IN THIS ISSUE - Blackboard Learn Regents Leadership Scholarship 2005-2006 ... than any other...

Issue 333 Volume 43, Number 6 March 30, 2005 Copyright protected

IN THIS ISSUE Jack Sellers Leaving, p.5 Historical Hoax, p. 10 Rocky the ‘Liger,’ p. 14

The Connection Staff

Matt FosterManaging Editor

Kat HaleAssistant Managing

Editor

Metro Campus

La Shawn BakerEditor

Lee BrennanAssociate Editor

Northeast Campus

Toni HillEditor

Southeast Campus

Lindsay MadejaEditor

Steven EilerAssociate Editor

West Campus

Stephen McPhersonEditor

Clinton HarmonAssociate Editor

Joey DeEntertainment Editor

Barbara CotziasBusiness Manager

Kim SpencerData Entry

Darlene Horner Photographer

Allan WeintraubFaculty Adviser

page 2 03/30/05 THE TCC CONNECTION

State Regents LeadershipScholarship 2005-2006

TCC is recognizing out-standing high school seniors fortheir leadership and academicachievements. To qualify appli-cants must be first year studentsat TCC; legal OklahomaResident and maintain a 3.0GPA for the Fall and Springsemesters. Return completedapplication to TCC scholarshipDepartment Student Financial

Service. Deadline April 13,2005.

TCC State Regent TuitionWaiver 2005-2006 waives upto 12 credit hours for eachsemester for Fall and Spring.Applicants are consideredbased on scholastic achieve-ment and financial need.Applicants must complete theFederal Student Aid FAFSA),which can be completed on-

line at www.fafsa.ed.gov.Applicants must have a cumu-lative GPA calculated on a 4.0scale a 70 percent completionrate. Deadline is April 15,2005.

Lowes EducationalScholarship

One of 10 scholarships willbe awarded to TulsaCommunity College studentsfor the Fall 2005 and Spring

2006 semesters in the amountof $1,000 for 12 credit hours,$500 for 11 credit hours and $400 for eight credit hours.

Applicants must be 18 yearsof age and business, vocationalor technical majors. They mustmaintain a 2.0 GPA and suc-cessfully complete 75 percentof Fall 2005 classes. DeadlineJuly 1, 2005.

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On the cover...An all-nonsense creation; seeStudents Speak Out (pg 8) forworst April Fool’s pranks pulled.

The TCC Connectionis NOW HIRING an Associate Editor

for Northeast Campus

Great ppay &&flexible sschedule!

All applicants musthave a 3.0 GPA and

be enrolled for at least 6 hours

CALL 595-7388

Corrections & ClarificationsLast issue, Lee Brennen’sarticle “Phi Theta Kappa: ABig Part of Metro,” inadver-tently reported an incorrectdate for the Relay for Life.The event is actuallyscheduled for April 29 and30. We apologize for thisoversight.

03/30/05 THE TCC CONNECTION

Lee BrennanMetro Associate Editor

On Feb. 25 and 26,Phi Theta Kappa’s(PTK) regional confer-ence was held in Tulsaat the Hilton. This year,the Omega Alpha chap-ter of PTK at Metroreceived more awardsthan any other chapter,including most distin-guished chapter in theregion.

The regional conven-tion consisted of PTKmembers from bothOklahoma and Arkansas.Awards are determinedbased on essays and letterssubmitted by individualchapters. Judges then deter-mine awards to recognizedifferent chapters based onthe input they have receivedand the individual achieve-ment of individual mem-bers.

PTK Metro took in 12awards overall. While all of

them are significant, thereare a few worth highlight-ing:

PTK faculty advisorMargaret Lee won twoawards, one for most distin-guished faculty advisor inOklahoma, and the other formost distinguished facultyadvisor in the region.

“It’s just an honor,” Leesaid. “I couldn’t do my job

Toni HillNortheast Editor

Representatives from TCCStudent Health Services attend-ed an Oklahoma Association ofCommunity Colleges (OACC)conference on Mar. 3 - 4. Theevent, hosted by Rose StateCollege, was held at theSheridan Convention Hotel,located in Oklahoma City.

“Our focus was to make theother colleges aware of whatwe offer and to encourage themto offer similar services. Manycommunity colleges across thenation do not offer health careto their students, faculty orstaff,” said JoAnne Bray, R.N.NEC Student Health Servicessupervisor.

Bray discussed the NECSmoking Cessation Program,focusing on the benefits of

“kicking the habit” and theharmful effects of smoking andsecondhand smoke.

Bray also shared informa-tion about TCC’s partnershipwith the Tulsa County HealthDepartment in reference to theCommunity EmergencyResponse Team Program. Asoutlined in this program, theNortheast and West campuseshave been delegated as trainingsites for other locations thatwill serve as public ready sitesif a bio-terrorism attack occurs.These public ready sites wouldbe responsible for distributingmass vaccinations and/orantibiotics to the public if need-ed.

Sharon Harrison, R.N.,Metro student health servicessupervisor, presented anoverview of the many healthservices TCC offers, including

disabled student care, employ-ee assistance program, referralsfor mental health, chemicaldependence and work relatedproblems. Hearing and vision

testing, emergency first aid andwound care, bilingual healthinformation brochures andweight management servicesare also available.

LuAnn Perkins, R.N., SECstudent health services supervi-sor, shared the history ofStudent Health Services andthat TCC’s administrationbelieved that having medicalstaff on campus has helped tolimit liabilities.

In close, Debbie McNett,R.N., West student health serv-ices supervisor, highlightedTCC’s Wellness Programincluding the fundamentals andthe benefits of the program. Shealso shared information aboutTCC’s Fitness Centers.

“TCC’s Wellness Programoffers different programs toeducate and support healthylifestyles for our students, fac-ulty and staff,” McNett said.“This is important since manyof our students do not have anytype of health benefits.”

