Contents

College News 6
TCC students and staff Paint the Zoo Blue
College News 6
TCC hosts German exchange through CBYX program
Northeast Campus News 11
Disc golf has arrived at Northeast
Snaps 19
Grassroots music takes over Guthrie Green in downtown Tulsa.

Story ideas?
Questions?Comments?
Call (918) 595-7388, or
Email : mconnect@tulsacc.edu

Cover: Ben Folds stokes the crowd during his

Aug. 28 performance.
Photo by: Patrick Wells
Design by: Zach Redwood
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
Tulsa Community College
The TCC Connection Office
Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity
910 S. Boston Avenue
Room 3028
Tulsa, Okla. 74119-2095

Mission The Connection Staff

Managing Editor
Zach Redwood:
Zachary.Redwood@tulsacc.edu
The mission of the TCC Connection, as a voice of the student
body, is to be a leader in excellence among two-year college Assistant Managing Editor
Jake White:
newspapers by offering a journalistic laboratory for students. jake.white@tulsacc.edu
The TCC Connection exists to unite Tulsa Community College Metro Associate Editor
by providing a reliable, informative and engaging channel of Tatyana Nyborg:
tatyana.nyborg@tulsacc.edu
communication for students, faculty, staff and administration.
Northeast Editor
Opinions/Editorials expressed in this publication do not Madeline Wells:
madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu
necessarily reflect the views/opinions of the TCC Connection or
Northeast Associate Editor
Tulsa Community College. Clinton Switzer:
clinton.switzer@tulsacc.edu
Southeast Editor
Camille Rutherford:
camille.rutherford@tulsacc.edu
Southeast Associate Editor:
Trent Gleason:
trent.gleason@tulsacc.edu
West Editor
Monique Moore:
monique.moore@tulsacc.edu
West Associate Editor
Dylan Axsom:
james.axsom1@tulsacc.edu
Faculty Adviser
Jerry Goodwin:
jerry.goodwin@tulsacc.edu
Award-Winning Members
Tulsa Press Club
Oklahoma Press Association
Great Plains Journalism Awards
Society of Professional Journalists
Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association
National Association of Black Journalists-Tulsa Chapter
 Metro News
Dr. Greg Stone conducts “Brown Bag with the Provost” sessions
by Tatyana Nyborg
Metro Campus Associate Editor
Metro Campus Provost, Dr. Greg Stone (r), meets with Karen Espinosa, an international language student from Mexico, and answers various questions from other
students at the “Brown Bag with the Provost” sessions at Metro Campus.
From time to time, Tulsa Commu-
nity College (TCC) Metro Campus pro-
vost, Greg Stone, meets with students at
lunch time to hear feedback about col-
lege life.
“I started doing “Brown Bag with
the Provost” a year and half ago because
TCC had a reorganization and we were
ready to answer questions about that,”
said Stone.
“Brown Bag with the Provost”
means a meeting with the provost where
someone can come with his or her own
lunch bag and discuss different issues
with Stone.
Page 4
The provost answered Espinosa’s
question; “We are trying to save money
so we do not offer the same class every
semester.”
This and other changes occurred
in the TCC enrollment process because
of the Oklahoma state budget cuts. Ap-
proximately 30 TCC employees were
laid off in 2016.
“We are improving schedule pro-
cedures, so we do not need to cancel
classes,” said Stone. “It will get better
because we will switch to a college-wide
schedule system.”
“We expect positive changes will
come this summer,” he added.
Stone gave advice to Espinosa to
talk to the department of foreign lan-
guages at Northeast Campus because
in February 2017 the department began
finalizing summer and fall classes. Also,
the provost directed the student to the
TCC advisement office, which helps to
plan classes in advance.
Espinosa also had her own idea
how to replace the Japanese class with
an accounting class because accounting
courses were always available.
“There were other cases
Photo by Tatyana Nyborg
during the enrollment
for Spring 2017 semester
that students were not
able to attend chosen
classes because they were
“It is good to build a relationship
with employees and students,” contin-
canceled by the college.”
“I started doing “Brown ued Stone.
Stone assured the attendees of
At one of the meetings, a student
Bag with the Provost” a from Mexico, Karen Espinosa, who has the “Brown Bag with the Provost” that
“positive changes in the enrollment pro-
year and half ago a major in international language stud-
cess are coming, but it can take a longer
ies, asked Stone a question why the Jap-
because TCC had a anese language class was canceled and time.”
For more information about “Brown
reorganization and we why she was not able to attend it.
Bag with the Provost,” contact Dr. Greg
There were other cases during en-
were ready to answer rollment for Spring 2017 semester that Stone, Metro Campus provost, greg.
stone@tulsacc.edu.
questions about that,” students were not able to attend chosen
classes because they were canceled by
the college.
tatyana.nyborg@tulsacc.edu
The Connection October 5, 2017

Philbrook celebrates the cultural phenomenon of Internet cat videos
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor
In September, Tulsa’s Phil-
brook Museum of Art hosted an
event new to Tulsa.
The idea of an Internet Cat
Video Festival began with Phil-
brook director Scott Stulen at
the Walker Art Center in Min-
neapolis in 2012.
As the new director for the
Philbrook, Stulen has brought
the festival with him to Tulsa.
“The original festival, was
“We have three cats
here that live in the
gardens. They are a
beloved part of the
i n s t i t u t i o n .”
really the idea of taking You-
Tube videos, so often videos
you watch by yourself on your
phone or on your computer,
but not usually with friends or
in a social setting, and curating
a festival and watching them
in a more collective social set-
ting,” Stulen said.
The only thing left was to
decide on a subject for the vid-
eos.
“Cat videos seemed like
the obvious subject to do that
with,” he said.
Cat video enthusiasts will
attest to the fact that the qual-
ity and length of Youtube cat
videos can vary greatly.
The festival itself centered
on a curated film rather than
individual clips.
“It’s a compilation thing,”
Stulen said.
“I used to choose the videos
when I was running the festival,
but now it’s actually being run
by Will Braden, one of the orig-
inal cat video creators based in
Seattle.”
The process of choosing the
individual clips to include is a
lengthy one.
“[Braden] goes through
thousands of videos and selects
a reel that’s about 85 or so vid-
The Connection October 5, 2017
Admission to the museum is free every second Saturday. Cleome, one of the Philbrook’s
resident garden cats, roams the grounds and greets guests on the second Saturday of
September.
eos stretched out over about 75
minutes. It’s showing the best
of the best cat videos from this
year.”
The film included many dif-
ferent types of clips. From the
ever popular clips of cats falling
off of furniture to the brief fad
of jump scaring cats with veg-
etables.
“[The film] is broken into
sections. So think about com-
edy, drama, foreign films, and
musicals. It’s everything from
music videos that might have
cats involved in them to the
catching three seconds of a cat
falling off the table, or being
scared by a cucumber, and even
a few celebrity cats mixed in as
Entertainment
of these people, my personal The cats can be found wan-
favorite is Lil’ Bub. I’ve gotten dering around the grounds and
to know Lil’ Bub and her own-
ers very well. That’s probably “My personal
my personal favorite.” favorite is Lil’ Bub.
Lil’ Bub is a celebrity cat
that has become famous for her I’ve gotten to know
unique appearance. She has a Lil’ Bub and her
form of Dwarfism and is what
is known as a perma-kitten, owners very well.”
meaning she will permanently the parking area, as well as be-
“It’s everything ing a frequent feature on the
Philbrook’s Instagram.
from music videos “They have their own per-
that might have cats sonalities and people love to
come see them. Some are more
involved in them to social than others but they’re
the catching three around in the gardens all the
time.”
seconds of a cat Guests were encouraged to
falling off the table, bring lawn chairs as the muse-
um was not providing seating.
or being scared by a “It was a great example of
cucumber.” the innovative efforts of Phil-
brook and its wonderful staff,”
said festival antendee Erin
retain the features of a kitten,
Whitson.
Photo by Camille Rutherford
and remain the size of a kitten.
The festival’s film will in- A cash bar and food trucks
were available, but guests also
clude all types of clips includ-
ing some of the internet fa- brought their own snacks.
General admission to the
mous cats that dedicated cat
lovers may recognize. Philbrook was $9, however,
TCC students with a valid I.D.
The Philbrook is expecting
a large crowd for the festival. got in free.
For more information on
“[Held] outdoors here at
the festival, visit the Philbrook’s
well.” the Philbrook in the garden and
website, philbrook.org.
“It was a great we’re expecting about 1,200
For more information on
people for it,” Stulen said.
example of the The Philbrook’s resident Lil’ Bub, visit her website, lil-
bub.com.
innovative efforts cast of feline characters are ex-
pected to attend the festival.
of Philbrook and its “We have three cats here
wonderful staff.” that live in the gardens. They’re
well taken care of by our gar-
den staff. Their names are Acer,
From the dawn of the inter-
Cleome, and Perilla,” Stulen
net cat video, there have been a
said.
few cats that have risen to fame.
“I can’t guarantee where
Instagram has now helped
they will be, but they will be
these cats and their owners
here,” he said.
connect with a new audience to
“They’ve been here for sev-
share new content.
eral years and they are a be-
Stulen, like most cat lovers,
loved part of the institution. I
has a favorite.
think they’re loved more than
“Just because I know some
most of the artwork here.” camillerutherford@tulsacc.edu
Page 5
College News
TCC students turn out to “Paint the Zoo Blue” on Aug 26
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor

