETY. PHOTO: TRAVIS FULLERTON. © VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

TBII: On Your Radar Aug. 24-26 Creations in Studio K Sept. 14-23 Peter and the Wolf Oct. 5 & 12, Nov. 16, Jan. 18, March 9 Dracula Oct. 26-28 The Nutcracker Dec. 8-23 The Sleeping Beauty Feb. 22-24 Tchaikovsky March 29-31 TBII: Next Generation April 26-28 Signature Series May 9-12

The Hot sardines, feb. 1-2

PHOTO COURTESY OKC PHIL

Tulsa Botanic Garden

Armstrong Auditorium

Sweeping music from around the globe comprises an exciting season at Armstrong Auditorium. “We are celebrating our 20th season this year with some famous familiar faces from early on in our series, plus some other legendary names debuting here,” concert manager Ryan Malone says. “We are excited to share these world-class artists with our fellow Oklahomans.” Highlights include Anne Akiko on Nov. 1; The Russian National Ballet’s Swan Lake on Jan. 29; and the Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 24. Visit armstrongauditorium.org for details.

Perseid Meteor Show Viewing Aug. 11 Music Night – Susan Herndon and Bella Counsel Aug. 16 Lifting the Landscape Artist Reception with Christopher Curtis Aug. 26 Writers with Dirty Hands: Sept. 29 Autumn In the Garden Oct. 4-Nov. 11 Tulsa Botanic Blooms March 15-April 21

Tulsa Opera

The Barber of Seville Oct. 19, 21 The Little Prince Feb. 15,17 Don Giovanni May 3, 5

spamalot, broken arrow pac, nov. 6

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

Beyond Desert Aug. 1-30 50 Years of Bollywood Aug. 4 Clothed in Strength and Dignity Sept. 5-Oct. 1 Diary of a Worm, a Spider and Fly Sept. 28 Black Violin Sept. 29 Fact Meets Fiction Oct. 4-Nov. 5 Arcattack Oct. 26 Making Connections Nov. 8-29 An Evening with David Sedaris Nov. 13 Alice in Wonderland Nov. 16 Vibrant Reflections of Tulsa Dec. 4-27 Professor Smart March 8

Tulsa Town Hall Vicente Fox Oct. 5

alice in wonderland, okc ballet, oct. 26-28

PHOTO BY KENNY JOHNSON COURTESY OKC BALLET

time for three, oct. 18

PHOTO COURTESY ARMSTRONG AUDITORIUM

PHOTO COURTESY BROKEN ARROW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Tulsa Ballet

Lisa Genova Nov. 16 Lara Logan Feb. 1 Platon March 8 Sarah Parcak April 12

Tulsa Symphony

Symphony in the Park Sept. 7 Fridays in the Loft Chamber Music 1 Sept. 21 Classics I: Opening Night Gala Concert with Lynn Harrell Oct. 6 Classics II: Britten’s War Requiem Nov. 11 Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets Nov. 17-18 Home Alone Dec. 1 Classics III: Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Jan. 5 Fridays in the Loft Chamber Music II Jan. 18 Classics IV: Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony Feb. 2

Fridays in the Loft Chamber Music III March 15 Classics V: Rachmaninoff ’s Symphonic Dances April 13 Fridays in the Loft Chamber Music IV April 26 Hanson: String Theory May 17

University of Tulsa Presidential Lecture Series Janna Levin Oct. 2 Pablos Holman March 26

Woody Guthrie Center, tul Tarantula on Film Aug. 26 MELLENCAMP Aug. 31-Jan. 6

Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, bartlesville

Astronomy Night Aug. 18 Animal Barn (weekends only) Sept. 4-Dec. 24 Fall Trail Ride Sept. 8 Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion Sept. 29 Fall Traders Encampment Oct. 5-6 Wonderland of Lights (weekends only) Nov. 23-Dec. 23

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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THE PROFESSIONALS LEGAL SERVICES

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We hear this quite often when hospice is recommended to a patient and their family. Naturally, some people feel that by choosing hospice they are giving up. However, at Grace Hospice we know that by providing hospice care you can improve the quality of life for the patient and their family as well. Every person deserves to pass with dignity, and every family deserves support. Hospice provides palliative care which will help alleviate pain and discomfort. They will also provide emotional and spiritual support to the patient and their loved ones. By doing this you will allow your grandmother to be more comfortable wherever she calls home. In fact, we sometimes see patients improve to the point that they no longer need hospice care. For more information, please call us at 918.744.7223 or visit gracehospice.com. CAITLIN EVERSOLE

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FINANCIAL ADVISOR What should I do with my inheritance? If you have received or expect to receive an inheritance, begin by not making rash decisions. Give yourself time to work through the logistics of receiving the inheritance before deciding how to allocate the money. Understand what you have or will DAVID KARIMIAN CFP®, CRPC® receive – inheritance comes in many forms. Understand the tax implications, because tax consequences can vary dramatically depending on the type and amount of the assets you inherit. Update your insurance and estate plans; and, finally, decide how to save or spend the money. There is no question that an inheritance can represent a significant new opportunity in your financial life. Taking a prudent, thoughtful approach can help preserve your wealth, add to your sense of financial security and open doors to pursue your most important dreams and goals.

David Karimian, CFP®, CRPC® Prime Wealth Management A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise 7712 S. Yale Ave. Suite 240 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.388.2009 • David.x.Karimian@ampf.com www.primewealthmgmt.com

INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL Drivers, Slow Down! School’s About to Start! As Oklahoma students begin to start the 2018-2019 school year, motorists need to be watching out for children. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 1/5 of traffic fatalities of children below the age of 15 are pedestrians, RUSS IDEN with more school-age pedestrians killed between the hours of 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. than any other time of day. Keep these driving tips in mind as a way to keep kids safer as they return to school: Slow down and stay alert. Look out for flashing school zone lights and pedestrians 30 minutes before and after school hours. Avoid distractions: Put your cell phone away. Watch out for kids moving from between parked cars, playgrounds and crosswalks. Stop for school buses with red flashing lights – period! If you have more questions about traffic or pedestrian safety, call a AAA agent near you.

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John Jackson, Personal Trainer St. John Siegfried Health Club 1819 E. 19th St., Tulsa, OK 74104 918.902.4028 jljackson70@hotmail.com Views expressed in the Professionals do not necessarily represent the views of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman Publishing Co. or its affiliates.

Taste

F O O D, D R I N K A N D O T H E R P L E A S U R E S

A Cajun Time Warp Nola’s spices up Tulsa’s Cherry Street with Napoleonic touches, an homage to the Roaring ‘20s, and 21st-century shine.

T NOLA’S SKIFFER CRAB CAKES ARE PAN-SEARED BLUE LUMP WITH WHITE WINE SAUCE. PHOTOS BY JOSH NEW

here’s a little black door by the side of an old, red-brick building on Tulsa’s Cherry Street at Peoria Avenue. Open that door, go under a chandelier of shimmering crystals and down a dimly lit flight of stairs, and suddenly you’re surrounded by the romance and swagger of New Orleans and a bygone era. At Nola’s, you see richly stained wood paneling, more of those glittering chandeliers, red banquettes, large canvases with art deco prints by Tamara de Lempicka (and everywhere they can possibly fit) and showcases filled with astounding curiosities. There are ancient liquor decanters, 1930s cocktail shakers, old alarm

clocks, candlestick telephones, little photos of ladies in cloche hats, lots and lots of books, and, in a small hall called the Prohibition Room, huge mugshots of convicts. “I love building restaurants,” says Brett Rehorn, big, burly and affable, with an air of command about him. He started out as a mechanical contractor. Eighteen years ago, he built Kilkenny’s, an Irish restaurant and bar down the street, by using designers based in Dublin and ﬁxtures imported from the Emerald Isle, but “I’ve always loved Cajun food,” he says, so it was logical to build an homage to 1920s New Orleans. Nola’s took over a year of hard work (Rehorn is his own general contractor) and almost $2 million.