TCC promotes healthy lifestyle according to OACC

NEC Student Health Services Supervisor JoAnne Bray, R.N. Darlene Horner

Stephen McPhersonWest Editor

Despite enormous budgetshortfalls over the past fewyears, Tulsa CommunityCollege has managed toincrease tuition waivers by$200,000 while continuing tomake structural and aestheticimprovements college-wide.

The 2003 and 2004 budgetshortfalls, caused by theOklahoma State Legislature,forced the college to undergosevere cutbacks on spending.After learning hard lessonsfrom the year before, TCC hasused nearly $1 million less oncollege expenditures eventhough it now operates on alarger budget. Compared tothis same time last year, TCCexhausted over 70 percent ofits budget.

“A lot of it is timing issuesbut I think we’re doing verywell at this time financially,”TCC Executive Vice Presidentfor Business and ChiefFinancial Officer, Gary Croomssaid. “We’ve just been control-ling our expenditures and our

employees are doing a good jobkeeping costs down.”

Crooms added that lastyear’s decision to have a 4-day,40-hour workweek during thesummer of 2004 also helpedsave the college money. Themove saved utility and part-

time employee costs college-wide, and carried over into Julyand August 2004, the first twomonths of the current fiscalyear.

“We’re still buying equip-ment for our campuses butwe’re now at a point wherewe’re examining our expendi-

tures for the remainder of theyear,” Crooms said.

With the TCC West CampusWellness and Fitness Centernow complete, the college hasfocused development towardTCC’s downtown Metro cam-pus.

At the March TCC Board ofRegents Meeting, administra-tors added $82,745 to help the$3.4 million project nearcompletion by fall of 2006.The renovation will include anew MC First Stop Centerand library. (Since construc-tion began, the first two floorshave become all but immobi-lized and on-campus studenttraffic has slowed tremen-dously.)

While TCC’s campus storeshave increased assets andequity over the past year, they

have also increased TCC’sfinancial liabilities and haveexperienced more than a 20percent drop in net salesincome. Nevertheless, the TCCcampus stores have surprising-ly seen an eight percentincrease in net profit.

TCC cuts back on spending

“We’re sstill bbuyingequipment ffor oourcampuses bbut .. .. ..we’re eexaminingour eexpendituresfor tthe rremainder

of tthe yyear.”

--TCC Vice President Gary Crooms

Historic year ofawards for PTK Metro

“PTK METRO” on p. 17

PTK faculty advisor Margaret Lee


Metro CampusDesign by La Shawn Baker

La Shawn BakerMetro Editor

People don’t always get tohear what a positive influencethey’ve made in someone’s lifebut Metro Campus Sheila Lucy,in computer services and SallyMims, in the science mathemat-ics division felt it was time thatpeople knew about Herb Weber.

Mr. Weber works in CampusPolice from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.and while most of us are pushingthe snooze button at 6 a.m., he is making sure that thestaff and faculty are being safelyescorted in the building.

Mims said, “The femaleemployees were afraid to get outof their cars that early in themorning before Herb came toTCC. We had to use the callboxes in the parking lot to callfor Campus Police to open thedoors. I was always left feelinguncomfortable with so many

homeless people loiteringaround. Many times I would sitthere, waiting until someonewould come out of the building,and then I would rush into thebuilding.”

Lucy affectionately refers toWeber as “our security guardextraordinaire.”

“At 6 a.m. in the morning,things are pretty dark. Walkingthrough the parking lot is veryunnerving. Fortunately though,Herb is always at the door. Nomatter the weather, he is patient-ly waiting there until every lastone of us is safely in the doors.”

Mims and Lucy both tell us,“Mr. Weber is always in a goodmood, with a welcoming smileand a word of encouragementfor all of us. This is our way ofthanking him for being there at5:54 a.m. every day to ensureour safety.”

Chivalry is a rare commodityin this day and age; howeverHerb Weber has still managed tobecome a knight in shiningarmor. Thanks Mr. Weber.

Mar. 31 - FREE popcorn forthe screening of "The ThirdMan" in the Film/LectureRoom SC 102. 12:15 p.m.

Apr. 1 - The Tulsa PerformingArts Center (PAC) at 8 p.m.presents the Celtic MusicSeries "La VolleeD'Casters"discount tickets onsale

Apr. 4-Blues singers AmandaPreslar and Mark Bruner will

perform in the Commons 11a.m. - 1 p.m. The Children'sImagination Series productionof "Los ZapatosMagico."Students can alsopurchase tickets to The TulsaOpera's production of"Cavalleria Rusticana andPagliacci." Armchair Travelers

presentation of "Canada'sIncredible Parks." Tickets toeach event are available atthe SAO

Apr. 6 - Two-for-one moviepass available at the StudentActivities Ticket Office. Onefree ticket per student.

Apr. 7 - FREE anonymousHIV testing 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. atSHS, MC G22.

Apr. 8 - Tulsa Ballet presen-tation of "In Tense SpringTrilogy" 8 p.m. at the (PAC).Tickets on sale now at SAO.

Above and beyond the call of dutyAssociate dean receivesdistinguished awardLa Shawn BakerMetro Editor

At Mount Zion BaptistChurch on Feb. 23, theChristian Ministry Allianceannual college rally honoredMary P. Walker, associate deanof the communications servicedivision, at Metro Campus.

Nominated by Dr. TomMcKeon, he had this to sayabout her in the “Tulsa World,”“She is always giving so muchof herself to support studentsgetting a higher education, aswell as her work within thecommunity.”

Walker received thePresidents award for her 33-year contribution to educationas well as to the community.This was the first time theAlliance recognized the impor-tance of secular education, out-side of religious instruction.

The Christian MinistryAlliance chose five OklahomaColleges to be the benefactorsof scholarships for local areahigh school seniors: TulsaCommunity College, RogersState University in Claremore,Northeastern State University,Connors State College inWarner and Oral RobertsUniversity.