Dr. Leigh Goodson, president of TCC, (r) and Jennifer Beatie,

Melissa Kash, (l) Metro campus library director, and Melanie dean of Student Affairs participated at “Paint the Zoo Blue.”
Brennan, Northeast campus library assistant, attended the
event on behalf of the TCC Library.

Sydney Pittsinger, student, supervised the bub-

ble area that was a part of the Kid’s Zone.

Rachel Blair, student, handed out Paint the Zoo Blue scavenger hunt pag-
es to parents and children on behalf of TCC’s Child Development Center.

Students that attended the event were granted free admission

to the Tulsa Zoo along with their children and one guest.

Page 6 The Connection October 5, 2017

 West News
How West Campus Provost Dr. Kevin David is pushing student success
by Dylan Axsom
West Campus Associate Editor

He says that the experience
of working with students and
helping them learn and figur-
ing out questions together was
what made him take the route
he chose.
Now at the West Campus,
David does lots of things to
help improve the success rates
Photo courtesy of Kevin David
cause I get to learn about all the
great stuff that [the college] is
doing.”
David says that being ac-
credited with the HLC is very
important because “if you are
not regionally accredited, your
students cannot get federal fi-
nancial aid.” He adds that “a
lot of colleges and universities
and TCC also work diligently
with the George Kaiser Family
Foundation to help improve the
experience for students at the
college.
Another organization that
TCC is affiliated is the Ameri-
can Association of Community
Colleges (AACC), and more
specifically a program called
look at it, traditionally under-
represented minority students
such as Hispanic, African-
American, and Native Ameri-
can students preform lower
than white students and even
Asian students in graduation
rates. Part of that, and there is
lots of research on this, has to
do with the fact that those stu-

of students. He is currently a will not transfer our [student’s] the Pathways Project. dents do not feel connected to
part of multiple organizations credit hours if we are not ac- The AACC selected 30 in- the college because they do not
that aim to make sure students credited.” stitutions nationwide in the fall see a lot of people who look like
in community colleges com- Aside from these roles, Da- of 2015 to participate in this them.”
plete their degrees and move vid is also an accredited man project. Pathways is a program On another note, Pathways
Dr. Kevin David, West Campus provost on to do even bigger things. himself, exemplified by his se- that helps fine-tune the degree- has helped introduce what are
One such group is the High- lection for the Aspen Presiden- earning experience for college called Degree Maps. These lay
The future looks bright for
er Learning Commission or tial Fellowship Award. students. They collaborate with out what classes a student will
TCC’s West Campus under Pro-
HLC. This group is the regional Aspen is an organization TCC and interconnect with the need to take for a degree, and
vost Kevin David.
accreditation group for colleges that wants to raise community College’s Strategic Plan, which when to take them. David says
David was born and raised
in 19 states. These groups ac- college standards across the sets goals for a five-to fifteen- that he hopes that this, along
in Queens, N.Y. He was a first
credit colleges based on several board, and wants to do so by year period. with the Strategic Enrollment
generation college student and
groups of criteria to ensure a helping form tomorrow’s col- One of the goals for the Plan for the West Campus, will
attended the State University of
quality experience for students. legiate leaders. In collaboration 2016-2020 Strategic Plan in- help bring in more students to
New York. There he earned his
“Next year,” says David, with the Stanford Education clude improving the student- West so that it can continue to
bachelor’s degree in psychol-
“we are coming up for our reaf- Leadership Initiative, Aspen to-advisor ratio, which has grow. David says that West has
ogy. Afterwards, he decided to
firmation of accreditation. So takes nominees from adminis- improved already from 1,044 already seen a “five percent in-
attend the University of Okla-
[HLC will] come and do a site trative positions in community students per one advisor down crease of credit hours,” mean-
homa for his master’s degree
visit here, which happens every colleges, and selects 40 of them to around 500 students per ing that more students are on
and Ph.D. in developmental
ten years.” nationwide to partake in a year- advisor. The target number to campus and are enrolling in
psychology.
David says that the college long fellowship. have by 2020 is 300 students more classes at West.
Once out of school, he be-
has to meet certain criteria and During this journey, the per advisor, or even lower. David expresses that the
came an instructor at the Uni-
present evidence arguing that 40 members attend three one- Another goal for improve- changes he has seen are very
versity of Puget Sound in the
the school has met those crite- week conferences over a period ment in the college is improv- encouraging, and the West
state of Washington. He and his
ria in a paper. He says the HLC of one year. Members trade ing the number of full-time Campus looks busier than ever.
wife then decided to move back
does site visits as well, and that ideas and learn strategies to use faculty of color compared to the In part with that, he says he
to Oklahoma, where he started
“there is usually a team of about should he or she become a col- national number. wants to make himself more
teaching at Northeastern State
seven peer reviewers who come lege president in the future. Despite the program be- available to students and staff
of Oklahoma at the Broken Ar-
and interview people. They will David says that he was ing implemented in Novem- alike.
row campus.
want to talk with students, fac- taken aback by the opportunity ber 2016, some numbers are David says that during the
David then joined Tulsa
ulty, administrators, advisors, that Aspen presented to him. already up to standards. One first Tuesday of every month
Community College in 2011 as
things like that.” He said, “I was a kid goofing example is that the ratio of full- from 3:30p.m.-4:30p.m., as
the director of Planning and In-
David is involved with the around in my junior and senior time staff employees of color to well as the second Wednesday
stitutional Research. Before be-
HLC on two levels as well. “I years and now here I am, one of the regional population value is of every month from 11:30 a.m.
ing selected as provost, which is
am actually an HLC peer re- 40 people [selected] nationally. .98 to 1, meaning that students to 12:30 p.m., he will be hang-
the top administrative spot at a
viewer, so I go to colleges and I feel humbled by that.” are more likely to see some- ing out in the Fireplace Lounge
campus, David’s other duty was
do reviews, but I am also the Part of David being chosen, body working at the college that by the Student Union for a
serving as the associate vice
ALO [for TCC], which is the according to the Aspen website, looks like them or represents chance to chat with everyone
president for Institutional Ef-
Accreditation Liaison Officer,” was the work he has done with their culture. This improve- and get to know students bet-
fectiveness.
says David. donors and legislators. ment, David says, is crucial to ter. And as always, he is avail-
David says his passion for
He says, “it is basically my David says that Oklahoma the success of students. able by email at kevin.david@
helping students arose in col-
responsibility to coordinate the State Representative Jadine “We are really pushing to tulsacc.edu.
lege at the University of Okla-
work to document that we are Nollan is in close contact with reflect the society we live in,”
homa when he was a teaching
doing what we are supposed TCC and is a huge proponent says the former psychology pro-
assistant in the doctoral pro-
to do. And I love that work be- of concurrent enrollment. He fessor. “A lot of times when you
gram. james.axsom1@tulsacc.edu