“We gutted the place, and everything here is new: the plumbing, the electricity, the oak flooring,” he says. The decor blends modern with antique touches. The Napoleon Room has a fireplace and elegant chairs grouped around a starched linen table setting, modeled after a house in New Orleans where, about 200 years ago, French expatriates plotted to free Napoleon from exile. Nearby is a bar, shiny and glorious with all new fixtures, but you’d swear those white floor tiles, the tin ceiling (“It’s copied from a 100-year-old church in Quebec,” Rehorn says) and the mahogany veneer backbar were made when Jelly Roll Morton played piano in a bawdy saloon on Basin Street. Outside on the veranda during a AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Taste

calm summer evening, the sun kisses the old walls and green shutters from what was surely one of those 1790s Spanish-built townhouses in the French Quarter. On the other side of the bar is a little door most customers don’t see. Walk through and you’re back in the 21st century … in an unusually large, spotless, brightly lit kitchen. Each morning in the prep area, near a gleaming counter, some (un)fortunate soul stirs the roux, the flour-oil mix that’s the foundation of all Cajun food, for one hour – nonstop. In the brief downtime before getting inundated with customers, the staff relaxes. “Ready for the rush?” Rehorn asks his crew. “I’m ready.” One, younger than most, replies, “We had some great nights last week.” Rehorn says: “This is Antonio. He’s been working at my restaurants for 16 years. A lot of my cooks have been with me since the beginning.” And then they start cooking – lustrous boudin, fried green tomatoes with crawfish and remoulade, turtle soup, crawfish etouffe with that rich nutty flavor signaling a roux carefully and properly made. Dishes come with endearing names. The Big Easy is a 1-pound ribeye topped with that potent etouffe. Voodoo Chicken is a fried chicken breast topped with crab, big shrimp and a decadently delicious, classic French mornay sauce. Is it an authentic New Orleans dish? “We just don’t know,” Rehorn says, “but everyone loves it.” By now the place is packed with a few young couples and lots of big, happy groups

of all conceivable backgrounds, nationalities, dress and ages – all mixed together, mostly smiling, in the spirit of the Big Easy. “I’ll be sitting at the bar,” Rehorn says, “and I hear someone tell her friend, ‘This is so cool – just like New Orleans.’ And I love it. I like building a restaurant better than running it, but still … this is my child, my baby.” BRIAN SCHWARTZ

ABOVE: THE DECOR AT NOLA’S IS FULL OF THE ROMANCE AND SWAGGER OF NEW ORLEANS AND A BYGONE ERA. RIGHT: THE 12-OUNCE PORTERHOUSE PORK CHOP CHARRED (GRILLED) OR FILTHY (BLACKENED), WITH A SPICY APPLE TOPPING, IS ANOTHER ENTREE AT NOLA’S.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

When Parviz Rezaian ran the kitchen at a Steak and Ale many years ago and his cousin Mahmoud asked him to start a new Persian restaurant in Warr Acres, Rezaian said, “Sure.” But there was one problem: Neither knew how to cook Persian food. Through trial and error, and a magical ability that a lot of chefs and restaurateurs have regarding flavors and taste, the menu at Travel By Taste developed and has gone strong for more than 20 years. “I love cooking,” Rezaian says. “I have this gift of knowing what people like, what flavors they like. So, I started to read recipe books on Persian food.” With the help and partnership of

Rezaian’s wife, Hoda, the business has grown from a small Mediterranean-style grocery with two or three tables to an even larger grocery area and a dining capacity large enough for catered events and private parties. “Hoda is up front and she takes all of the orders,” Rezaian says. “She knows what’s good, too, and what people enjoy. If there is something I have made that she does not like, she tells me. If a regular customer comes in and forgets to order an extra slide of something that he typically orders … she tells me. We work well together.” Travel By Taste’s staﬀ anticipates customers’ needs and tastes when it comes to Persian food, but success also

PHOTOS BY BRENT FUCHS

PERSIAN FLAVORS IN WARR ACRES

LEFT: LAMB SHANK IS SERVED WITH DILL AND SAFFRON RICE.

BELOW: CHELO KABAB (GRILLED GROUND MEET KABOB) IS SERVED WITH SAFFRON RICE, GRILLED TOMATO, ZUCCHINI AND ONION.

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comes by walking to tables and talking to diners. Rezaian says when you own a business of any kind, you have to have a one-on-one relationship with customers. It may be a brief “Hello, how was your meal?” or a 20-minute discussion about life and business. “The connection we have with our customers is very important. That’s why they keep coming back … well, and for the beautiful food, too,” Rezaian says with a laugh. Travel By Taste rocks classic dishes, such as chelo kabob (ground beef with saﬀron rice) and joojeh kabob (chicken marinated in lemon, onion and saﬀron), as well as homestyle favorites near and dear to any Persian food lover’s heart, such as classic gheimeh (beef, onion, yellow split peas and crispy potatoes) and gormeh sabzi (fragrant green herb stew with beef and red kidney beans). The restaurant’s market features herbs and spices, jams and syrups, condiments and pickles, delicious Persian breads, pastries, tea, rice and cheese. Traveling around the world, tasting as you go, has been made easier where Persian food is concerned in Greater Oklahoma City. All one has to do is travel to Warr Acres and taste the magic. Nooshy-Joon. (Eat well.) 4818 N. MacArthur Blvd.; Warr Acres, OK, 73122; travelbytasteok.com SCOTTY IRANI

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Taste C H E F C H AT

Refusing to be Cornered OKC chef Melissa Aust is driven to keep Stella Modern Italian Cuisine unique, innovative and delicious.

CHEF MELISSA AUST IS PASSIONATE ABOUT MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE. PHOTOS BY BRENT FUCHS

hen Melissa Aust, executive chef of Stella Modern Italian Cuisine, runs specials, they’re called “additions”… because everything at the restaurant is special, she says. The woman donning the tallest toque at one of Oklahoma City’s favorite dining spots and watering holes is not only a permanent “addition” herself, but she is driven, passionate and excited to bring a modern leap into the world of Italian cuisine.