“My outreach extends fur-ther than the walls of TCC,”says Walker. “My desire is tohelp other young people over-come whatever hurdles they arefacing in life; the same waysomeone helped me when I was

growing up. My accomplish-ment means nothing if I cannotempower others with theknowledge I have gained. I tryto encourage my students topass on the what they havelearned.”

Mrs. Walker is a graduate ofBooker T. Washington, whereshe received a certificate inoffice education and dressmak-ing. With no desire to attendcollege at this time, she fullyplanned to support herself withher newfound skills.

Her guidance councilor H.T.King encouraged her to enterthe work-study program atLangston University in Guthrie,Oklahoma, where she laterearned her bachelors degree inelementary education. She wenton to receive her masters atNortheastern State University.

When asked how she woulddescribe her outlook on life,Mrs. Walker says, “It’s my solidbelief that next to God there isnothing more important than aperson getting their education.”

Herb Weber, MC’s early morning “security guard extraordinaire,” Darlene Horner

Mary P. Walker submitted photo

Sally Mims (left) and Sheila Lucy are very thankful for HerbWeber and hope to see him recognized with an employee awardfor excellence.

Darlene Horner

MetroActivities

THE TCC CONNECTION 03/30/05 page 5

Northeast CampusDesign by Toni Hill


TCC offers a class specifi-cally designed for students whoenjoy acting, public speakingand being in the spotlight.

Forensics, which is both aclass and a club, gives mem-bers the opportunity to partici-pate in various tournamentsheld at college campusesthroughout Oklahoma andKansas. Classes are held at theNEC and this

award-winning organization is open to all TCC students

regardless of major. Forensics involves college

level study and performance ofdebate, acting and publicspeaking. In addition to classassignments, members arerequired to prepare for at leasttwo events and compete in atleast three tournaments persemester for their grade.

Competition categoriesinclude dueta c t i n g ,prose/poetry,R e a d e r sT h e a t e r ,after-dinners p e a k i n g ,i m p r o m p t uspeaking andcommunica-tion analysis. For addition-al informa-tion, contact

Forensics’ Director, Dr. DonnaGoodwin at 595-8443.

Forensics Club offers many benefitsfor multi-talented students

Northeast Happenings


Students interested inhelping others reachtheir goals and whoenjoy being involvedin community projectsshould consider joiningone of the many clubsoffered at NEC.

The following two clubsoffer members many opportu-nities to reach out to others inaddition to enhancing leader-ship skills and enjoying variousfun-filled activities.

Phi Theta Kappa is an honorsociety actively involved inmany campus activities as wellas many community projects,such as the American CancerSociety fund-raiser, Relay ForLife.

Students must have at least a3.5 GPA and be enrolled in atleast 6 hours to join.

Contact Julie Brothers at595-7566 for more informationor pick up a membership pack-

et, located in the ContinuingEducation room (2412) and inthe Student Activities Office.

The Sign Language Club isfor people who are deaf or hardof hearing or who are interestedin American Sign Language orSign Language Interpreting.Members participate in fund-raiser activities, which help tofund SLC scholarships, as wellas various community out-reaches.

Contact Don Hastings at595-7450, Sharon Limas at595-7459 or Jennifer Smith at595-7450 for information.

Clubs offer challenge,leadership and fun

Forensics mem-bers prepare forupcoming nationalcompetition. To leftare Beka Busterand Jennifer White.Members beloware RebeccaRoetke and PatrickRoetke.

Dr. Donna Goodwin

Mar. 30 - Apr. 9 - Sign-upfor Most Fit Competition formen and women.Competition will be held Apr.9 at the Metro CampusFitness Center. ContactMetro Fitness Center at595-7348 for more informa-tion.

Apr. 6 - Texas Hold’empoker scheduled. Learn howto play from 3 p.m. - 3:45p.m. Tournament game playis from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

There is no entry fee andwinners will receive prizes.Contact NEC StudentActivities Office at 595-7571

for additional information.

Apr. 13 - Phi Theta Kappamember meetings sched-uled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.Meetings will be held in theNEC Continuing EducationOffice room 2412. Call 595-7566 for additional informa-tion.

Apr. 29 - 30 - Relay ForLife, American CancerSociety’s fund-raiser.Contact Kristen Taylor at743-6767 for additionalinformation.

Toni Hill Northeast Editor

After 13 years ofdedicated service, Dr.Jack Sellers, P.E.,Ed.D., who joinedTCC in April 1992,retires as of Apr. 1,2005. As AssistantProfessor of AviationSciences Technology,Sellers’ responsibili-ties included flight andclassroom instruction,the development of curricu-lum and the placement andtraining of adjunct professorsfor aviation courses.

He also served as chairmanof the Aviation AdvisoryCommittee, was the TCC rep-resentative of Tulsa AviationEducation Alliance (TAEA),

and held the office of directorfor the Aviation CareersAcademy, a TCC summer pro-gram for high school students.

Since last Aug., Sellers hasbeen accountable for the oper-ation of TCC’s flight school,which included hiring andtraining flight instructors, a

flight school managerand other employees.He was also responsi-ble for the safety andsecurity of all flightschool operations aswell as the marketingfor the program.“Managing a flight

school is a 24-7 job,”Sellers said. “Youhave students flying atall hours and days of

the week, and beforethey can fly, they have

to have a flight instructorreview and approve theirflight plan.”

Prior to beginning hiscareer at TCC, Sellers workedfor Southwestern Bell for 30years as an electrical engineer.

Director of TCC’s flight school retires

Dr. Jack Sellers, pictured with a TCC plane.Darlene Horner

“SELLERS” on pg. 17


Southeast CampusDesign by Linday M. Madeja

Lindsay M. MadejaSoutheast Editor

On Feb. 18, 2004, 65 stu-dents were inducted intoAlpha Mu Iota, the Southeastchapter of Phi Theta Kappa.“It is so exciting to be induct-ing individuals who are just asenergized about Phi ThetaKappa as our current offi-cers,” said Anita Hall, facultyadvisor for Southeast's PTK.Hall is also excited about whatthe students can and will"accomplish for our schooland community."

