According to the most recently published statistics, one in six adults living in Tulsa County is functionally illiterate. Many organizations across the state are attempting to combat the problem of adult illiteracy. In Tulsa County, the Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service, a program of the Tulsa Library Trust and headed by literacy services manager Cassie Spindle, is hoping to curb that statistic.
"There are approximately 48 programs working with adults to improve literacy skills in the state. That number has declined over the years. A lot of funding has decreased for programs. We have been very lucky to be a part of Tulsa City-County Library system. We receive grants and donations for our program, but being part of a library system has helped us grow and remain relevant. Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service is one of the largest programs in the state.
The illiteracy rate in Tulsa County is a little bit better than the state average, which is one in five adults that are functionally illiterate. But numbers don’t lie, and every month we have at least 30 students waiting for a volunteer to help them to read, and that number doesn’t change.
Why do adult learners struggle with reading skills? We have two types of students: English as a first language and English as a second language.
For those that speak English as a first language and are functionally illiterate, almost 80 percent show some characteristic of a learning disability that may have gone undiagnosed in school. A lot, as children, moved around a lot. Some had a debilitating illness and never caught up in school. It was probably that they needed more one-on-one help than they got.
What we do is match volunteers to adult learners. We accept into our program anyone who is 16 or older and willing to commit one year to the program, because you need to have 80 hours of instruction to grow one grade level. We assess what the adult learners need. They run the gamut as far as adults up to age 90 in our program. Some adult learners come to us because they want to be able to read books to their grandchildren; some want to get GEDs and get into college. We want to help adult learners achieve their goals; we don’t force them to read to a certain level."
The allure of the concrete jungles in big cities out of state may lure away many Oklahomans, but some of them – particularly the creative types – find their way back home, where their roots have more room to stretch in Oklahoma’s wide open spaces.
“I used to think that living in a bigger city made me more creative, but I don’t think that’s true anymore,” says singer/songwriter Beau Jennings.
“In a bustling, busy city, you can be inspired, but the reality is it takes longer to get anywhere, so it’s harder to get anything done, and that can easily stifle your creativity. So I think in many ways, logistically, it’s much more open and free to make music here.”
Jennings made his way back to Norman to raise a family after living and making music in both Brooklyn and Austin, Tex., and didn’t waste any time in recruiting some of Oklahoma’s most seasoned musicians to form The Tigers in early 2012.
“Even though I’ve always loved rock and roll, it’s a little newer for me to perform…"
Based out of Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Jennings And The Tigers have quickly become a rock and roll band to be reckoned with, whose live show is guaranteed to have music lovers up on their feet.
Its upcoming debut EP Sweet Action is set for release in February, with a string of shows on a short regional tour through Texas, Kansas and Arkansas in the works shortly after.
Said to channel the energy of early Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and the more modern sounds of Wilco, the Tigers’ upcoming Sweet Action is packed with aggressive and upbeat songs, with a faster tempo than what Jennings has traditionally written and performed live.
“Even though I’ve always loved rock and roll, it’s a little newer for me to perform, and it’s partially because I think that a lot of things are dictated by your surroundings and your environment. Different places have the ability to affect your sound,” Jennings explains.
“You can’t really be a rock band wherever you want to play. When I lived in New York, I found that it’s hard to have your amps and drums set up because everyone is living in such close quarters – so it’s easier being a folk musician in a big city, where you really just need an acoustic guitar to write and play music. In Oklahoma it’s a lot easier to play rock and roll. There’s more room to explore and be loud.”
As home court of a professional men’s ball team, Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena sees more than its fair share of basketball. From March 31-April 2, even more eyes will be on OKC when the 2013 NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional Tournament begins. Women’s Division I teams take each other on to make it to the Final Four in New Orleans, April 7 and 9. Will 2012 champions, No. 1-ranked Baylor University’s Lady Bears, be the team to beat this time again? Could we see another showdown between Baylor and Notre Dame yet again? Anything could happen, and fans are only too pleased to support their favorite college teams. Tickets to tournament games are $35-$45 each, available at www.chesapeakearena.com. Find tournament information and follow rankings and other information at www.ncaa.com.