The Connection October 5, 2017 Page 7

College News
CBYX program brings German exchange student to TCC
by Madeline Wells
Northeast Campus Editor
Tulsa Community College
is proud to have a diverse com-
munity with over 150 interna-
tional students.
The experiences and
knowledge that international
students contribute to the stu-
dent body is fundamental to
maintaining a global commu-
nity.
Most international stu-
dents attend TCC through
study abroad programs and
student visas.
Thanks to the Cultural Vis-
ta’s Congress-Bundestag Youth
Exchange for Young Profes-
sionals (CBYX), Philipp Hum-
mel from Germany is studying
abroad in America. focuses on
CBYX is a reciprocal schol-
arship program funded by the
U.S. Congress and German
Parliament (Bundestag).
Now entering its 34th year,
the program annually brings
75 German young profession-
als between the ages of 18-24 to
the United States, and sends 75
college-aged Americans to Ger-
many.
Each participant lives with
a host, studies at a local college,
and completes a six-month
Page 8
paid internship in his or her ca-
reer field.
Because CBYX is a unique,
small-scale program there are
limited spots available.
The application process
for CBYX is very competitive.
Participants are selected by a
German Member of Parliament
to be a cultural ambassador to
the United States with students
coming from all backgrounds
and fields across Germany.
“I applied to the program in
2015 and 2016,” said Hummel
“I was finally accepted when I
applied in spring 2017.”
“The program
independance for
the student.”
Hummel arrived in Tulsa
in August and will spend the
fall 2017 semester at TCC be-
fore starting an internship in
his field of study.
As an exchange student,
Hummel is expected to fol-
low the house rules of his host
family, buy a car for transpor-
tation, complete 40 hours of
community service and create
a presentation about his expe-
rience during the program.
“The program focuses on
independence for the student.”
said Dr. Douglas Price, director
of Global Learning at TCC.
“The students aren’t cod-
dled by their host family.” Dr.
Price connected Hummel with
an established host family prior
to his arrival in Tulsa.
The hosts open their homes
to exchange students for up to
10 months and build lifelong
international friendships.
“It’s nice that we have a
community partnership with
families that are willing to
commit several months of their
time and money.”
Hosts are encouraged to
share their culture with the par-
ticipant, as well as learn from
them. Students are expected
to help out with the household
and in turn participate in fam-
ily activities and celebrations.
Hosting an exchange stu-
dent is a great way to gain new
perspectives and build lasting
memories. If you are interested
in becoming a Host, contact Dr.
Price price at douglas.price@
tulsacc.edu.
While Hummel has been
to Florida, California and New
York, he is excited for the op-
portunity to explore the culture
of the South. His favorite place
in America is San Francisco.
“Oklahoma is so differ-
ent, it is very nice,” said Hum-
mel. “American people are way
friendlier than Germans.”
Through their involve-
ment with groups and activities
on campus, the participants
heighten awareness of the ben-
efits of working and studying
abroad, specifically for local
students who may be interest-
ed in our reciprocal exchange
to Germany.
The International Student
Organization (ISO) at TCC is
one great resource for students
to connect.
The ISO hosts four - five
major events throughout the
year as well as weekly meet-
ings.
The organization is open to
global and domestic students,
so any student is welcomed to
attend and get involved.
The Connection October 5, 2017
“Everyone is welcomed!”
said international student spe-
cialist Thomas Wallis.
Meetings are held every
Friday at 3 p.m. at the South-
east Campus, Room 9111.
The CBYX exchange pro-
gram is a wonderful way to cre-
ate friendships amongst Ger-
man and American students.
Hummel has an American
counterpart that he is connect-
ed with online. They are able to
chat and share content about
their experiences.
American students are
required to complete a two-
month intensive German train-
ing prior to their semester
abroad.
Hummel is fluent in Eng-
lish and has studied the lan-
guage since the second grade.
This is the first year that
Tulsa Community College has
participated in the CBYX ex-
change.
To find out more about the
exchange program and how to
get involved, contact Dr. Price
at douglas.price@tulsacc.edu.
madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu

Review: Ben Folds broke the piano during performance at Cain’s Ballroom
By Trent Gleason
Southeast Campus Associate Editor
Ben Folds conducts the audience in a “four-part counterpoint.”
Ben Folds’ Paper Airplane
tour brought him to Cain’s Ball-
room in Tulsa on Aug. 28, at-
tracting a sizable crowd, many
of which were excited to send
song requests soaring toward
Folds through the power of ori-
gami.
Only half of the concert was
dedicated to fan requests, how-
ever. The first 45 minutes of
Folds’ performance followed a
typical setlist, featuring fan fa-
vorites and new material alike.
Having overheard a super-
fan describe Folds as “the mod-
ern day Billy Joel,” it was clear
that Folds had established quite
the following over his 20-odd
years of activity, and the event
that was about to unfold would
only reinforce that fact.
“He’s kinda edgy,” said Pat-
rick Wells, photographer for
The Connection October 5, 2017
the event, in response to asking
about Folds’ appeal.
Folds was at the height of
his popularity during the late
90’s and early 2000s, and peo-
ple who grew up around that
time seem to be the most at-
tracted to Folds.
Folds first hit the main-
stream as the frontman of his
band Ben Folds Five, which
consisted of himself, providing
vocals and keys, Robert Sledge
on bass, and Darren Jessee on
percussion. The band hit the
radio waves with their hit track
“Brick” off of the 1997 album
“Whatever and Ever Amen.”
Ben Folds Five split up in
2000 to seek independent ven-
tures, and Folds continued to
break hearts and funny bones
with his signature mix of heart-
string-tugging balladry and bit-
ing satire.
After entering the stage to
mass applause and taking a seat
at the piano, he began playing
“Phone In A Pool” off of 2015s
“So There,” and followed that
up by having the audience sing
a “four-part counterpoint,” tak-
ing the time to compliment the
crowd for appearing to know
what that even meant.
It was around this time
when I noticed that his fingers
were covered in bandages, and
it was not hard to tell why,
watching him make fierce love
to the piano, crushing the keys
relentlessly with each piano-led
banger.
As I watched him beat all
88 keys into submission, I no-
ticed something shoot out of
the piano in a fashion similar to
confetti.
Entertainment
The audience, and Folds
himself, later learned that what
had shot out of the piano was
not celebratory pyrotechnics,
but the low F string, after a
stagehand came out to give a
disapproving update.
Missing the low F key of the
piano failed to slow Folds down,
however, and somewhere along
the line he hopped on a drum
set and nearly destroyed those
too, as he seemingly imitated
the opening scene of 2014s
Oscar-nominated film, “Whip-
lash.”
All of this sounds rather
brash, but the instruments
Folds seemingly abuses rarely
sound pained. And of course,
he slowed things down every
now and then to play fan-favor-
ites such as “Still Fighting It,”
or the “Coke and Fries song” as
Photo taken by Patrick Wells
I ignorantly squabbled down in
my notes.
With all of this, the first half
of Folds’ performance came to a
close, and intermission began.
The audience was encouraged
to prepare paper airplanes for
the next set, and to wait until an
announcer gave the countdown
before sending them flying to-
ward the stage.
“I know some of you enjoy
launching prematurely,” Folds
stated to an unsurprisingly
large amount of chuckles.
He was not wrong, as a
handful of eager fans just could
not wait to send their requests
soaring to the platform, many
of which squeezed through
the crowd to ensure that their
makeshift aircrafts reached the
stage.
To continue on Page 10.
Page 9
Entertainment
Continued from Page 9
Once the time came to offi-
cially send off, paper airplanes
filled the room, and a good few
hit attendees in the back of the
head—and appeared to pack
quite the punch, surprisingly.
The end result left the
platform looking like Christ-
mas morning, in the sense that
there were piles of paper strewn
about everywhere, bound to be
ignored.
Folds decided to play 10
songs, and he kicked this off
“Songs for Silverman,” aptly
requested by a little girl shar-
ing the track’s namesake. After
receiving the request, he ex-
pressed relief that he had not
performed his cover of Dr. Dre.
He then officially ended the
concert with “One Angry Dwarf
and 200 Solemn Faces,” which,
ironically, contains plenty of
swearing.
Ultimately, Folds put on a
great performance, and though
many mourned the state of the
piano and Ben’s fingers, it was