Born and raised in Riverside, California, smack dab in the middle of orange grove country, teenage Aust took over family cooking duties when her mother, allergic to orange blossoms, could not prepare daily meals. From there, her love of the kitchen grew, and every step through the universe seemed to drop hints that maybe she should try cooking professionally. “Fast forward to 1990 when two friends opened a coffeehouse

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Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Store then label and date.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

[where] I would help with catering,” Aust says. “From there, I helped open a small cafe called Aroma Cafe, all while working for the family’s plastic injection molding business. At this point is when I decided to start my culinary path.” After graduating at the top of her class in culinary school, Aust worked two seasons on Martha’s Vineyard. Taking a detour on her way back to California after her contract was up in Massachusetts, she stopped in Oklahoma City to visit a friend … and the rest is history in the 405. “It took awhile to convince Lori [Burson, owner of Stella] to interview and hire me,” Aust says. “I started out under chef Jonathan Krell [now at Patrono] and quickly worked my way from pantry to sous chef. After a couple other executive chefs, the position opened up once again … and I asked Lori not to interview anyone. I wanted it.” In the three years that she has been in charge of the kitchen – and in the middle of the recent explosion of new, shiny eateries in OKC – Aust has made sure that no one puts Stella in the corner. “Our customers have come to love seeing what ‘additions’ we have, as well as attending our six yearly wine dinners, where we really get to play [with] exotic ingredients: rabbit, pheasant, all game … and even produce like ﬁddlehead ferns,” she says. In June, Aust rolled out the summer menu with a revamped favorite – chicken and corn risotto – and an exactingly new pasta verde with arugula lemon pesto. Changing the menu seasonally allows her to access local and organic ingredients, as well as keep many regulars happy and ready to consume innovative dishes, she says. The goal of Stella is to be a midtown neighborhood spot attainable to everyone, so the dishes have to be interesting, unpretentious and delicious. SCOTTY IRANI

PHOTO COURTESY CAPITALS ICE CREAM

R A N D O M F L AV O R S

ADULT ICE CREAM? WE’RE IN!

PHOTO COURTESY STIQIT

Capitals Ice Cream is deﬁnitely a family-friendly place where customers can create their own “custom swirl” with a variety of toppings, but we’re a bit more excited about the promise of the joint serving beer and adult milkshakes. Opened in May by close friends Landon Ferguson, Layne “We can’t Ferguson, Connor Cox, Eric Gilthink of a bert and Ibsen Crespo, Capitals better thing offers a concept meant to give friends a simple place to enjoy to meet over time together. than ice “We can’t think of a better cream, coffee thing to meet over than ice cream, or beer.” coffee or beer,” CEO Landon Ferguson says. The location in Midtown OKC couldn’t be better, and the hook is pretty interesting. The sweet spot offers monthly specials, such as the Teddy Roosevelt, featuring bananas, vanilla wafers, Reese’s puffs, Teddy Grahams and caramel; the Statehood; and the Mesta Park, a “blackberry pie with front porch hangs.” Visit capitalsicecream.com for location and hours.

GADGETS

STIR AWAY SULFITES

Sulfites are preservatives widely used in winemaking (and a majority of company-processed food) for their antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Sulfur dioxide prevents oxidization and helps maintain a wine’s freshness. However, some people aren’t comfortable with added sulfites because they could experience headaches after drinking wine or have a sulfite allergy. StiQit is a product meant to remove all sulfites from a glass of wine with a few swishes, and it doesn’t aﬀect the taste in the process, according to the company’s website. StiQit costs $11 for a four pack. juststiqit.com.

IN SEASON

PEACHY KEEN

A ﬂeshy, juicy, sweet peach is a delightful dessert – whether eaten whole in hand or sliced over vanilla ice cream. The peach can also provide the ﬁlling to a baked treat. The Oklahoma Food Cooperative shares this delectable recipe perfect for harvest season.

RUSTIC PEACH GALETTE This free-form dessert is easy to make. 4 cups

sliced peaches, frozen or fresh

(if frozen, thaw before using)

Juice 1/2 cup 1 cup 1/2 tsp. Crust 1 tbsp. 1 tbsp.

of 1 lemon all-purpose flour granulated sugar ground cinnamon for a single 9-inch pie, homemade or storebought Half and half or cream raw or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place peaches in a large bowl and add lemon juice. Gently toss. Add flour, sugar and ground cin-

namon to a small bowl and mix.

Add flour mixture to peaches and

gently mix.

Roll out crust to a 12-inch circle on

parchment paper or a baking mat and place on a baking sheet. Don’t stress over the shape.

Pour peaches in center of crust

and spread out, leaving approximately a 2-inch border.

Fold edges of crust over the filling. Lightly brush the edges of the crust with half and half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 55 minutes or until the

crust is brown and the filling is bubbly. AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

TAFT PRICE BRANDON WHOLEY KIRSTEN LANG MIKE COLLIER JON HAVERFIELD

KJRH2HD

KJRHTV

Where & When

G R E AT T H I N G S TO D O I N O K L A H O M A

Gently Down the Stream

The Oklahoma River comes alive with a thrilling on-the-water competition.

P COMPETITORS ROW DOWN THE OKLAHOMA RIVER AT LAST YEAR’S AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION SPRINT NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP. PHOTO BY GEORGIA READ

addle, swim, dive or drive down to the Oklahoma River in early August to experience the American Canoe Association Sprint National Club Championship and U.S. Masters National Championship at Riversport Adventures in Oklahoma City. This year’s event features an updated race program with four days of exhilarating, on-the-water competition. The championship welcomes top collegiate and junior paddlers from around the country – from Hawaii to Washington – along with a handful

of Oklahoma athletes, too, battling it out for a spot in a coveted regatta. “The athletes competing in August ... are working to qualify for the 2018 Olympic Hopes Regatta in Poland,” says Aasim Saleh, the ACA sprint junior national team manager and Riversport director of paddlesports. “So you’re going to see the best of the best on the Oklahoma River.” “This is the ﬁfth national championship for canoers and kayakers to be held in Oklahoma City,” adds Mike Knopp, Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation executive director. “They keep coming back

because Oklahoma City’s Boathouse District is a great venue for an event like this.” Riversport Adventures, including the ever-thrilling Riversport Rapids and the SandRidge Sky Zip, are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the Sprint National Championships, meaning you can watch the competition on the shore of the river or get in on the fun yourself during the Aug 1-4 event. For more information on the championships and RiverSport Adventures, visit riversportokc.org. MARY WILLA ALLEN

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Where & When

IN TULSA PERFORMANCES

PHOTO BY PHIL CLARKIN

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE Aug. 3-5, Aug. 10-12 TULSA PAC Penniless and

C O M E DY

All Hail the Blue Whale

Get ready to guffaw at the Blue Whale Comedy Festival, returning to downtown Tulsa from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. Headliners are: Tig Notaro, who boasts both Netﬂix and HBO comedy specials and several acting credits, including her Amazon series One Mississippi; and Maria Bamford, who has both a Netﬂix special and her own show, Lady Dynamite. Notaro performs at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 31, Bamford at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 1, both

at Cain’s Ballroom. Comedy superstars are a major draw, but Blue Whale promotes funny Oklahomans, too. “We are so excited to bring national comedic talent to Tulsa while at the same time providing regional and local comedians a platform to showcase their work,” says Heather Wimberly, Guthrie Green’s vice president of operations. “The diversity in performances also gives all audiences something to look forward to laughing about.” The weekend kicks off with a party at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 on Guthrie Green. Tickets and a full schedule are available at bluewhalecomedyfestival.com.

THAT AHHA MOMENT

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

HEISENBERG Aug. 3-12 STUDIO 308 Amid the bustle of a crowded London train station, Georgie spots Alex, a much older man, and plants a kiss on his neck.

supported each lead artist’s vision.” The exhibition opened June 30 and will remain open for at least a year. Visit ahhatulsa.org for details.