In order to become a memberof PTK, students must first gothrough the process of becom-ing an Honors Scholar. Thisprogram offers five distinct ben-efits for students wanting tomake the most of their collegecareer. Transferability, recogni-tion, scholarships, awards andan opportunity to become a partof the Honor's experience, avenue of learning that is person-alized to your needs and goals.

For students interested inbecoming a part of the TCCHonors Scholar program, this iswhat's required: The first step issubmitting an application.Application forms are availablein the Honors Program office onTCC'S Metro Campus (MC

510; phone 918-595-7378), orthey may be printed from theTCC website (www.tulsacc.edu) under the "forms" link. Inaddition to the application, eachprospective scholar must submita 300 to 500-word essay on anyof the topics listed on theHonors Scholar application, anda letter of recommendation froma former educator who is quali-fied to attest to the student'scapabilities.

The last step in becoming anHonors Scholar is meeting atleast two of the following crite-ria: · Combined score of 1100 onthe SAT or composite ACTscore of 25 or higher; · High school grade-pointaverage of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale;

· Ranking in the upper 10% ofhigh school graduating class, ormembership in high schoolhonor society, or total score of310 or higher on the GED exam; · 3.5 minimum grade-pointaverage on a minimum of 12hours at TCC or another institu-tion of higher education withregional accreditation (If yourGPA drops below 3.0 whileattending TCC, you will bedropped from the Honor's pro-gram);· Demonstration of specialabilities or awards in writing orother significant projects; · Completion of two Honorscredit courses at TCC with agrade of B or A.

The newest members ofSoutheast's PTK are:

A b y g a l eAlbert, Yasuko Amano,Bobby Baker, DanielleBergman, Melony Birt,Trevor Bridges, JenniferBrownlie, CynthiaBustos, AmyButterworth, SarahCary, Nicole Coast,Whitney Counts, JonDaniels, JoyceDaugherty, NaomiDeGraff, Valecia Dirck,Jimmy Do, ErinDuncan, April Dunnam,Moises Echeverria,Trenton Frederick,

Jennifer Frye, Alicia Green,Dawid Grzybowski, JaimieHall, Jennifer Hall, JenniferHardesty, Amanda Hardy,

Vanessa Harris, TimmeniHarrison, Juan Herrera, BethanyHogrefe, Lindy Holt, LeviHorning, Garrett Hull, JamesHutchinson, Louise Jenkins,Joshua Kalfas, Robert Kott,Carole Lashley, ChristopherLayton, Daniel Lozano, BlaireMarshall, Amanda McCormick ,David McCrackin, MelissaMeredith, Kimberly Nelson,Lacey Penrod, Laurie Pierce,Hayley Pierson, WhitneyPrevett, Pamela Shimer, OlafStandley IV, Matthew Stiner,Melissa Swan, Shaela Teets, JeriTilley, Allen Shea Tuller,Tiffany Washington, ElijahWeyen, Kimberly Yeldell, andKimberly Young-Nazari.

Southeast’s latest PTK inductees. Submitted photo

Apr. 1 - Ann HamptonCallaway will sing w/ theSignature Symphony

Apr. 1, 15, and 22 - StudentRecital 1:00 PM in room 6128(free)

Apr. 14 - The SignatureSymphony presents "A Yearwith Tchaikovsky" Concert #5 in memory of the victims ofthe Oklahoma City Bombing10 years ago

Apr. 16 - Chamber EnsembleConcert

Apr. 22 - PercussionEnsemble Concert

Apr. 22-May 1 - TCC TheatreDept. presents “Snow Whiteand the Seven Dwarves”

Apr. 24 - Signature Quartetpresents "Borden andBeethoven" 3:00 PM

For more info, please contactthe ticket office at 595-7777.

PACE Happenings

Hump-Day seminars

Mar 31 (Thurs.) - Dr. RobertAllen: Forensics

Apr. 7 (Thurs.) - Dr. DaveWallace: HIV and addiction

Apr. 13 - Dr. Ramon RiveraSerrano: Heart disease andexercise.

Apr. 20 - Dr. Vivian Stevens:OCD and anxiety disorders

Apr. 27 - Dr. Dustin Thomas

presents Holistic and chiro-practic medicine

For more informationabout the Hump-Day semi-nars, contact Dr. ConnieHébert at 595-8653.

All seminars will be heldon Wed. evenings (unlessotherwise noted) at 7 p.m. inroom 8248 on the TCC cam-pus.

Southeast HappeningsSteven EilerSoutheast Associate Editor

On Apr. 1, 2005, AnnHampton Callaway will be per-forming with the SignatureSymphony at the SoutheastCampus PACE (Performing ArtsCenter for Education).Callaway is a highly talentedand respected singer with adevoted fan base including suchmusical icons as BarbaraStreisand and Carole King.

Callaway's three octavevoice is smooth and jazzy andher repertoire ranges from old

classic Americanjazz tunes to pophits and even someof her own compo-sitions. She hasreleased eight stu-dio albums in addi-tion to a collectionof duets with hersister, Broadwaystar Liz Callaway.Ann HamptonCallaway is no stranger to theBroadway stage either - sheappeared in the original cast ofthe show "Swing!" and receiveda Tony Award nomination for

her performance.In Callaway's

engagement withthe SignatureSymphony, stu-dents and mem-bers of the com-munity will get achance to see andhear the national-ly acclaimedsinger and expe-

rience for themselves the greattalent that the PACE continuesto present. The show is at 8:00pm and tickets cost $20-35.

Ann Hampton Callaway to perform

PTK inducts 65 new members into Alpha Mu Iota

Ann Hampton Callaway

West CampusDesign by Stephen McPherson



A history instructor fromTulsa Community College'sWest Campus was recentlyselected to receive an awardfor Excellence in TeachingOklahoma History. Theinstructor, Anne Phillips,who also heads the WCHonors Program, will receive$5,000 for TCC as part of heraward from Bass andMcCasland.