Photo taken by Patrick Wells

with a request to “make up a
song about watermelons.” This
led to Folds revealing a bit of
his past.
He sang about how he was
traumatized by watermelons
as a child after he discovered
that his mother was allergic to
them. He explained how her
lips grew pink and puffy “like a
Hollywood movie star.”
He grew up scared of eating
watermelon, fearing that the
allergy may be genetic, and he
did not want movie star lips.
He followed that up with a
Steely Dan song, and a hand-
ful of fan-favorites, such as
“Army” off of Ben Folds Five’s
1999 record “The Unauthorized
Biography of Reinhold Mess-
ner”, and “The Luckiest” off of
a good time with an air of fun
emanating from the stage at all
times.
Before Folds even took the
stage, “electrofolk” duo Tall
Heights introduced themselves. Tall Heights hypnotizes the audience with its unique mix of ambient synth and hazy folk.
“Are they the opening act,”
photographer Patrick Wells
asked as the duo stood on stage
tuning their instruments.
“Maybe they’re just get-
ting the stage ready for Ben,” I
thought before observing their
appearance and demeanor.
“No, they’re too handsome to
be stagehands.”
On the stage stood two
lanky Caucasian men, looking
to be in their late 20’s. They
wore clothes that managed to
appear both baggy and tight,
and boasted trendy haircuts.

Photo taken by Patrick Wells

Folds’ first solo album, 2001’s
“Rockin’ the Suburbs,” among
other things.
Many fans yelled from the
crowd, eager to hear Folds’
smash-hit cover of Dr. Dre’s
“B*tches Ain’t Sh*t,” but to the
chagrin of the audience, a pa-
per airplane containing such
a request never found its way
into Folds’ hands.
He ended the set with an-
other “Rockin’ the Suburbs”
hit, “Zak and Sara,” which un-
doubtedly made “it possible for
all white boys to dance.”
He then left the stage, but
after about 10 seconds of or-
ganized stomping, he decided
to come back for a few more
songs.
The highlight of the en-
core was “Gracie” off of 2005’s
Attractive men as they
were, it appeared that they
were trying to channel the style
of hip acts such as The Chain-
smokers, which unfortunately
worked against them. By look-
ing like many other hip artists
of today, they lost the opportu-
nity to sell the audience on per-
sonality.
Luckily, their musical set-
up seemed promising. Paul
Wright, one half of the duo,
sang melody and played a cello
that he strapped to his chest,
while the other half, Tim Har-
rington, sang harmony and
played acoustic guitar. The
band also toured with a drum-
mer, by the name of Paul Du-
mas.
What makes the band “elec-
trofolk” is that both stringed
Folds put on a great performance and the audience was very interactive. There was an air of fun emanating from the stage at all times.
instruments were being “en-
hanced” by synthesizers. The
synth-accompanied sound
came off as moody and atmo-
spheric, to the point that the
group appeared to be an ambi-
ent band when they first began
playing.
Ultimately, once the mem-
bers of Tall Heights actually
started singing, they revealed
themselves to be producers of
typical, hazy folk music, which
seemed to suit itself better to a
make-out session rather than
an engaging stage performance.
All this aside, the band did sense of style, and a relatively
close out the set with something stale take on the folk genre, but
pretty cool. Harrington told serves a purpose and the band-
the audience to call the person serves it decently well—to make
standing next to them, put both sexy music for sexy people.
devices on speaker phone, and For more entertainment
press the two mobiles together, coverage, visit theconnec-
face-to-face. tiontcc.com.
The resulting sound was
one akin to communicating
with the nether of Hell, and the
shrill tones filling the venue lent
themselves surprisingly well to
the music being performed.
Tall Heights may have a
silly band name, a pandering trent.gleason@tulsacc.edu