TULSA PAC Based on the real-life New York newsboys’ strike of 1899, this is an inspiring and visually stunning spectacle for the whole family. theatretulsa.org

DARCI LYNNE AND FRIENDS LIVE Aug. 11 BRADY THEATER Darci Lynne, the Season 12 winner of America’s Got Talent, performs her ventriloquist act.

bradytheater.com

50 YEARS OF BOLLYWOOD

KEN JEONG Aug. 11 RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT Actor, producer and

Aug. 4

TULSA PAC Samir Date and Dipalee Somaiya Date are billed as “India’s favorite singer couple.” tulsapac.com SLEEPING BEAUTY Aug. 4 EXPO SQUARE See the

beloved tale of Aurora, Maleficent and Philip on stage.

exposquare.com

AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! Aug. 8

BRADY THEATER See some

of the breakout stars from the latest season of American Idol.

bradytheater.com

writer Ken Jeong, known for his scene-stealing abilities, has established himself as one of today’s top comedic stars. riverspirittulsa.com

TBII: ON YOUR RADAR Aug. 24-26

TULSA BALLET/ZARROW PERFORMANCE STUDIO

On Your Radar features the world premiere of Peter and the Wolf by Tulsa Ballet resident choreographer Ma Cong. tulsaballet.org

CONCERTS IMAGINE DRAGONS Aug. 1 BOK CENTER Multi-platinum,

SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT PRESENTS: USUAL SUSPECTS Aug. 2 UTICA SQUARE This concert

series serves up everything from jazz and rock to country and blues. uticasquare.com

PANIC! AT THE DISCO Aug. 5

BOK CENTER Panic! At

The Disco returns with special guest Hayley Kiyoko.

bokcenter.com

NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE Aug. 8 CAIN’S BALLROOM Over

the last five years, Nahko and Medicine For The People have gathered dedicated members of their global tribe of like-minded fans. cainsballroom.com

BLONDIE Aug. 9 HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO The rockers of Blondie take the stage.

hardrockcasinotulsa.com

SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT PRESENTS: DOCTORS OF REPLAY Aug. 9 UTICA SQUARE Pack a

picnic supper or dine at one of the shopping center’s great restaurants as you unwind to your favorite local bands. uticasquare.com

PHOTO BY JOHN BIVENS COURTESY AHHA TULSA

Aug. 10-12, 17-19, 24-26

theatrepops.org

Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons is on its Evolve Tour. bokcenter.com

ART

Interactive art takes on a different meaning at The Experience, Ahha Tulsa’s newest exhibition spanning the second ﬂoor of the Hardesty Center. Five local artists combine sight, sound, movement and touch to create an immersive experience for viewers. “Moving through The Experience is like moving through a dream,” says Holly Becker, the executive director at Ahha. “Visitors will walk through tunnels, discover doors to open, listen to sounds and music, and see paintings that seem to move as the light changes.” Amber Litwack, director of programs and exhibitions, adds, “In many ways, the artists are inviting visitors to play and have fun.” Leg work for the exhibition spanned months. “The Experience started its planning phase back in the summer of 2017,” Litwack says. “The ﬁve lead artists took over their spaces in January of this year after we did a lot of behind-the-scenes work removing furniture, walls, and working with experts to make sure each artist’s plan was feasible. From the beginning, it has been important to us to make this a collaborative project that

indebted to two demanding producers, struggling young playwright William Shakespeare is tormented by writer’s block until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps. tulsapac.com

THEATRE TULSA PRESENTS: DISNEY’S NEWSIES

MARTINA MCBRIDE Aug. 10 HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO Country singer

and songwriter Martina McBride hits the stage.

hardrockcasinotulsa.com

B.B. KING’S BLUES BAND FEATURING TITO JACKSON Aug. 11

CAIN’S BALLROOM The

band is the vision of B.B. King’s former personal assistant and tour manager, Myron Johnson. cainsballroom.com

VINCE GILL Aug. 16 RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT For Down to My

Last Bad Habit, his 18th studio album, Vince Gill could have kicked back a bit. Not a chance, says this musician. riverspirittulsa.com

SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT PRESENTS: CHRIS HYDE BAND Aug. 16 UTICA SQUARE Put on

your dancing shoes, catch up with family and friends and win great prizes like Utica Square gift certificates and merchandise. uticasquare.com

MUSIC NIGHT – SUSAN HERNDON AND BELLA COUNSEL Aug. 16 TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN

Soak in the evening sun and the melodies of Susan Herndon with Bella Counsel. tulsabotanic.org

RANDY ROGERS BAND

Aug. 17

CAIN’S BALLROOM Every word on the Randy Rogers Band’s new album, Nothing Shines Like Neon, rings with authenticity. cainsballroom.com

SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT PRESENTS: DENISE HOEY AND THE BOULEVARD Aug. 23

UTICA SQUARE Celebrate summer every Thursday.

SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT PRESENTS: GRADY NICHOLS Aug. 30 UTICA SQUARE The closer

for the Summer’s Fifth Night series is jazz pop local artist Grady Nichols.

uticasquare.com

ART FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL

Aug. 3

TULSA ARTS DISTRICT

This year-round, monthly event features works from galleries, artists, studios and museums.

thetulsaartsdistrict.org

SPECTION Aug. 3-Sept. 23 AHHA TULSA The term spection describes the construction of visual narratives to respond to personal experiences, observations and ideas. ahhatulsa.org

SPIDER WOMAN WAS HERE Through Aug. 19

PHILBROOK DOWNTOWN

The Diné (as Navajo people refer to themselves) tell a traditional story about a powerful cultural heroine known as Spider Woman.

philbrook.org

LIFTING THE LANDSCAPE: CHRISTOPHER CURTIS

Through Aug. 26

TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN

The work of renowned artist Christopher Curtis is featured at the Botanic Garden’s first sculpture exhibit. tulsabotanic.org

INNOVATIVE EXPRESSIONS Through Sept. 9

PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART Innovative Impressions

explores under-studied elements of three Impressionists’ careers: their groundbreaking prints and the techniques they developed through collaboration and experimentation. philbrook.org

T.C. CANNON: AT THE EDGE OF AMERICA Through Oct. 7 GILCREASE MUSEUM This

exhibition celebrates one of the most influential and inventive Native American artists of the 20th century. gilcrease.org

BLAKE LITTLE: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE GAY RODEO Through Nov. 25 GILCREASE MUSEUM

Experience the grit, determination and community of the national gay rodeo circuit. gilcrease.org

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT II: UNEXPECTED VIEWS OF GILCREASE MUSEUM Through Dec. 31 GILCREASE MUSEUM

Artists in this exhibition found unanticipated ways to utilize their cameras to effectively express their creativity.

gilcrease.org

SPORTS KANSAS PAINT HORSE CONGRESS Aug. 1-5 EXPO SQUARE The

association was formed to promote the paint horse industry in the state of Kansas.

exposquare.com

Snaffle Bit Association offers events in all-breed classes and pays out in excess of $1 million.