"I'm thrilled for Anne. It'salways exciting to have anoutside organization recog-nize your contributions. It'struly an honor for her," saidWest Campus Provost PeggyDyer. She added that the

recognition has been given toa select few Oklahoma histo-ry instructors since only oneaward is handed out per year.

Phillips was nominated forthe award by two of her WC

colleagues, Ginnie Davis andCarla Goble.

The Bass award is provid-ed by Wanda L. Bass ofMcAlester and theMcCasland award is provideby the McCaslandFoundation of Duncan. Bass'award amounts to $3,500,while the McCaslandFoundation's award totals$1,500. It is not yet knownwhat the award money willgo toward.

The award will be present-ed Mar. 31 at the TulsaRenaissance Hotel andConvention Center, hosted bythe Oklahoma HeritageAssociation (OHA), forwhich TCC Regent Martin D.Garber is a director. There

will be a luncheon for thosein attendance, beginning atnoon, with a reception andphoto session to follow.During the reception, atten-dees will have an opportunityto meet with luncheon guests,and attend a book-signingsession for "The OklahomaAviation Story," featuringauthors Carl Gregory, KeithTolman, Bill Moore and KimJones.

Reservations must bemade for those who antici-pate attending, and the cost is$35 per person. For moreinformation or to requestreservations, contact theOHA at (888) 501-2059.

Phi Theta Kappa sees record numbers, againC.L. HarmonWest Associate Editor

Beta ThetaEpsilon, the PhiTheta Kappa(PTK) chapter atWest Campus, iscontinuing toincrease itsmembership.

For the sec-ond straight year,PTK hasachieved theSilver level inthe PinnacleS c h o l a r s h i pAward Program.

The award is given to chap-ters who are able to raise theirnumber of new inductees by atleast ten percent from the previ-

ous year. The award works asan incentive to devise new

approachesthat can drawp o t e n t i a lmembers intothe organiza-tion.

In addition,it also aids inthe enhance-ment of theirmethods incommunicat-ing the bene-fits of mem-bership tothose seekingto be a part of

the organization.West Campus’ PTK Chapter

has received $100 from the

international office, which theyare free to use in a manner thatbest reflectstheir inten-tions. According to

A d v i s o rSandy VanDusen, theyintend to helpneedy stu-dents withmembershipcost.

"I hope weachieve thislevel ofincrease nextyear becausethe third yearis moremoney for us

to use in scholarships to helpeven more students become

members," VanDusen said.

There are 45new members todate and they arescheduled for for-mal induction intoPTK on Apr. 21during theirSpring InductionCeremony.

TCC PresidentDr. McKeon andWest CampusProvost Dr PeggyDyer are amongthose expected toattend and wel-come the newmembers.

The Phi Beta Kappa Crest.

Excellence in Oklahoma history… Phillips' style

"I'm thrilled forAnne. It's always

exciting to havean outside organi-

zation recognizeyour contribu-

tions. It's truly anhonor for her."

West Campus ProvostPeggy Dyer

WestHappeningsC.L. HarmonWest Associate Editor

Mar. 30 - FREE Root beerfloats in Student Union.

Mar. 31 - April Fool’sGiveaway. Get free SAOgoodies.

Apr. 4 – Pre-registrationbegins for the Summer 2005Semester.

Apr. 5 - Chess Tournamentstarts at 12:30. Sign ups arerequired.

Apr. 6 - Try your luck andskill in a Texas Hold ‘empoker tournament. Sign upsrequired and prizes will beawarded.

Apr. 8 – Last day to withdrawand/or change from credit toaudit for the Spring 2005Semester..

Apr. 12 - Hawaiian Luau at11 am, FREE food and even alimbo contest.

Apr. 13 - FREE bracelet andinfo to kick the smokinghabit.

Apr. 18 - Happy Hour from11 am-1 pm. Stop by forFREE snacks.

Apr. 21 - Test your movieknowledge by filling out amovie trivia form. Moviepasses will be given to sever-al winners.

The Phi Theta Kappa Key.


Students Speak Out at Metro

“My friend said she got herhair done. It looked terriblebut it was a wig.”

- Stephanie Bishop

“While working at a dentaloffice, I upset my boss bytelling him I quit.”

- John McGill

“My little sister said she waspregnant.”

- Ashley McLaurin

“My mother said she wasgetting married at the churchof the vengeful God byReverend Horton Heat.”

- Terry Hall

“I put a personal advertise-ment in the newspaper formy basketball coach lookingfor dates.”

- Jennifer Bishop

What was your worst April Fool’s prank?

The TCC Connection invites letters to the editor. While The TCC Connection reserves the right to shorten submissions due to space constraints, letters will be published exactlyas received. In order to be published, letters must include contact information for verification purposes. Opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author anddo not necessarily reflect those of The TCC Connection or Tulsa Community College. The TCC Connection will not print anything considered potentially libelous or obscene.

Opinion


If I had the time, I think itmight be entertaining to situnder the sign at a gas stationfor a half a day and witness thebugged eyes and dropped jawsof passing motorists. If seeingall of the inflated gas pricesgives you an ominousfeeling that the daysof affordablegasolineh a v edis-

appeared, guesswhat? You are right.

After oil trading for April hitclose to $55 per barrel gasprices soared and will continueto do so. Peter Beutel, the pres-ident of Cameron Hanover, anenergy risk management com-pany, has followed the energymarket for around 30 years, and

said the price spike “...is goingto be brutal, horrendous.”

But that is the goodnews. OPEC has madepredictions that oilprices could rise to$80 per barrelwithin thenext twoyears.

Moreover, there is anincreasing demand on thedecreasing supply of theworld’s oil.

China has a population ofover one billion people. Theyare converting from coal to gas

as a heat source and, due to abooming economy, decided tostart driving. They should befairly mobile well within thenext 10 years, causing theirneed for fuel to rise.