Maps of Oklahoma City show Oklahoma’s State Capitol building sitting on North Lincoln Boulevard. It could also be said that the building sits at the intersection of time and action.
With Oklahoma’s defining building approaching triple digits in terms of age, the Capitol is facing a day of reckoning with regards to its physical condition. Nearly a century of gravity and manic Oklahoma weather have taken a toll on both the interior and exterior of the seemingly rock solid capitol, and the tangible evidence of that toll is making more than a few state officials take notice.
“I’m told its problems are not inconsistent with a building nearly 100 years old,” says state finance office director Preston Doerflinger. However, he says, “Our State Capitol is steadily deteriorating, and the damage will only accelerate if significant repairs are not made soon.”
Doerflinger cites the crumbling exterior among the Capitol’s most urgent needs. And it’s for more than just the obvious safety issues. “As Governor (Mary) Fallin has said, it’s embarrassing that visitors to the Capitol are greeted by yellow barricades and scaffolding erected to protect them from falling chunks of limestone.”
John Morrison, administrator of Capitol Asset Management, says invisible deficiencies and historic relics are the greatest ills plaguing the building’s interior. “The primary problems are the things you can’t see.” The building’s original plumbing system used cast iron pipes, some of which became encased in concrete over the course of nine decades of maintenance projects. Morrison explains that many of these entombed pipes rusted out, leaving a concrete tube where pipes once existed.
Doerflinger says the disintegrating sewer lines have allowed effluent to leach into the ground beneath the building. “At times a foul odor spreads through the building. It’s becoming a health hazard.”
An outdated electrical system is also proving a liability to the capitol building of 2013. “The entire electrical system needs to be removed and reinstalled to meet modern needs. We have this 1917 wiring powering modern computers,” Morrison says.
The question of comfort comes into play as well. “The building wasn’t equipped for air conditioning when it was originally built,” Morrison explains. Currently, over 500 individual cooling units are used to keep the building’s employees cool during the heat of a central Oklahoma summer. “We could take this opportunity to replace those units with a central system.”
With issues mounting and time continuing its punishing march, assistance to the ailing building has been proposed and, according to at least one legislator, does have tacit approval. The overriding question, however, is one of funding. No funding measures have made the transition from bill to law, although Gov. Fallin proposed a modest $10 million expenditure earlier this year.
“I haven’t found a member (of the legislature) that doesn’t want to repair the Capitol,” says House District 11 Representative and enthusiastic restoration supporter Earl Sears. “We’ve got to quit finding reasons not to do it, and find funds to do it.”
Preliminary estimates put the cost of restoring the Capitol at approximately $153 million. Sears has authored two Capitol-focused bills for consideration during the 2013 legislative session. One of Sears’ proposals calls for tapping $153 million from the state’s so-called Rainy Day fund, while the second proposes the establishment of a committee to develop a comprehensive plan. “You have the argument that it’s not an emergency,” he says. “My sources tell me that this is an emergency.”
Sears’ dual 2013 proposals come on the heels of a 2012 legislative session during which he unsuccessfully sponsored a $200 million bond proposal to address the needs of not only the Capitol itself, but other structures on the Capitol grounds as well.
While Doerflinger and Sears share a sense of urgency, they differ on funding approaches. “Nothing is off the table,” Doerflinger says, “although I’m not convinced using Rainy Day funds on a building program is the best use of those funds. Remember, the Rainy Day fund was depleted to make ends meet after the national recession.” With the Rainy Day fund back at what Doerflinger describes as near-record levels, he cautions against looking at the fund as a source for capital improvements. “We still face a degree of economic uncertainty nationally because of fiscal strife in Washington.”