TULSA DRILLERS BASEBALL GAMES

exposquare.com

ONEOK FIELD Enjoy

Aug. 11-12

Aug. 2-5, 14-19, 25-31

America’s pastime in a beautiful downtown setting. milb.com/tulsa

OK HELLWAY Aug. 5 EXPO SQUARE Watch

cyclists race against the clock – and each other. exposquare.

com/events/2018/ok-hellway

TULSA ROUGHNECKS HOME GAMES Aug. 8-11 ONEOK FIELD See the

Roughnecks take on the OKC Energy FC and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, respectively. roughnecksfc.com

PHOTO COURTESY CITIZEN POTAWATOMI NATION

NSBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW AND BREEDERS CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY Aug. 10-19 EXPO SQUARE The National

PBR: UNLEASH THE BEAST BOK CENTER The top 35

professional bull riders in the world wow fans with high-flying, nailbiting, nonstop action. bokcenter.com

CONQUER THE GAUNTLET OBSTACLE RACE Aug. 25 POST OAK LODGE Race

through grueling terrain and conquer more than 25 large, unique and challenging obstacles.

conquerthegauntlet.com

TULSA REINING CLASSIC

Aug. 28-Sept. 2

EXPO SQUARE See

riders compete in a wide range of equestrian events.

tulsareining.com

COMMUNITY BURGER NIGHT

Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART Enjoy patio season with Philbrook’s new Friday night routine. philbrook.org

POWWOW OF CHAMPIONS

Aug. 10-12

ORU MABEE CENTER Tribal members from around the country celebrate Native American heritage through song, dance and tradition.

iicot.org

FA M I LY / K I D S

FLY AWAY

The Shawnee horizon becomes aglow with color at the FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival Aug. 10-11 at Raymond Peltier Park, organized by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The celebration offers dozens of hot air balloon launches, balloon glows and familyfriendly entertainment, including food and drink vendors, a 5K run and carnival rides. Other activities include a kite show, live music, and a hunting, fishing and camping expo at FireLake Arena. “This is the second year for this event, and we’ve taken a lot of what we learned from the first year to improve the festival and add to it,” says Jennifer Bell, director of public information for the tribe. “Admission and parking are free, so, while there will be some activities that cost money, a family could come out and enjoy themselves for very little money.” Tethered balloon rides are limited with required reservations, starting each night at 6 p.m. for $250. For more information or to book a flight, visit firelakeballoonfest.com.

SECOND SATURDAY ARCHITECTURE TOUR

INDIA FEST Aug. 25 EXPO SQUARE The India

month’s adventure is the popular exploration of tunnels connecting many prominent buildings downtown.

Association of Greater Tulsa promotes strong and close communication, solidarity, unity and understanding among people of Indian origin, of all ages, living in Greater Tulsa. iagtok.com

SENIOR LIVING EXPO

WILD BREW Aug. 25 COX BUSINESS CENTER

Aug. 11

TULSA FOUNDATION FOR ARCHITECTURE This

tulsaarchitecture.org

THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER

The 20th anniversary of Wild Brew features the state’s largest collection of craft beers, food from local restaurants and live entertainment.

travelok.com

TARANTULA ON FILM

Aug. 11

This fun-filled event offers advice for seniors in the realms of finance, wellness and travel.

RISE UP SINGING AT THE SYNAGOGUE Aug. 19 CONGREGATION

Congregation B’nai Emunah works to capture a feeling of lifted spirits in its participatory concert at the end of each summer. tulsagogue.com

MAKER FAIRE TULSA

Aug. 25

EXPO SQUARE Maker Faire

is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and sharing what they can do. tulsa.makerfaire.com

coxcentertulsa.com Aug. 26

WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER

To coincide with the exhibition Tarantula(s): Bob Dylan’s Novel Revisited, the Bob Dylan Archive presents a parallel series of films. woodyguthriecenter.org

POST OAK WINE AND JAZZ FESTIVAL Aug. 31-Sept. 2 POST OAK LODGE Bring

lawn chairs, blankets and umbrellas to get cozy in the meadows to enjoy the music.

postoaklodge.com

Aug. 10

BURN CO. BARBECUE Enjoy live music, barbecue, cold drinks and cigars to support Tulsa Boys’ Home.

tulsaboyshome.org

Aug. 21

MOHAWK PARK Enjoy a

sanctioned 5K run and walk to benefit Total Source for Hearing-loss and Access. tsha.cc

BUNKER BITES Aug. 23 METRO APPLIANCES AND

DIONYSIAN NIGHTS: A CELEBRATORY SUMMER FUNDRAISER FOR LIVING ARTS OF TULSA Aug. 11 LIVING ARTS OF TULSA

Illuminate your senses with a night of delectable local eats, lush decor, goblets of flowing wine, gladiator games, a costume contest and thematic performances. livingarts.org

MORE The evening is spent

tasting Bunker Bites from Tulsa chefs. coffeebunker.org

DIVAS FOR H.O.P.E. Aug. 24 COX BUSINESS CENTER

This event celebrates 20 years of supporting the Health Outreach Prevention Center with dinner, an auction and performances. hopetesting.org

IN OKC PERFORMANCES RON WHITE Aug. 3 RIVERWIND CASINO Ron

stage name Miranda Sings, is an actor, comedian, vocalist, writer and executive producer.

riverwind.com

BAD IN BED LIVE! BY SHELBY SIMPSON Aug. 16-19 TOWER THEATRE Enid

White’s stories relay tales from his life, ranging from growing up in a small town in Texas to his daily experiences.

OKLAHOMA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK PRESENTS: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Aug. 9-11, 16-19, 23-25

SHAKESPEARE ON THE PASEO A new adaptation of

Jane Austen’s novel follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters. oklahomashakespeare.com

CHARITABLE EVENTS BURN CO. BARBECUE, BEER, SCOTCH AND CIGARS

WHERE HANDS MEET FEET

MIRANDA SINGS LIVE ... NO OFFENSE Aug. 11 CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL

Colleen Ballinger, known by her

okcciviccenter.com

native and award-winning author Shelby Simpson has taken her no-holds-barred, walk-of-no-shame book, We’re All Bad In Bed, and adapted it for the stage. towertheatreokc.com

VINCE GILL Aug. 18 CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL

After working in the industry for more than 40 years and selling more than 26 million albums, Gill is one the most successful musicians and guitarists of all time. okcciviccenter.com

CONCERTS LOGIC Aug. 1 ZOO AMPHITHEATRE

American rapper, singer and songwriter Logic hits the stage.

thezooamphitheatre.com

TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES ON THE GREAT LAWN Aug. 4, 9, 16 MYRIAD BOTANICAL

AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Where & When

GARDENS The Arts

Council of Oklahoma City encourages attendees to bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets to the concert.

oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com

AARON LEE TASJAN Aug. 7 THE JONES ASSEMBLY

Enjoy the musical stylings of “indie folk grit” artist Aaron Tasjan. thejonesassembly.com

SOCIAL CLUB MISFITS TOWER THEATRE This

Miami duo has built a cult following on the strength of their provocative oeuvre and singular, quick-witted approach.

frontiercity.com

WIZ KHALIFA AND RAE SREMMURD: DAZED AND BLAZED TOUR Aug. 24 ZOO AMPHITHEATRE Two of today’s popular rappers converge on one stage.

thezooamphitheatre.com

for a night of music under the Ferris Wheel lights. wheelerdistrict.com

towertheatreokc.com

NEEDTOBREATHE Aug. 11 ZOO AMPHITHEATRE These country crooners perform.

THE MAVERICKS Aug. 31 TOWER THEATRE This

American country and pop band, founded in 1989 in Miami, Florida, is back on tour. towertheatreokc.com

thezooamphitheatre.com

ART opening receptions showcase the new work of the gallery/ studio owners or the work of guest artists. thepaseo.org

RUTH LOVELAND, KALEE JONES W. AND BRAD HILL Aug. 9-Sept. 9

amusement park, then check out Neon Trees in concert.