Page 10 The Connection October 5, 2017


TCC student Tifini Parnell-Crawford brings disc golf to Northeast Campus
by Clinton Switzer
Northeast Associate Editor
Tifini Parnell-Crawford demonstrates how to throw a disc golf disk.
Students and staff at Tulsa
Community College now have
the opportunity to enjoy a
round of disc golf at the North-
east Campus on their down
time. Last summer a nine-hole
course was designed and laid
out on the field on the northern
end of TCC’s Northeast Cam-
pus.
The object of disc golf is
similar to regular golf, where
players are trying to move a
certain object from a starting
point to a goal strategically
placed hundreds of feet away,
but instead of using clubs to
hit a ball into a small hole, disc
golfers throw a variety of discs,
also known as Frisbees, into a
specially designed basket that
is set up hundreds of feet away
from the starting point.
The course was the vision
of TCC student Tifini Parnell-
Crawford, who is an avid disc
golfer and wanted to bring the
sport to TCC. Parnell-Craw-
The Connection October 5, 2017
ford, majoring in human ser-
vices at TCC, enjoys playing
disc golf any chance she gets
and is an enthusiastic member
of the growing disc golf com-
munity in Tulsa.
Seeing the field every
time she walked through the
window-lined breezeway that
connects the Academic and
Student Union buildings on
the Northeast campus made
Parnell-Crawford think about
playing disc golf, which is what
ultimately led her to the idea of
setting up a course at TCC.
Parnell-Crawford ap-
proached the Student Life fac-
ulty last summer and pitched
her idea about setting up disc
golf baskets on the field and
turning it into a course. She
said it was not hard to sell as
the Student Life coordinator
was very excited about the idea
and because TCC was already
in possession of several disc
golf baskets that were not be-
College News
“That’s my whole are 3 or 4 places here
thing, growing the in town that actually
sport, introducing sell used discs so. For
an investment of $20
the sport to new
you can have a set up
people and that’s (like this) and go hit
what I wanted to do a course. Courses are
with this course.” free to play, they are
The TCC disc golf course is everywhere, it is a great
still awaiting signs to mark each
hole’s tee position, the starting sport, it is minimal
point where a disc golfer begins effort, it is a chance to
a hole by making the first throw get outside.”
toward the disc golf basket, The Tulsa Community Col-
also called a target. The course lege Northeast Campus will be
might be confusing to navigate hosting a disc golf tournament
at first, but once all the details on Oct. 6, at 1 p.m. as part of
are finished, Parnell-Crawford TCC’s intramural activities pro-
and the Student Life organiza- gram. The tournament is open
Photo by Clinton Switzer
tion hope to have score cards to all TCC’s students and staff.
printed up with a map of the Details for the tournament
course layout that will be avail- have not yet been released, but
able at the Student Life desk in if weather permits, Troy Dun-
the Student Union to students bar, Student Life coordinator
and staff interested in enjoying for the Northeast Campus, will
ing used and sitting in storage. a round of disc golf. be outside on the terrace work-
“I would love to see
With the Student Life organi- ing behind the grill and serving
zation supporting her, Parnell-
more students get treats for tournament partici-
Crawford began to design the pants.
layout of the course. involved with disc golf, For more information
“We wanted to make it is a relatively easy about the disc golf course or the
sport to get into. Go tournament on Oct. 6, visit the
it as fun as possible TCC Northeast Campus Stu-
grab a couple discs, dent Life office.
but also as easy as they are cheap. There
clinton.switzer@tulsacc.edu
possible.”
The course was laid out
with the goal of being an easy
course for first-time players,
but at the same time also being
an interesting course by using
some of the natural features of
the landscape, such as slight
elevation drops and swirling
wind between the buildings to
keep the game interesting for
more experienced players.
Photo by Clinton Switzer
Parnell-Crawford hopes
that the course at TCC’s North-
east campus will attract people
who have never tried playing
disc golf.
A disc golf basket sits on the field outside the Student Union building.
Page 11
Music
American Idol identifies constestants for upcoming season
by Madeline Wells
Northeast Campus Editor
On Sept. 1, hundreds of hope-
ful Tulsans lined up at the Guth-
rie Green for their chance to au-
dition for “American Idol.” Songs
by The Beatles, John Mayer,
“Phantom of the Opera,” Whit-
ney Houston and Beyonce were
just a few of the many different
styles that were represented by
Tulsa singers.
American Idol is currently
auditioning contestants for its
16th season. The popular sing-
ing competition first premiered
in America in 2002 and quickly
became the most watched show
on U.S. television.
The TV show encouraged
viewers to vote for their favorite
contestants, creating a unique
show with a large following.
The 15th season of Ameri-
can Idol was supposed to be the
finale, however ABC announced
that the program would return
for another season in 2017-2018.
The auditions that took place
in Tulsa were the first of three
rounds of cuts. The initial audi-
tions took place at Guthrie Green
from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Ben Glaze, 19, has been singing since he was two years old.
Page 12
Tents set up by American
Idol hosted judges as contestants
approached in groups to sing.
Each singer had roughly 15-30
seconds to impress the judges.
From there, the contestants
either received a golden ticket
and moved on, or were rejected.
The winners of golden tickets
went to a secluded area for inter-
views with the producers of the
shows.
Each contestant filmed a
short video that would be sent
to producers in Hollywood. Now
the winners will wait to hear if
they make it to the next round of
auditions.
Photo by Madeline Wells
“I was disappointed in how
my voice sounded,” said Ausha
Edwards, 21. “I was nervous. But
my best friend Kara got picked.”
Ben Glaze from Enid, re-
ceived a golden ticket after per- The American Idol tour bus, attracting onlookers to come enjoy the auditions, was parked outside Guthrie Green.
forming an original song on his
guitar.
he was two years old thanks to
the encouragement from his
“I’d like to be able Glaze is not sure if he will
win the whole competition, but
“I sound like a mixture of Ed
Sheeran and One Direction,” said
mother. to finacially support hopes to get far enough for some
“She says she’s my manag- exposure.
Glaze. “I definitely have my own
er,” laughed Glaze.
my family with my “I’d like to be able to finan-
sound.”
Glaze has been singing since talent.” cially support my family with my
talent.”
While American Idol was un-
able to comment, it was rumored
that the judges would select 80
people from the Tulsa area for
the first round of auditions.
The new age restrictions ta-
pered off some talented singers
while also giving younger per-
formers a chance to audition.
A very talented singer and
musician, Ali Conde, 15, was dis-
appointed she did not qualify.
“It was a good experience,”
said Conde.
The audition gave Conde a
glimpse of her competition and
inspired her to continue to follow
her dreams.
Tulsa and the surrounding
areas were well represented at
the “American Idol” auditions.
Photo by Madeline Wells
Photo by Madeline Wells
There is a good chance the
winner will be from Oklahoma in
the upcoming season of “Ameri-
can Idol.“
The winners were required to film a short audition video to be sent to producers. madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu
The Connection October 5, 2017
 International Cookbook
Reporter’s Notebook: Food from the former Soviet Union is unknown to
Americans and delicious
by Tatyana Nyborg
Metro Campus Associate Editor

Photo by Tatyana Nyborg

Photo by Tatyana Nyborg

Shashlyk or shishka-bob is a very popular party food in the former Soviet Union. Salad with the liver of cod is rich in protein and vegetables.

One of my goals during a recent trip to Kazakh-
stan, republic of the former Soviet Union, was collect-
ing the best recipes of that land and sharing them with
my fellow Americans.
I went from party to party tasting different dishes
and writing down the secrets of their preparation.
Kazakhstanian food is diverse. More than 100 eth-
nic groups live in that country, such as Kazakhs, Rus-
sians, Germans, Koreans, Latvians, etc. Because of
that, an every day menu of an average Kazakhstanian
family may include dishes that have sources in differ-
ent cultures.
Below are recipes that are easy to make.
Shashlyk (Shiska-Bob) of
Armenian pickling
Precut pork into pieces of 30-40 grams each. Put
the meat in a cooking pan and fill with buttermilk.
Chop spices, such as dill, cilantro, fresh coriander
leaves, and add to the dish with salt and red or black
pepper.
Let it stand for two hours so the pork can absorb Salad Made from the Liver of Cod
the buttermilk and spices. Purchase a can of liver of cod and a can of cod at
Then, put the pieces of meat on metal barbeque a supermarket. Mash the liver, cod, three boiled eggs,
sticks and fry it on a barbeque grill using wood coals chopped green onion, dill, cilantro, powdered red and
(the best coals and flavor come from apple and cherry black pepper and mix it all. If the salad is too dry, add
tree wood.) olive oil.
“More than 100 ethnic groups live Russian Jellied Fish (Fish in Aspic)
in Kazakhstan, republic of the Boil a pike-perch, remove bones and let cool down.
Put pieces of the fish and halves of boiled eggs in a pan
former USSR, such as Kazakhs, or plate with spaces between the pieces. Fill in the pan
Russians, Germans, Koreans, with gelatin (jelly) to cover the fish. Cool down the dish
in a refrigerator.
Latvians, etc. Because of that, Decorate the jellied pieces of fish with slices of
every day menu of an average fresh cucumber, put pieces of lemon on top of the fish.
Serve the jellied pike-perch with a garnish, such as
Kazakhstanian family may include mashed potatoes or without it. A sauce of horseradish
dishes which have sources in with vinegar could be offered with the fish.
More recipes from Kazakhstan are coming in the
different cultures.” next issues of The Connection.
tatyana.nyborg@tulsacc.edu