Sears believes an aversion to acquiring state-level debt is a big reason the legislature has been unwilling to use bonds to finance Capitol restoration. “We have numerous members that do not want to be in the column of borrowing money. I think that’s an honest reason and a legitimate reason.” But, he adds, “By no means are we over-extended.”
Restoration supporters are taking a guardedly optimistic view of the Capitol’s near-term future. “We are approaching the legislative session with an open mind,” Doerflinger says. “We are spending so much on non-routine repairs that it is becoming fiscally irresponsible. Our efforts have been focused on keeping the building from literally falling apart. It would be a lot less expensive in the long run to fix all that is wrong with the building.”
Basketball has always been at the center of Crystal Robinson’s universe. The Atoka, Okla. native is a pioneer in opening up the sport to women at the professional level, being drafted into the WNBA in the organization’s early years and later making the switch to coaching. Now, she’s returned to her Oklahoma roots and is currently head women’s basketball coach at Murray State College in Tishomingo.
Robinson says her obsession with basketball came early and naturally.
“Both of my parents were college All-Americans at Murray State, where I’m coaching right now,” she says. “I can remember being five years old when my mom bought me a Nerf basketball goal. I fell in love with it. I tore that that thing up!”
Robinson first grabbed headlines at Atoka High School where she was named MVP at the inaugural women’s High School All-American game. She was nationally recruited by a number of colleges, but she stayed close to home and attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Okla.
“The women’s team was one and 20 at the time. But it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Playing at Southeastern gave me a family. I can call on them at any time for guidance and support,” says Robinson.
Her skills helped turn the team around and earned her a spot in the NAIA Hall of Fame.
A surge in the popularity of women’s basketball following the 1996 Olympics afforded Robinson the chance to go pro with the formation of the American Basketball League (ABL). She was charter member of the league, playing for the Denver-based Colorado Xplosion. She was drafted in the eighth round, but Robinson says she had to prove herself in a league dominated by the top female players in the world.
“The coach knew I could play,” says Robinson. “But after drafting me, she pulled me to the side and said, ‘Crystal, I know you’re a great player, but your teammates are on a little bit different level and you might not get to play. I know you’ve been a star and I hope you can handle sitting on the bench well.’ I told her, ‘As long as they’re better than me, I’ll be their biggest cheerleader.’ I ended up being Rookie of the Year.”
The ABL abruptly went bankrupt in late 1998, and Robinson transitioned to the WNBA, going to the New York Liberty as the sixth overall draft selection. She played there for seven seasons before signing with the Washington Mystics in 2006. Robinson retired from play in 2007 and became an assistant coach for the Mystics. After two years of coaching at the pro level, Robinson knew she had found her niche for the next phase of her career, but she had no idea it would bring her back home to Oklahoma.
“What brought me back was my little cousin, Lashonda Green,” she says. “She plays for me now. When she was a sophomore at McAlester High, her coach quit suddenly. She was distraught, called me up and pushed me to take the job. I ended up doing it for her.”
After leading the Lady Buffaloes to a state championship, Robinson took the head coaching position at Murray State in 2009. Now firmly into her second act, Robinson feels she’s found a renewed purpose.
“The thing I like most about coaching has nothing to do with basketball,” she says. “At this level I have the opportunity to change a kid’s life and teach them that winning is not only what the score is at the end of the game. I teach them about winning in life by making the right decisions.”
Ask any number of Oklahomans in a given year who has the better football team between the Sooners and Cowboys, and you’re going to get a number of strong opinions, but you’d be foolish to assume one’s allegiance without the aid of school-themed apparel. It’s the same with any sport. Oklahomans simply love their Sooners and Cowboys, and no one seems to be able to agree which school is superior. But when it comes to aerospace programs, OSU has no peer in Oklahoma.
In fact, the OSU mechanical and aerospace engineering program is recognized as one of the best in the nation, and one that attracts applicants from across the globe. Students are drawn to the program by the promise of an education that includes learning to build and fly aircraft. OSU engineering students have long been fixtures at competitions across the nation where they compete with students from other schools in the design, construction and flight of unmanned aircraft. Most of the time the Cowboys come out ahead of the competition.