WHEELER SUMMER MUSIC SERIES Aug. 24 WHEELER DISTRICT Come

Aug. 8

FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK Aug. 3 PASEO DISTRICT Art

NEON TREES Aug. 11 FRONTIER CITY Enjoy the

PUTTING BASKETS TO WORK IN SOUTHWEST CHINA Through Aug. 12 SAM NOBLE OKLAHOMA MUSEUM OF NATIONAL HISTORY, NORMAN The

photographs and baskets featured in this exhibit were gathered between 2013 and 2015 in Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou provinces.

DNA GALLERIES Local

samnoblemuseum.ou.edu

dnagalleries.com

SEALS OF ISAIAH AND KING HEZEKIAH DISCOVERED

artists present works in a variety of media.

Through Aug. 19

ARMSTRONG AUDITORIUM, EDMOND Science and the Bible converge to reveal an ancient king-prophet pairing.

armstrongauditorium.org

SPACE BURIAL Through Sept. 2

FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART, NORMAN This installation evokes the use of satellite dishes as a burial object for a space-faring culture.

ou.edu/fjjma

ISABELLE DE BORCHGRAVE: FASHIONING

COMMUNITY

ART FROM PAPER Through Sept. 9

OKCMOA This exhibition

features the life-size, trompe l’œil paper costumes of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave. okcmoa.com

FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART, NORMAN This

MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS This is an

ou.edu/fjjma

oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com

exhibition offers thoughtprovoking, two-dimensional and three-dimensional works.

OKC DODGERS HOME GAMES Aug. 9-12, 21-27 CHICKASAW BRICKTOWN BALLPARK See the city’s

triple-A baseball team. milb.com

Aug. 11-12

OKC ENERGY FC SOCCER MATCHES Aug. 11, 25 TAFT STADIUM See the

equestrians from around the country compete.

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

BEATS AND BITES FESTIVAL Aug. 11 RIVERWIND CASINO This year’s event is packed with live music, food trucks and vendors. riverwind.com

POOL AND SPA SHOW

FULL MOON BIKE RIDE AND RUN Aug. 27 MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS Runners and

STATE FAIR PARK Browse

cyclists, take your mark. It’s time to for the gardens’ muchloved annual competition.

oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com

Aug. 17-19

beautiful pools and spas for sale. aquahavenspas.com

communityhealthok.org

“Each team will be required to complete the off-court character programming called Elevate prior to tournament competition,” Matthews says. “In this program we discuss how to elevate ourselves on and off the court to be the best versions of ourselves.” Games, taking place on six half-court stages, are 20 continuous minutes; team entry is $175. Brackets are available Aug. 16. To sign up or learn more, visit nba.com/ thunder/ocity.

RENOVATION AND LANDSCAPING SHOW Aug. 17-19

COX CONVENTION CENTER This show brings

together homeowners and experts with knowledge and experience in remodeling, building and landscaping. coxconventioncenter.com

CAT VIDEO FEST Aug. 18 MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS This festival

is a raucous, 75-minute romp through the Internet’s finest cat video offerings.

oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com

AMP FESTIVAL Aug. 25

HISTORIC FILM ROW The AMP (Art, Music, Power) Festival is an all-ages, free event celebrating art and music created by powerful women. ampfestokc.com REMINGTON BARK Aug. 25 REMINGTON PARK This event, staged especially for your furry friends, features costume contests, doggie activities, local rescues and dog vendors.

adventureroad.com

CHARITABLE EVENTS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS 45TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Aug. 16 COLES GARDEN An

festive, invitation-only cocktail reception recognizes founders and donors.

Play Where the Pros Play

has more than 200 diverse exhibits, runway fashion shows, beauty makeovers, special events and a variety of experts. okstatefair.com

okstatefair.com

SPORTS

OKLAHOMA BORN AND BREWED Aug. 17 OKLAHOMA HALL OF FAME GAYLORD-PICKENS MUSEUM This event

provides guests with a unique tasting experience from Oklahoma craft brewers paired with small plate culinary favorites. oklahomahof.com

DANCING FOR A MIRACLE Aug. 18

EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON NORMAN HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER

Ten celebrity dancers paired with 10 professionals raise money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation. chfkids.com

SPORTING CLAYS CLASSIC Aug. 24-25

JOHN W. NICHOLS SCOUT RANCH Rain or shine, this

100-round event benefits the Last Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts of America. scoutingrocks.tv

AROUND THE STATE PERFORMANCES DARREN KNIGHT Aug. 11 7 CLANS FIRST COUNCIL CASINO, NEWKIRK Darren

Knight, a.k.a Southern Momma from Munford, is a fast-rising comedian.

firstcouncilcasinohotel.com

AN ACT OF GOD Aug. 24-Sept. 8

THE POLLARD THEATRE, GUTHRIE The one with

the first and last word on everything arrives to set the record straight. thepollard.org

CONCERTS ERIC CHURCH Aug. 11 CHOCTAW CASINO AND RESORT, DURANT PHOTO BY ZACH BEEKER/OKC THUNDER

Chesapeake Arena, home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, welcomes young basketball players to the team’s ﬁrst O’City: Battle of the Courts 3v3 Tournament Aug. 18-19. This double-elimination competition offers divisions for boys and girls ages 9-11 and 12-14. “O’City Tournaments was created to provide opportunities for core and casual athletes to compete in an atmosphere that inspires play, celebrates the game of basketball and provides a unique environment for fans and participants,” says Michelle Matthews, manager of the Thunder’s youth basketball programs. Matthews says the 3-on-3 style was chosen because “athletes are more involved with the game in this format and … understand the importance of communicating on the court to obtain success.” The tournament, however, isn’t just about competition or even a love of basketball.

all-levels class led by Lisa Woodard from This Land Yoga.

STATE FAIR PARK The expo

SUMMER SHOOTOUT BARREL RACE Aug. 17-19 STATE FAIR PARK See

wheelerdistrict.com

Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28

WOMEN’S LIVING EXPO

WHEELER CRITERIUM week, the Wheeler Criterium provides an exciting weeknight outing for families across the community as people line the runway to cheer on some of Oklahoma’s top cyclists.

established in 2004, has hosted shows since 2007.

YOGA IN THE GARDENS

Through Sept. 9

OKC Energy FC take on Real Monarchs SLC and the Seattle Sounders FC 2. energyfc.com

WHEELER DISTRICT Each

OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY The guild, edmondquiltguild.us

American Quarter Horse Association has its annual youth competition. aqha.com

Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28

Aug. 3-4

VISUAL VOICES: CONTEMPORARY CHICKASAW ART

SPORTS AQHA WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS Aug. 3-11 STATE FAIR PARK The

EDMOND QUILT FESTIVAL

Nashville-based country singer Eric Church returns to Oklahoma.

choctawcasinos.com

AN ACCORDION AFFAIR Aug. 12

CZECH HALL, YUKON Sit

down and enjoy an all-ages concert featuring 23 accordionists. travelok.com

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE Aug. 17

WINSTAR WORLD CASINO AND RESORT, THACKERVILLE Florida

Georgia Line comes to The Colosseum.

winstarworldcasino.com

BACKSTREET BOYS WITH 98 DEGREES Aug. 18 WINSTAR WORLD CASINO AND RESORT, THACKERVILLE Two boy

band sensations take the stage together. winstarworldcasino.com

LEE GREENWOOD Aug. 31 GRAND CASINO HOTEL AND RESORT, SHAWNEE Lee Greenwood performs.