To deal with the trends ofhigher gas prices car manufac-turers have put hybrid cars onthe market. Increased fuel costhas sparked an increase inhybrid car sales. Otherwise,people are buying fewer SUV’sand more fuel-efficient cars inan attempt to adjust to higherfuel prices.

Research in Hydrogen, theearth’s third most abundantresource, as an energy source toreplace oil, is still underway.

However, the U.S. hasenjoyed decades of affordablegasoline. Now is the time tocommit those years of low gasprices to memory, for that islikely the only place we shallsee them again.

Can we get used to high gas prices?

C.L. HarmonWest Associate Editor

In our effort to keep othersout, we must acknowledgethat what we are actuallyaccomplishing is closing our-selves in. Whether we act asa nation or a single human

being, the result is the same.We become isolated fromwhat gives us freedom, secu-rity and the hope that we canlive as one. We are then leftwith fear and contempt forthose on the outside who canshow us what is needed forpeace and unity.

Mindset ISOLATION LEADS TO INDIGNATION


Mar.30, 1981 – PresidentRonald Reagan is shot andwounded outside a hotel inWashington, D.C. by JohnHinckley Jr.

Apr. 2, 1513 – SpanishExplorer Ponce de Leon dis-covers Florida.

Apr. 4, 1851 – PresidentWilliam Henry Harrison diesof pneumonia 31 days afterassuming office.

Apr. 6, 1896 – The Olympicgames are reintroduced inAthens, Greece, 1500 yearsafter being banned byRoman EmperorTheodosius I.

Apr. 9, 1865 – GeneralRobert E. Lee surrenders toGeneral Grant atAppamattox, Virginia endingthe Civil War.

Apr. 13, 1964 – SydneyPoitier becomes first AfricanAmerican to win the Oscarfor best actor.

Moments in Time


Opinion


It is estimated that the com-bined U.S. Treasury holdings ofSoutheast Asia, including:China, Hong Kong, Japan,Singapore, South Korea,Taiwan and Thailand, holdingscome to over $1 trillion. A mas-sive “dumping” of U.S. curren-cy in this region would have adeep impact on the domesticU.S. and world economies.

The short of it? A modern-day economic depression isplausible and could occur atany time or place if the rightconditions are present—yes,even in the U.S.

Currently, world confidencein the U.S. Dollar has droppedat a steady rate, in some casesbeing replaced by the EuropeanUnion’s (EU) currency, the

Euro. But with the world’sheavy reliance on U.S. curren-cy, the last thing the worldwould want (particularly Asia)is a sharp decline in theDollar’s value. After all, theU.S. owes a lot of money to theworld and a weak currencywould leave many nationsshortchanged.

But the fact is, U.S. debt isexpected to only increase in thecoming decades, a large portionof which is due to U.S. obliga-tions to Social Security andMedicare. The InternationalMonetary Fund (I.M.F.) pre-dicts that in only a few shortyears, America’s debt to the restof the world will be equal to 40percent of the total U.S. econo-my. This same economic bodypredicts that America’s debtfrom Social Security andMedicare will equal tens of tril-lions of dollars over the next 60

to 70 years. America’s current over-

spending and projected futurespending obviously concernsthe Southeast Asian region,which collectively holds a largeportion of American debt. Evennow, Asian economic leadersare meeting with each other to

discuss what they can do aboutthe Dollar, its deflation andinstability. If they continue tohold onto the currency, theyrisk losing even more money;however, they can cut their eco-nomic losses now if they goahead and abandon U.S. cur-rency for another currency. At

this point in time, it is no longera question of ‘if’ Asia willdump U.S. currency, but it is aquestion of ‘when.’ Truth beknown, it may only be a coupleof events away, and could beprecipitated by any number or acombination of events, includ-ing: a falling Dollar, rising oilprices, another U.S. militaryconflict (one taking place inAsia or the oil-rich MiddleEast, for instance), a major U.S.terrorist strike or somethingcompletely unexpected alto-gether. Whatever the event, theU.S. needs to pull its head outof the world’s piggy bank todeal with its economic issuesand pay off its rising debt.

Nations rise and fall all thetime; regardless of what someeconomists and utopians tellthemselves, today’s globaliza-tion may only hasten theprocess.

U.S. debt sinks dollar, stinks world economy


With a military committedto establishing security in bothAfghanistan and Iraq, theUnited States is reaching a cru-cial point in a nuclear stand-offagainst Iran. Meanwhile, thesituation between North Koreaand the U.S. continues to bedifficult, and the U.S. hasrecently pulled its ambassadorfrom Syria, a sign of a deterio-rating relationship. PresidentBush has said that the notion ofgoing to war against Iran is“simply ridiculous,” but evi-dence from the region tells adifferent story.

In December, Iran made ashow of force by conductinglarge-scale war games, witharound 120,000 troops near theIraqi border. Earlier this yearDepartment of DefenseSecretary Donald Rumsfeldrequested funding to possiblybuild a weapon called a RobustNuclear Earth Penetrator. If

such a weapon can be created itwould allow the U.S. to destroyIran’s underground nuclearoperations through air strikesrather than a ground war.

A U.S.-led attack would notgo unanswered according to

Iranian Defense Minister AliShamkhani. In March he said,“The Iranian nation shouldknow that one of our nuclear or

non-nuclear facilities has beenattacked when it sees ourcrushing response to theenemy.”

Although their militarylacks the technology to win aface off with the U.S., Iran does

have options. While it is evi-dent that some of the opposi-tion in Iraq stems from Iran, itis not nearly at the capacity it

could be. Iraq’s deputy foreignminister Hamid al-Bazati stat-ed, “If Iran wanted, it couldmake Iraq a hell for the UnitedStates.”

Additionally, Iran could stoptraffic along the Straits ofHormez, a two mile channelbetween Iran, Oman and theUnited Arab Eremites, where40 percent of the world’s oil isshipped.