That culture of success played a major role in the introduction of a new breed of graduate program at OSU. The school now offers something no one else does: a Master of Science in mechanical and aerospace engineering that focuses on unmanned aerial systems.
“As far as we know it’s the only one in the world,” says Dr. Jamey Jacob, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering of the new degree program, now in its third semester. An unmanned aerial system (UAS) is exactly what it sounds like – an aircraft without a pilot. People will mostly associate this type of vehicle with drones used by the military.
“It’s an exciting time,” Jacob explains. “Right now we’re in that horseless carriage stage, where you classify (unmanned aircraft) by what it does not have instead of what it does. There is no pilot, but there are endless possibilities.”
“One goal we have is to create entrepreneurial opportunities for our graduates,” says Dr. Paul Tikalsky, dean of OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. “The bulk of our program deals with civilian-based applications. But we are in the very early stages in the commercialization of this technology. It may have applications in many different areas.”
The endless possibilities behind UAS technology have proven to be a big draw for the university. According to Tikalsky, there are more than 200 students working toward earning the new degree.
“It’s one of the fastest growing programs in the college,” he says.
As students discover the emerging field of unmanned aerial systems, OSU is working to meet the demand. New faculty members are being hired. There is excitement in the air. The possibilities, indeed, are endless.
“It’s a field that is experiencing a tremendous growth rate,” Jacob says. “When you start to consider the applications for the technology, you can think far out there.”
Advancing American Art was a collection of paintings by American artists of the mid-20th century assembled to show the world the freedom artists enjoyed in this country and spotlight the U.S. as a cultural rival. Instead of being celebrated, the collection along with some of the artists whose work was included found themselves labeled “un-American” by President Truman and Congress. Art Interrupted: Advancing American Art and the Politics of Cultural Diplomacy back the modernist exhibit and looks at its history at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman. The museum presents Art Interrupted March 2-June 9. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (open until 9 p.m. Friday) and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is always free. For more on the exhibit and to see related scheduled events, go to www.ou.edu/fjjma.
John Steinbeck’s novel of two migrant farm workers during the Great Depression comes to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center stage. Adapted for live theater, Of Mice and Men will be presented by American Theater Company. The play opens with an 8 p.m. show on Friday, March 1 in the PAC’s John H. Williams Theatre, 110 E. Second St. When critics talk about “classics,” this is what they mean. Characters George (Brian Rattlingourd) and Lennie (Nate Gavin) face prejudices and the overpowering sense of being alone in the world. Looking for a happy ending? You won’t get it here, but you will find the stirring emotional drama of humanity, compassion and sacrifice – and that’s always worth a look. Of Mice and Men runs through March 9, and tickets are $24-$30. Go to www.myticketoffice.com to purchase and for a show schedule.
Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom might not be he bastion of live music it is today had it not been for Bob Wills. The king of Western swing would turn 108 years old on March 6 if not for the fact that he died in 1975, but Tulsa isn’t about to let a year go by without acknowledging his considerable contribution to Tulsa music now and forever. Bob Wills’ Birthday Celebration will be 6 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Cain’s, 423 N. Main St. Wills’ Texas Playboys featuring Leon Rausch will be joined by Western swing legend Tommy Allsup as well as the Round Up Boys. Tickets are $21-$23, available at www.cainsballroom.com. Pay homage or just show up in your boots ready to dance.
That ever-youthful Cathy Rigby is back in an all-new production of the Broadway musical Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up and the magical land far, far away. Celebrity Attractions presents Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Chapman Music Hall, 101 E. Third St. The Broadway musical opens an eight-show run with the 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, performance. Tickets are $15-$65 each. Yes, you know the ending, but the magic is in the storytelling and the stage effects that bring Never Never Land to life right before your eyes. Purchase tickets at www.myticketoffice.com.