AARON LEWIS Aug. 18 CHOCTAW CASINO AND RESORT, DURANT

grandboxoffice.com

BUCKIN’ WILD AFTER RODEO PARTY

Alternative and metal rocker Aaron Lewis rocks the stage.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2

choctawcasinos.com

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL AND KANSAS

Aug. 25

FLYING W GUEST RANCH, SAYRE Enjoy much music

from a dozen artists and 1,000 acres to have a great party.

buckinwildmusicfest.com

CHOCTAW CASINO AND RESORT, DURANT Rock

THE BLUES BALL

music legends from two famous bands converge.

Aug. 31-Sept. 2

TOWN CENTER MAINSTAGE,

choctawcasinos.com

MEDICINE PARK This event celebrates blues music.

E AT / D R I N K

Great Minds Drink Alike

Salute local craft brewers at the Oklahoma Craft Beer Summit at Tower Theatre in OKC. Attendees can expect everything from educational seminars to special glassware sales and, of course, beer tastings from more than 20 state brewers. You can also walk away with a swag bag ﬁlled with goodies from

TODD GRAY: POP GEOMETRY Aug. 2-Dec. 3 FORT SMITH (ARK.) REGIONAL ART MUSEUM

ART

Todd Gray’s painted sculptures have a distinct currency and impact when regarded in a contemporary context. fsram.org

THE BEYOND: GEORGIA O’KEEFFE & CONTEMPORARY ART

PHOTO BY WHITNEY BRYAN

travelok.com

Through Sept. 3

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, BENTONVILLE, ARK. This exhibition brings

together three dozen of Georgia O’Keeffe’s works, alongside works by a select group of contemporary artists.

RAM ANNUAL INVITATIONAL Through Sept. 2

crystalbridges.org

This is a national competitive exhibition. fsram.org

THE GARDEN Through Oct. 8 CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, BENTONVILLE, ARK.

FORT SMITH (ARK.) REGIONAL ART MUSEUM

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: ART AND OBJECTS OF TRAVEL Through Sept. 2 MABEE GERRER MUSEUM OF ART, SHAWNEE Explore

the world of travel at MGMOA’s newest exhibition. mgmoa.org

This focus exhibition re-creates and interprets the experience of the garden through the work of artists from the Crystal Bridges collection.

sponsors and brewers. “The summit was originally designed by local craft beer bar Oak and Ore to attract the attention of Oklahoma lawmakers, in hopes of advancing legal changes to the beer industry, while also raising funds for the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma, which is dedicated to furthering those changes,” the event’s website says. “With the … passage of Oklahoma Senate Bill 424, brewers across the state are … able to serve all beers, both low- and high-point, directly to the public from their own taprooms.” A pre-conference party takes place at the Prairie Artisan Ales taproom from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 10. The summit runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 11, and Oak and Ore offers 20 percent off brunch the next morning with proof of summit attendance. A list of events can be found at oklahomacraftbeersummit.org.

crystalbridges.org

SPORTS SALLISAW LION’S CLUB IPRA RODEO Aug. 2-4 SALLISAW RODEO GROUNDS This IPRA

championship rodeo showcases some of the county’s elite athletes in rodeo competition. travelok.com

BRAVE THE MUD RUN Aug. 18

LEFLORE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, POTEAU

Run, walk or crawl the sixthannual run. Your registration benefits the Women’s Crisis Services of Leflore County.

runsignup.com/Race/OK/ Poteau/BravetheMudRun

WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL RODEO Aug. 22-25

AMERICAN LEGION RODEO GROUNDS, VINITA This annual event celebrates Oklahoma’s favorite son.

willrogersmemorialrodeo.com

DOXA EXTREME RODEO

Aug. 22-26

WINTER CREEK FARMS, ALEX Doxa Rodeo brings

you the ultimate in rodeo competition with more than 50 separate events. doxarodeo.com

MOORE WAR RUN Aug. 25 MOORE HIGH SCHOOL The

event is sponsored by the City of Moore, Horn Equipment and Brown-O’Haver. moorewarrun.com

COMMUNITY KAW NATION POWWOW Aug. 3-5

WASHUNGA BAY POWWOW GROUNDS, KAW CITY

Dance contests, exhibitions and food await at this powwow. kawnation.com

TERRY DON WEST BULL RIDING SCHOOL Aug. 3-5 TERRY DON WEST BULL RIDING SCHOOL, HENRYETTA Learn the three skills needed to make you a champion rider.

terrydonwest.com

ENID COMIC CON Aug. 4-5 CENTRAL NATIONAL BANK CENTER Local and out of

state vendors buy, sell and trade for the city’s first-ever Comic Con. cnbcenter.com

CAR SHOW AND CRUISE

Aug. 4

BAPTIST VILLAGE OF ELK CITY The event features a car

show, food vendors, door prizes and shopping.

baptistvillage.org

PHOTO COURTESY JULA FOUNDATION FOR INDEPEDENT CINEMA

COMMUNIT Y

FILMS LIKE YOURS The FLY (Films Like Yours) Film Festival celebrates its fifth anniversary with three days of local movie screenings in Enid. Submissions abound in short films, documentaries, feature films and screenplays, and viewers can experience horror, comedy and drama with the festival’s 40 selections. “Film festivals are a prime example of how freedom of speech should work,” says Christopher Ryan Sneed, president of the Jula Foundation for Independent Cinema. “Whether the movies make you laugh, cry, think or scream, these are people expressing themselves while other people listen and

watch. People can feel how they feel about it, but we still encourage them ... no matter what political or cultural background.” The festival allows aspiring filmmakers and actors to network with those who’ve succeeded in the competitive industry. The organization also hosts other events to foster local talent, like the FLY Video Basics Workshops. Topics include cinematography, lighting and audio; the course is intended for beginners or as a refresher for young filmmakers. The FLY runs Aug. 9-11 at Enid Symphony Hall. Event passes can be purchased at the door or online at flyfilmfestival.org. AUGUST 2018 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

Where & When

RUSH SPRINGS WATERMELON FESTIVAL AND RODEO Aug. 9-11 JEFF DAVIS PARK Held

continuously since 1948, this event has become one of the most popular festivals in Oklahoma. travelok.com

WILL ROGERS & WILEY POST FLY-IN Aug. 11 WILL ROGERS BIRTHPLACE RANCH, OOLOGAH Dozens

of aircraft fly in to a 2,000-foot airstrip for an exciting day of fun. visitclaremore.org

AMERICAN INDIAN EXPO Aug. 15-18

CADDO COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, ANADARKO

This annual expo showcases the arts, crafts and traditions of 13 plains Indian tribes. travelok.com

CARNEGIE TRI-COUNTY FREE FAIR Aug. 16-18 CARNEGIE PARK Once

you’ve experienced a true country fair, there’s nothing else like it in the world. carnegieok.com

OKLAHOMA STATE FIDDLERS FALL CONVENTION Aug. 16-18 SEQUOYAH STATE PARK, HULBERT Pack up your

fiddle and join your picking buddies. travelok.com

WILDLIFE PRESERVE, BARTLESVILLE The Tulsa

Astronomy Club and the Bartlesville Astronomical Society present a night under the stars. woolaroc.org

WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL RODEO PARADE Aug. 22 NORTH PARK, VINITA This must-see parade kicks off the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo.

willrogersmemorialrodeo.com

U.S.S. BATFISH LIVING HISTORY DAYS Aug. 25 WAR MEMORIAL PARK, MUSKOGEE The Batfish is

open for tours, allowing visitors to experience the vessel that sank three enemy submarines and 11 other enemy vessels. warmemorialpark.org

LET IT BE ARTS FESTIVAL

Aug. 25-26

KIEFER CITY PARK This

event is free to the public and features a variety of craft vendors, entertainment, a children’s section and other activities. travelok.com

RIVER RUMBA REGATTA Aug. 25-26 THREE FORKS HARBOR, MUSKOGEE Build a cardboard boat to race with family, friends, relatives or co-workers.