While it seems the U.S. andIran are at a stalemate, a peace-ful conclusion may have to bereached with negotiationsthrough Britain, France andGermany, who have main-tained open talks.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiatorHasan Rowhani said, “If thereis no U.S. pressure, we willreach a compromise with theEuropeans in the near future.Europeans are not seeking apermanent halt to our peacefulnuclear program and denyingthe Iranian nation of its rights.”

Is war with Iran likely or inevitable?

The Iranian flag (green, white and red).

In a NewLight

Revenge is a doubleedge sword


In January of 1945, Nazidivisions were retreatingacross Russia as the RedArmy pushed them back. TheRussians were horrified at theatrocities they witnessedagainst their people by theNazis as they pressed on withtheir assault and revengebecame the sentiment held bythese troops.

An estimated 9,000 inno-cent German refugees, includ-ing 3,000 children, died in theSoviet’s attack against aGerman hospital ship. Thisbecame the greatest maritimedisaster in history. Revenge isnot rational. It does not sparethe innocent and punish theguilty, but instead minimizesthe effects of justice for thosewho deserve it and those whopractice it.


Design by Joey De

Goings on...

March 30Kelly Clarkson

Tulsa PACwww.tulsapac.com

April 7National

No Housework Day

April 9, 10, 14 - 16Damn Yankees

Tulsa PACwww.tulsapac.com

April 14Motley Crue

OKC Ford Centerwww.okfordcenter.com

April 20James TaylorBrady Theater

www.bradytheater.com

April 23, 29, May 1Cavalleria Rusticana /

PagliacciTulsa PAC

www.tulsapac.com

Through April 24Hudson River SchoolPhilbrook Museum of

Artwww.philbrook.org

May 2Sarah McLachlanOKC Ford Center

www.okfordcenter.com

Through July 10Machu Picchu:

Unveiling the Mystery ofthe Incas

Gilcrease Museumwww.gilcrease.org


Were you stuck in Tulsaover spring break? Bummer.Hopefully your friends weren’tcalling you daily to remind youthat they were tanning on thebeach. If they did, hopefullyyou reminded them that as theyspent a fortune to party, youwere saving your money tohave just as good of a timesticking around Oklahoma formuch less.

Here are just a few of themany places you can visit intwo days or less.

For a playground away fromhome, hop on the TurnerTurnpike and head forOklahoma City. A two-hourdrive (doing the speed limit)away, the Capitol City offersenough to see and do that itcould fill a month. By noweveryone knows about

Bricktown - a great place tostroll, shop and party, but thereis so much more. From explor-ing the capitol building, toscreaming your head off atFrontier City, Oklahoma Citycan keep you well entertained.

While in the area, headSouth and visit Norman. Okay,so you’ve visited friends inNorman before, but trust me,Oklahoma’s third largest cityisn’t just about toga parties.

The Sam Noble Museum ofNatural History (located on theUniversity of OklahomaCampus) is a fun stop for thecurious minded. With one ofthe largest completely assem-bled dinosaur skeletons in theworld, the museum captures theimaginations of any greatthinker. Since you’re there,check out the rest of the OUcampus. Newbies may want tostop at the visitor’s center toarrange a tour of this history-

rich campus.For a more rustic getaway,

visit Woolaroc in Bartlesville.The former ranch of oilmanFrank Phillips, Woolaroc fea-tures a drive through wild lifepreserve, history museum andmore. Not so into birds andbuffalo? The Price Tower ArtsCenter located in the newlyrenovated Frank Lloyd Wrightskyscraper provides an intrigu-ing afternoon for art lovers.The building itself is worth vis-iting because it’s a true work ofart.

Avid outdoors people canleap at the chance to rappel,bike, climb or horseback ridejust five miles north ofWilberton at Robbers CaveState Park. At the base of theSan Bois Mountains, RobbersCave is famous as a formerhideout of Jesse James andBelle Starr. This natural treas-ure has a 20-room lodge withamenities available as well asan outfitter for horse and hayrides, mini-golf and paddleboats. A nature center, giftshop, swimming pool and vari-ous food concessions are alsoon site.

Want a fun family trip wherethe kids can get their hands(and legs, and faces and well,everything else) dirty? The

Great Salt Plains WildlifeRefuge outside of Cherokee(near Enid) is a great trip forexplorers of any age. Kids willjump head first into digging forthe Salt Plains’ selenite crys-tals, while mom and dad sitback to enjoy the 300 plus birdspecies that line the plain.

For more information onthese and other Oklahoma get-aways, visitwww.travelok.com. Happytraveling!

Oklahoma’s an okay place to play


The divas keep coming and thisone is starting out right. On Mar.30, Kelly Clarkson will kick offher world tour in Tulsa at the PAC.

Clarkson, a former waitressfrom a small town in Texas wasmade famous by winning TV’sfirst “American Idol” competition.

Following a whirlwind of mar-keting after the show, Clarksonreleased her first CD, “Thankful.”Now, with her sophomore albumin stores, Clarkson is poised totravel the world, starting with T-town.

At the time of this printing tick-ets were nearly sold out, so buy aticket now if you still can!

An exotic seaport? Hardly. Pelicans are among the many birdswatchers can enjoy at the Great Salt Plains. www.travelok.com

Kelly’s coming!


Don’t spoil the show with a few faux pasJoey DeEntertainment Editor

Recently, I was able to take abreak from studying to visit thePACE for “Fiddler on theRoof.” Since “Fiddler” is oneof my all time favorite shows, Ilooked forward to it all week.Within an hour of curtain, I waslooking even more forward toleaving.

The show was fabulous, butthe audience was far from it. Iwas appalled at how rude andinconsiderate the patrons were.At one point, I actually had toask a nearby family to pleaserent the movie and be quiet.

At any performance, it’sfrustrating when one or twopeople decide that their enter-tainment outweighs the other2,398 people in the house at

any cost. Ifeveryone wouldfollow a fewbasic rules, allcan have a goodtime and no onemisses the showthey paid goodmoney to see.