The Connection October 5, 2017 Page 13

Calendar of Events
West Campus Metro Campus
Friday, September 29 Monday, October 2 - 5
Universal Ethical Principles Workshop; 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. @ Student Clothesline Project; All day @ Student Union
Union Domestic Violence Awareness
Monday, October 2
Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee; 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. @ Next to computer pit Monday, October 2 - 6
TCC Rides Free; All day @ Student Life Desk
Tuesday, October 3 Visit Student Life office for more information about free Tulsa Transit bus
FREE Screenings; 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Fitness Center 100B passes for TCC students
Free HIV, Syphilis, and Hep-C screenings provided by Guiding Right Inc.
Safer sex supplies available on request. Monday, October 2
I Can’t Dance with Tulsa Ballet; 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. @ Center for Creativity
Wednesday, October 4 Closeline Project; All day @ Metro Commons
Free Lunch at West Campus – Sponsored by BCM; 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. @
Student Union Thursday, October 5
Lunch & Learn; 12 p.m. @ Student Union
Wednesday, October 11 Free lunch with a special guest presentation
Campus Activities Board (CAB) Board Meeting; 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. @ Gallery Sally Bright Editor of the Oilman’s Daughter; 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ Center
Conference Room for Creativity
Friday, October 13 Monday, October 9
Veterinary Technology Building Open House; 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. @ Veterinary I Can’t Make a Print; 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. @ Center for Creativity
Technology Building
Wednesday, October 11
Monday, October 16 - 19 OUT for TCC; 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Student Union
Clothesline Project; All day @ Student Union
Domestic Violence Aweness Monday, October 16
I Can’t Plant a Container Garden with Tulsa Botanic Garden; 12:00 p.m. -
Monday, October 16 12:45 p.m. @ Center for Creativity
Free Pizza and Discussion: Event Horizons (Movie); 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. @
Room S-196 Wednesday, October 18
Health and Wellness Fair; 10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. @ Student Union 2nd Floor
Tuesday, October 17
Lunch & Learn: Victims of Crimes Resources Workshop; 12:30 p.m. @ Student Thursday, October 19
Union Lunch & Learn; 12 p.m. @ Student Union
Free lunch with a special guest presentation
Tuesday, October 24
Make & Take: Goblin Goodies; 10 a.m. @ Student Union Monday, October 23
I Can’t Make a Mess with Philbrook Museum of Art; 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Wednesday, October 25 @ Center for Creativity
Campus Activities Board (CAB) Board Meeting; 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. @ Gallery
Conference Room Tuesday, October 24
FREE Screenings; 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Academic Building 5th Floor 523B
Thursday, October 26 Free HIV, Syphilis, and Hep-C screenings provided by Guiding Right Inc.
Westfest; 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. @ West Campus Safer sex supplies available on request.
WestFest is a fall festival at West Campus that includes free carnival games
and free hotdogs, chips and water for the first 300 people! There will be Wednesday, October 25
only a few things at WestFest that charge a fee... OBI Blood Drive; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m @ Student Union Room 214
Lunch & Learn; 12 p.m. @ Student Union
Monday, October 30 Free lunch with a special guest presentation
Alocohol Awareness: Boos and Mocktails; 11:30 a.m. @ Student Union
Monday, October 30
Tuesday, October 31st I Can’t Fuse Glass with Tulsa Glassblowing School; 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. @
Halloween Costume Contest; 12:30 p.m. @ Student Union Center for Creativity
Creepy Cookies (while supplies last) Boo-Yah Fitness Competition; Times TBA @ Fitness Center
Tuesday, October 31
Boo-Yah Fitness Competition; Times TBA @ Fitness Center

West Campus Fitness Center Metro Campus Fitness Center

11:15 a.m. 12 p.m. 4 p.m. 12 a.m. 1 p.m. 5:30 p.m.
Monday Total Body Bootcamp Monday Spin Yoga Flow
Tuesday TRX Zumba Rip-N-Ride Tuesday Shred Yoga Sculpt Bootcamp
Wednesday Bootcamp Total Body Wednesday Spin Yoga Restore
Thursday TRX Rip-N-Ride Kickboxing Thursday Yoga Burn Yoga Restore Bootcamp
Friday Friday Cycle Core

Page 14 The Connection October 5, 2017

 Calendar of Events
Southeast Campus Northeast Campus
Wednesday, October 4 Wednesday, October 4
Health And Wellness Fair; 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ In the “Y” and Bridge Sally Bright Editor of the Oilman’s Daughter; 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. @ Small
All TCC fairs are free and include various vendors that provide education, Auditorium
awareness, resources, and opportunities. There will also be door prizes and Friday, October 6
many giveaways! Disc Golf Tournament; 1 p.m. @ Northeast Campus
Thursday, October 5 - 7 Student Government Association Open Meeting; 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Room
TCC Theatre Department Presents “The Receptionist”; 8 p.m. @ Van Trease A-108
PACE Studio Theatre Monday, October 9
Sunday, October 8 TCC Amateur Radio Club Meeting; 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. @ Engineering
TCC Theatre Department Presents “The Receptionist”; 2 p.m. @ Van Trease Technology Building Rm ET-11
PACE Studio Theatre Tuesday, October 10
Tuesday, October 10 Health and Wellness Fair; 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Fitness Center
Concert Choir, Jazz Choir & Orchestra Present: “Music of the Americas”; 7 p.m. FREE Screenings; 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Academic Building 1452
@ Van Trease PACE Studio Theatre Free HIV, Syphilis, and Hep-C screenings provided by Guiding Right Inc.
Thursday, October 12 Safer sex supplies available on request.
Concert Band & Jazz Band; 7 p.m. @ Van Trease PACE Studio Theatre Wednesday, October 11
Friday, October 13, 20, 27 TBSS Domestic Violence Lunch and Learn; 12 p.m. @ Seminar Center
Intramural Basketball; 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. @ Fitness Center Thursday, October 12
Monday, October 16 - 20 Donuts with the Dean; 9 a.m. @ Cyber Lounge
Science and Math Week; All Day @ All around campus Hamburgers with the Dean; 4:30 p.m. @ Terrace

Wednesday, October 18 Monday, October 16 - 19

University Day; 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. @ The “Y” Clothesline Project; All day @ Student Union
Domestic Violence Aweness
Friday, October 20
Student Government Association Open Meeting; 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Room 9301 Tuesday, October 31
Monster Mash Bash Holloween Party and Costume Contest; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Tuesday, October 31
Halloween Party and Costume Contest; 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. @ Hub
Friday, November 3, 10, 17
Intramural Basketball; 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. @ Fitness Center
Thursday, November 9
TCC’s Got Talent (Staff and Faculty); 7 p.m. @ Van Trease PACE Studio
Theatre
Friday, November 10 - 11, 16 -18
TCC Theatre Department Presents “Big Fish”; 8 p.m. @ Van Trease PACE Studio
Theatre
For ticket information, contact PACE ticket office 918-595-7777
Friday, November 27
Die Laughing Improvisational Comedy Troupe; 8 p.m. @ Van Trease PACE
Studio Theatre
Thursday, November 30
OBI Blood Drive; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Bridge Alcove (on bridge between building
7 & 4) Give Blood and get your choice of OU or OSU T-shirt!