WATERMELON FESTIVAL AND COMMUNITY FAIR

Aug. 26-Sept. 1

cityofblanchard.us

Delicious watermelon, a parade, volleyball tournament and pageant comprise a magical weekend. facebook.

WESTERN HERITAGE DAYS RODEO Aug. 17-18 BRISTOW SPORTS COMPLEX Celebrate the

town’s Western heritage with plenty of entertainment, games, food, music and vendors. travelok.com

GOOD VIBRATIONS CAR SHOW Aug. 18 BLINN PARK, TONKAWA Explore, cars, trucks, motorcycles and plenty of other vehicles.

tonkawachamber.org

ASTRONOMY NIGHT Aug. 18 WOOLAROC MUSEUM AND

MAIN STREET, RINGWOOD

com/Ringwoodcommunityfair

CHOCTAW NATION LABOR DAY FESTIVAL Aug. 30-Sept. 3

TVSHKA HOMMA TRIBAL GROUNDS, TUSKAHOMA

Enjoy everything from stickball tournaments to dancing performances at the festival.

choctawnation.com

CHEROKEE NATIONAL HOLIDAY Aug. 31-Sept. 2 DOWNTOWN TAHLEQUAH

This event celebrates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution. cherokee.org

CHARITABLE EVENTS JA CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT Aug. 28 PATRIOT GOLF CLUB, OWASSO Get ready for a 9

a.m. tee-off and a scramble format to benefit Junior Achievement of Oklahoma. jaok.org

MELODY LANE CHARITY DINNER AND AUCTION

Aug. 24

OKC GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Parent Promise

celebrates its 30th year of providing in-home parent education and support services in Oklahoma County.

parentpromise.org

FOR MORE EVENTS IN

TULSA, OKC AND AROUND THE STATE, HEAD TO OKMAG.COM.

From Dreck to Pooh Bear August offerings include something bad, something familial and something controversial.

exchangeclubmuskogee.org

BLANCHARD BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Aug. 17-18 LIONS PARK A dozen bluegrass bands from around Oklahoma converge.

FILM AND CINEMA

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

Around Town

Highlighting film festivals in this column is a joy. These events help to defy the current state of film culture as passive, isolated and inactive. Yes, you spend plenty of time at film festivals sitting by yourself in the dark, but the edges are active and social. The FLY Festival, Aug. 9-11 in Enid, pushes the active elements of film festivals to the forefront … with a fun twist. One of the main components of the festival is a series of workshops, for adults and kids, on filmmaking. These workshops occur before the movies start to run, but the films produced at the teens’ camp debut at the festival. This direct connection between production and distribution should reinforce the power of the audience for these young filmmakers, and help introduce the audience to a rising generation of Oklahoma talent.

At Home

If you’re around my age – one of those much-discussed millennials – you may have acquired a taste for intentionally watching bad films. I fancy myself something of a connoisseur of film dreck, and one of the most famous, and still oddest, bad films of all time is getting a collector’s edition DVD release from Shout! Factory this month. Mac and Me looks, on the surface, like an unscrupulous knock off of E.T., which it absolutely is. But it’s much more – a Pandora’s box of awful that keeps offering treasures to behold. The film ratchets up the product placement

of E.T. by making Coca-Cola a lifesaver for its alien creature, and it sets an indescribably bizarre dance sequence inside a McDonald’s. And that’s still not the most inexplicable moment in the film; that honor belongs to an infamous scene where a wheelchair-bound child falls off a cliff. To the uninitiated, Mac and Me might appear baffling, but, to those who cannot resist the allure of cinematic trash, there’s a whole landfill to savor here.

In Theaters

Unlikely double-features are the purpose of this section – anything to get people out to watch films in theaters. This month’s pairing is a Disney film set in jolly old England with a work from one of America’s most vital indie filmmakers. Christopher Robin tackles the beloved Pooh stories of A.A. Milne. Imagining a world where the title character has grown up and left his stuffed animals behind, the film looks to capture the bittersweet tone of the final Pooh stories, and the DIY aesthetic makes the CGI seem bear-able (so to speak). Adults may enjoy Christopher Robin, but they should keep their kids away from Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, the true story of a black cop who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Lee’s films are always divisive, with difficult subject matter and wild tonal swings, but I tend to love them, and BlacKkKlansman looks like a perfect story for his strengths as a filmmaker. ASHER GELZER-GOVATOS

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last two years. People don’t want to travel; people are afraid of being pulled over on the highway. Many of our nationals don’t have a driver’s license; they don’t have car insurance. This mobile program saves them time and money; if a family of four or ﬁve travels from Oklahoma City or Tulsa to Little Rock … that means gas and food expenses. The mobile consulate is an extraordinary mechanism to all the community.

… their benefits.

Rodolfo Quilantán-Arenas

odolfo QuilantánArenas has been the Mexican consul based in Little Rock, Arkansas, since June 2016. His coverage area includes 49 counties in Oklahoma, where tens of thousands of Mexicans live and work. He has served in the Mexican foreign service for 33 years. We caught up with Quilantán-Arenas and got his thoughts on …

… immigration issues.

Thousands of minors being separated from their families at the border detention centers is a subject of great concern internally and internationally. [In late June] President Trump suspended the separation of said families. This is a

100

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2018

good decision. We have to verify that this is … fulﬁlled. Nevertheless, this is an international case that has to be addressed in a collective manner, in which all the countries involved must assume their responsibilities. Immigration is an international phenomena; all the world has to pull and push and … work together, always taking into account the immigrants’ rights [and] that all deportations are made in an orderly, lawful and humane manner.

… the consulate’s mobile service.

This service helps the Mexican community that lives far away from the consulate in moments of anguish, preoccupation and fear, like the ones we have been living in these

… his impressions of Oklahoma.

All the experiences I’ve had in Oklahoma are excellent. Every time I go to Oklahoma City or Tulsa, it always rains, invariably. For me the rain has a very special sentiment on particular days of my personal life. For me, the rainy days are a blessing; every time I am in Oklahoma, I always feel blessed. I’ve been countless times to the state capitol, to Tulsa. I love that both Tulsa’s and Oklahoma City’s officials are open to diversity, to immigrants, and recognize the efforts and contributions of immigrants. I was recently at the state capitol with consuls from different countries – from Guatemala (the first country to have a permanent office in Oklahoma), from Peru, Spain and Bolivia. We were celebrating Hispanic culture. It was a great party. READ MORE FROM RODOLFO QUILANTÁN-ARENAS AT OKMAG.COM.

PHOTO COURTESY CONSULATE OF MEXICO IN LITTLE ROCK

CLOSING THOUGHTS

We can visit Mexican nationals imprisoned in Oklahoma. We can visit and give assistance to people who are in hospitals and need to be sent back to Mexico to receive the necessary attention. We cooperate with Mexican judicial authorities. We invite different health, educational or ﬁnancial organizations to orient the Mexican nationals. We even have a representative [from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] talk to Mexican nationals about their possibilities to gain permanent residency or citizenship.

The

CHICKASAW NATION

BILL ANOATUBBY, GOVERNOR www.CHICKASAW.net