Southeast Campus Fitness Center Northeast Campus Fitness Center

12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 11:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Monday Cycle Yoga Stength True Grit Zumba Monday Low-Impact Cardio TRX
Tuesday Overdrive Strong (1:00 p.m.) Zumba Tuesday Bootcamp Spin Core Challenge
Wednesday L.I.F.T. Core Scuplt True Grit Wednesday Curve Appeal Kickboxing
Thursday Cycle Bootcamp Yoga Zumba Thursday Low-Impact Cadio Bootcamp
Friday Freaky Friday Friday Abs

The Connection October 5, 2017 Page 15

 Southeast News
Students make fast friends at Speed Friending event
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor
Jessica McQueen, Student Life coordinator, and Haley Wolfe, Student Life assistant,
led the participants and timed the sessions.
Editorial: Is water alkalinity beneficial, or just another healthy buzzword?
by Zach Redwood
Managing Editor
Many YouTube videos claim that water alkalinity is important for health.
In the recent years, the con-
sciousness of water consumers
has shifted from whether or not
the water is still or sparkling to
worrying about the water’s al-
kalinity levels and pH balance.
Alkaline water, simply put,
is water that is less acidic and
has a higher pH balance than
normal tap water. People that
have a high focus on fitness and
nutrition mostly use this type
of water. Most people choose to
drink alkaline or mineral water
Page 16
As a part of Tulsa Commu-
nity College’s Southeast cam-
pus “Welcome Week,” Student
Life hosted a “speed friending”
event.
“It can be hard to walk up
to someone. It’s just a good
way of trying to get students to
meet other students,” says Hal-
ey Wolfe of Southeast campus
Student Life.
“It’s similar to speed dat-
ing, but just speed friending,”
Photo by Camille Rutherford
Wolfe says.
The setup for the event was
also similar to speed dating. It
was designed for participants
to meet as many people as pos-
sible in a short amount of time.
“Every two minutes they’ll
switch seats and meet someone
the brands of water that people
buy do not have high pH, but
most have closer to neutral and
lower pH. The two showed that
many of the more expensive
brands of water did not redeem
any actual health benefits.
Lee’s video was certainly
not the first pH test done on
bottled water on YouTube. Vid-
eos like this have been around
for decades. Her video, howev-
er, was very relatable to the av-
erage consumer. The fact that a
in order to help safeguard his mother was conducting the test
or her body’s overall acidity. instead of a scientist or expert,
Which may explain the popular made the video that much more
theory that water with a lower shareable on social media.
pH may affect the body in nega- Here in lies the problem:
tive ways. the information being shared
In August 2016, a mother is not necessarily important to
by the YouTube name Stepha- everyone.
nie Lee uploaded a video of her People that buy drinking
daughter and her conducting a water are already slightly com-
home pH balance test on many mitted to drinking the recom-
common brands of bottled wa- mended dietary allowance
ter. The mother and daughter (RDA) amount of water, so nat-
went on to show that many of urally you would expect these
people to be worried also about
else. It’s
a fast fun way to meet people
who also go to TCC.”
The idea behind speed
friending is too make the ini-
tial connection with a poten-
tial friend and to ask ques-
tions during the short window
of time allotted that will allow
both people to know if they are
compatible as friends.
“Two students sit down
across from each other and talk
to each other and ask ques-
tions,” Wolfe said.
The students were provid-
ed with a paper to make notes
on or exchange phone numbers
or social media handles, if they
chose to do so.
Many of the students that
chose to participate were rela-
which type of drinking water
they are consuming.
The question is, do “regu-
lar” people need to be worried
about the pH balance and alka-
linity of the water that he or she
drinks?
“There is no scientific evi-
dence whatsoever to support
the idea that alkaline water has
health benefits. The body main-
tains a stable pH using a buff-
ering system, and even drink-
ing highly alkaline substances
like drain cleaner (which would
cause chemical burns) would
not alter our body’s blood pH.
Save your money,” said Tulsa
Community College’s Assistant
Professor of Biology Dr. Valerie
O’Brien.
Studies done by the “Jour-
nal of Environmental and Pub-
lic Health” and the “British
Medical Journal” suggest that
there are no proven benefits for
or against alkaline water.
Unless you are a top-tier
athlete, pushing your body to
The Connection October 5, 2017
tively new to TCC.
Dav Cobb and Jason Rose,
both first year TCC students,
were among the participants.
“I have no friends in col-
lege. I moved away from my
high school friends so we’re not
in the same place. I just want to
make more new friends,” said
Cobb.
“I just like meeting new
people,” Rose said.
Although this was the first
year for the event, many of the
participants were enthusiastic
about the idea.
To stay up to date on
Southeast Campus events, like
the “TCC Southeast Campus”
Facebook page.
camillerutherford@tulsacc.edu
the absolute limit on a regular
basis, consuming alkaline wa-
ter is more about the minerals
that it contains rather than the
pH of the actual water.
“The claims that alkaline
water is better for us are not
backed by solid science. Our
bodies are really good at regu-
lating our pH, and different
areas of our bodies function
at different pH levels,” says
Hayden James, a registered di-
etician/licensed dietician.
The human body can han-
dle the pH from things like acid
from fruits, peppers, and cof-
fee.
The stomach’s pH is nor-
mally around 1-2 up to 4-5.
When you eat a protein rich
meal, your stomach’s pH can
drop even lower until the stom-
ach raises the pH to help digest
the food. The pH of water is not
something that has any effect
on the body’s overall pH.
zachary.redwood@tulsacc.edu

A look into the summer transfers of top English Premier League teams
by Dylan Axsom
West Campus Associate Editor
The English Premier League is the top tier soccer league in England. There are a total of four tiers that teams can be promtoted and relegated throughout.
Tulsa is the sixth best mar-
ket in the United States for the
Premier League, according to
the Washington Post. That be-
ing said, soccer is still not the
most popular sport in Oklaho-
ma, meaning there is plenty of
room for learning.
Per WorldSoccerTalk.com,
viewership in the U.S. dur-
ing the 2016/17 season for the
number one league in England,
known as Barclay’s Premier
League (BPL), English Premier
League (EPL), or simply the
Premier League (PL), averaged
well above 400,000 viewers for
the top seven most-watched
teams. NBC Sports, Fox Sports,
and local channels televise
matches, so the matches are
hard to miss for morning sports
viewers.
With the summer transfer
window closed, this article will
give a rundown of how trading
and buying players works in the
Premier League, as well as how
some of the most prominent
transfers will affect the league
this season.
Player transfers in the BPL
and other European soccer
The Connection October 5, 2017
leagues are much different than
trading players in the NBA,
MLB or NFL.
Here in the U.S., most play-
ers in professional sports are
drafted, contracted, and then
play for a team until they are
traded for draft picks or other
players, or simply retire. Trad-
ing in the U.S. is viewed more
so as a business than it is in the
BPL.
In the BPL, players start in
youth academies, where they
sign a contract for two or three
years. The players compete with
other youth academies and im-
prove and showcase their skills
as one would do in high school
or college in the U.S. If a player
is deemed talented enough by
the head coach, or manager of
the senior squad, he can be giv-
en a spot on the senior roster.
After making his way
through the youth academy to
the senior team, other teams
may gain interest in adding him
to their squad. There are three
ways to go about signing a play-
er, all but one of which must be
done within the two transfer
windows. Transfer windows
are the times of the year that
players can be bought and sold.
There is a pre-season window,
which lasts July 1 - Aug. 31, run-
ning a few weeks into the start
of the season. A second window
is open mid-season and runs
Jan. 1 - Jan. 31. Starting next
season, the pre-season window
for purchasing will close on the
Thursday before games get un-
derway.
The most popular option
for expanding a roster is to
sign players during a transfer
window, while they are still in
a contract. These transfers are
the most popular because the
buying teams get the players
fast and process involves a lot
of money. A couple of recent
cases are seen with Paul Pogba,
who transferred from the Ital-
ian club Juventus to Manches-
ter United for a then-current
world record fee of £89 million
($151 million), and Neymar Jr.,
who transferred from Barcelo-
na to French club PSG, break-
ing Pogba’s record with a €222
million ($263 million) fee.
The second option is that a
team waits for the player’s con-
Sports
mean for them.
Arsenal: The Gunners
have had quite a disappointing
season thus far, and the sum-
mer transfers have reflected
that. Arsenal offloaded 20 play-
ers this window, including one
of its better midfielders Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain, and took
on only two additions.
But there are positives.
One being that one of these
two players is Alexandre Laca-
Image courtesy of the English Premier League
zette, a pacey and accurate
striker from French club Lyon.
He has looked dangerous so
far and Arsenal finally filled
the position that has needed
work for the past few seasons.
The other positive (or not,
depending how it is viewed), is
that the club held on to Alexis
Sanchez, the quick and witty
tract to expire and sign him as winger. Despite Sanchez being
a free agent right away. This is openly unhappy at Arsenal and
an unlikely option, as there are multiple attempts from Man-
no transfer fees paid to the club chester City to sign him, the
selling, so the selling team usu- Gunners will keep him at least
ally tries to extend the contract until the mid-season window.
or sell the player before the con- Chelsea: The reigning
tract runs out. Transfer fees are league champions may have
what are charged when a player had a scary first game, but
is bought out of his contract, ended up with a rather pleas-
similar to what sometimes hap- ant summer. Chelsea offloaded
pens in U.S. sports. much unused baggage in this
The third option is that a window by seeing over 30 play-
player may go on loan to anoth- ers leave the club.
er club. What this means is that
a player will continue to be con-
tracted with his original team, “The [squad]
but can go to another team for numbers will be
part of the season, a whole sea-
son, and sometimes even two tested.”
seasons. Teams usually loan to
free up wages (known as cap- Club captain Gary Cahill
room in the U.S.), or just get expressed doubts about the
rid of a player quickly. Often, team’s roster depth this year,
a loan agreement will allow the saying, “the [squad] numbers
team loaning to purchase the will be tested,” but the addi-
involved player after the loan tions the club has made since
spell ends. have somewhat eased minds.
With this knowledge now
in mind, let us take a look at
the most prominent transfers
from a few of the popular teams To continue on Page 18.
in the league, and what it will
Page 17
Sports
Some of the top trasnfers this season are (l-r) Romolu Lukaku, Alexandre Lacazette, Mohamad Salah, and Alvaro Morata.
Continued from Page
17.
The Blues brought on sev-
eral key signings including
striker Alvaro Morata from Real
Madrid and midfielders Dan-
Liverpool, Manchester City and United, Arsenal, and West Ham were among the most viewed Premier League teams in 2016/17.
Page 18
ny Drinkwater and Tiemoue
Bakayoko from Leicester City
and AS Monaco, respectively.
The biggest loss to the club
this window was Nemanja Ma-
tic, a holding midfield player, to
Manchester United. Many criti-
players, two of which are key.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
(spoken about earlier) was one
of these signings. He will play
a big role in launching the fast
counterattacks that Liverpool
has showcased already.
The other signing is Moha-
mad Salah, an Egyptian attack-
ing midfielder from Italian side
Roma. He has already proved
critical this season, scoring
seven goals in 11 games for the
Reds, and his passing has been
top notch.
One interesting element
to Liverpool’s summer win-
Photo courtesy of the Mirror
dow is the resistance to selling
Philippe Coutinho. Couthino,
the 25-year-old Brazilian mid-
fielder, has come into his own
within the last few years at
Liverpool and has become a
cized and questioned the move target for top European clubs.
of selling a top player to a rival, Barcelona has been the
but it looks as if Chelsea might most prominent, offering up
be okay. multiple bids for the Brazilian.
Liverpool: The Reds have “We are not
had a rather uneventful sum-
mer, only bringing on four new selling Coutinho.”
With a past of Liverpool
selling star players such as Luis
Suarez and Raheem Sterling,
Manager Jurgen Klopp stated
that, “I am manager now, and
we are not selling Coutinho.”
Manchester City: The
Noisy Neighbors have certainly
been heard this window while
offloading several defenders
and signing a couple new ones.
City has let go of longtime
defenders Gael Clichy, Pablo
Zabaleta, and Bacary Sagna.
Though aging, these three are
still quality players and have
made welcome editions to oth-
er squads.
With the loss of three de-
fenders, manager Pep Guar-
diola brought on two more:
Statistics provided by World Soccer Talk
former Tottenham Spur Kyle
Walker at wing-back, as well
as Real Madrid’s Danilo.
Aside from these sign-
ings, City is still searching for
an answer in the goal-keeping
department. The club released
Willy Caballero and signed
The Connection October 5, 2017
Ederson Moraes from Portu-
guese side Benfica.
Manchester United:
While not the busiest window
around the league, United’s
was most certainly the most
impactful. Manager Jose
Mourinho had no hesitation in
signing four top players when
first coming to the club last sea-
son, and this transfer window
has been no different.
The 2016/17 season saw
midfielder Paul Pogba, striker
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, winger
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and de-
fender Eric Bailly join Man-
chester United as part of
Mourinho’s rebuilding plan.
The most recent summer
window has seen the club bring
in Nemanja Matic (spoken of
earlier), center-back Victor
Lindelof, and striker Romelu
Lukaku.
Ibrahimovic also re-signed
with the club after being re-
leased in the summer due to an
injury that would last past his
contract expiry.
United did have one signifi-
cant loss in the veteran Wayne
Rooney. Rooney moved back to
his boyhood club Everton, an
emotional but beneficial move
for the Red Devils.
While re-signing Ibrahi-
movic and adding Lindelof and
Lukaku were crucial for this
season, the addition of Matic
stands above the rest.
Last season, Paul Pogba
was dogged by his world-record
price tag as well as his role on
the pitch. He was limited to a
defensive midfield role, one
at which he certainly did not
excel. Pogba normally plays
higher up on the field as an at-
tacking midfielder, where he
can be much more creative and
effective.
This year, gaining the high-
quality defensive mindset of
Matic will allow Pogba to play
his preferred position, making
his relationship with the team’s
forwards even more dangerous.
james.axsom1@tulsacc.edu
Tulsa Roots Rocks the Green is held for the sixth consecutive year
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor
Tulsa Roots Music is hosting the “Tulsa Roots Rocks the Green” concert series beginning Sept. 10. The festival brings roots music artists to the Guthrie
Green each Sunday through Oct. 1. Admission is free. Each Sunday, the festival begins at 2:30 p.m. and ends at 6:45 p.m. The musician line up for each
day can be found on the Roots Music Facebook page, @TulsaRootMusic, and at tulsarootsmusic.org.

Spoodfed Tribe’s Experimental Rock sound is courtesy of Egg Nebula (vox, flute, and
percussion), Jerome 57 (bass, vox, and percussion), Sho Nuff (guitar, vox, and percus-
sion), Kabooom (drum kit, percussion, and vox), Goofahtts (massive percussion, drum Spoonfed Tribe helped kick off the new season. The band hails from Arlington, Texas and is known for incorporating
kit), David Willingham (trumpet and keys), Jeff Dazey (bari saxophone), and Shadow unconventional instruments into its music.
Price (alto sax and percussion).

Tulsa musician Eric Ryan-Johnson led fiddle on the grass during the first day of the festival’s month-long run.

The Connection October 5, 2017 Page 19