First and fore-most, if you havea baby…leave ithome! Do youREALLY thinkthat 10 yearsfrom now, youreight month old will rememberseeing “Rent?” If you can’tafford the extra $15 to hire ababysitter, chances are youshouldn’t be spending moneyon the tickets. Sure, stuff hap-pens and babysitters get can-celed--when all else fails, sell

your ticket to afriend.

Second, if youhave to explain orcomment on everylittle nuance of aperformance toyour kids orspouse, go homeand rent the movieor CD. The per-formers are theones who are sup-posed to be heard,not your play-by-play. Sure, an

occasional question isn’t bad,but at least keep your voice to awhisper so that everyonearound you doesn’t have tohear. This goes especially forthose who bring 5 year olds toshows. If they can’t understandthe basic plot, they don’t belong

there.Another thing that should be

left in the lobby is food anddrink. I’m sorry, but I don’twant to hear your Nerdscrunching and I really don’tcare to hear Raisinettes fall tothe floor, especially whenyou’re not going to stay to pickthem up. Many venues nowallow bottled water, just don’tsuck so hard the plastic pops.

It amazes me how manypeople still don’t know how touse “vibrate” or “off” on theircell phones and pagers. Evenmore incredible is how manypeople think it’s all right toanswer during the show. Toborrow from a favorite comedi-an “Here’s your sign.”

How about those who can’ttell time? If you’re late, and theushers allow you into the

house, wait for a scene changein the back or side aisle beforegoing to your seat. People paidto see the stage, not your heiniethree inches from their face.

When attending any liveperformance please use basichygiene practices (showeringand deodorant at the least) anddress appropriately. Call meold school, but I typically weara collared shirt and slacks to ashow, but, you can catch me injeans or shorts. It depends onthe event…you can get awaywith shorts and a Sponge BobT-shirt at “Jack and theBeanstalk,” but not at the opera.

By now, if you’re thinking,“Wow, I do these things,” don’tpanic. Just remember, whenyou’re at a show it’s not a privateviewing. There are other peoplethere besides you.

Get back to your roots at Wild Oats

A little etiquette can go along way, for the rest,there’s ushers. Joey De


For years, whenever I pass WildOats, I always chuckle at the “danghippie store,” and keep driving. Iguess that’s because their onlyshopper I know personally is mymom’s aged hippie friend. Afterfinally visiting the store, I under-stand how she and others havecome love it.

Located off of 41st & Peoria,Wild Oats is an emporium forhealthy living. With a full-servicegrocery store, vitamin departmentand deli counter, Wild Oats pro-vides an alternative to the chemicaldependent mass agriculture mostpeople are used to.

Typically considered morehealthy and more flavorful thanconventional foods, the organicfoods at Wild Oats provide a solidfoundation to a healthy lifestylewithout tasting like cardboard. “Wewant people to know that healthyfoods can taste good,” saysCommunity Marketing

Coordinator Valerie Mosley.“When you grow foods the waythey were intended, it just tastes bet-ter than when you have all kinds ofjunk in it.”

For those skeptical about thetastes and textures of natural foods,Wild Oats offers a full service deliwhere visitorscan stop in for ameal. Pricedby the pound,the deli offers a wide variety of sal-ads, meats and cheeses preparedwith mostly natural and organicproducts. Visitors may also enjoythe counter’s menu of sandwiches,wraps, juices and smoothies, or visitthe soup and salad bar. Especiallydelicious are the Japanese TofuSalad, the Curried Turkey,Edamame Salad and the HiccumaRoot.

For those who need a little bit ofa junk food fix, the deli sectionoffers freshly made organic pizzas.Dieters can cheat and feel ok with itby picking up some of the trans-fat-free pastries and cookies (natural

doesn’t necessarily mean it’s 100percent healthy).

Even though the deli serveshealthy food, it’s not priced as anovelty. An incredibly filling meal(about a pound) of various saladsamples, only costs about $5. And,while a $5 lunch is a great deal, it’s

not the bestpart of themeal. Aftere a t i n g ,

you’ll feel refreshed and invigorat-ed - it sounds weird - but it’s defi-nitely different than eating a cheese-burger and fries.

No different than a conventionalgrocery store, Wild Oats is a fullyfunctional supermarket offeringfoods grown pesticide, steroid andfertilizer free. Everything marked“organic” in the store has been heldto a strict labeling standard, guaran-teeing that consumers are receivingwhat they expect.

Also available store is a fullservice vitamin and healthy livingcenter that is happy to help. Thestore’s two nutritionists are also

available to advise patrons onhealthy eating choices, when avail-able. The store also offers freenutrition and cooking classes instore. Schedules are availableonline at www.wildoats.com

Healthy, reasonably priced and

delicious, the foods at Wild Oats areworth the drive, or jog. Whethergrabbing a quick lunch or filling thefridge, you can’t go wrong return-ing to the roots of food at Wild Oats.


t hose Amazing Pets! by Toni Hill

June Bug is an adult, femaleWalker Coonhound who lovesto just “hang out.” To adopther, or a different pet, contactthe Tulsa Animal Shelter at669-6299.

Also, please remember tohave your pet spayed orneutered to prevent the birth ofunwanted animals. Contact theTulsa Animal Shelter for infor-mation.

Photo courtesy of PetePapen.

Rocky - the unique product of a lion and tigerToni HillNortheast Editor

What happenswhen you mix a tigerand lion? A liger likeRocky, who lives atSafari’s ExoticWildlife Sanctuary inBroken Arrow, is cre-ated. He is the uniqueproduct of a lion fatherand a tiger mother.

Rocky came toSafari’s when he was asix-month-old cub. Heis now six years old,weighs over 950 pounds and stands overeight feet tall. His paws, when spread,measure over 12 inches wide.

Ligers can only be created in captivi-ty because tigers are from the India andAsia regions and lions are from Africa.Rocky’s lion traits include a brown basecolor, a small mane and a roar, which

can be heard up to six miles away.However, he has the dark gold stripes ofa tiger and loves to play in water, a traitthat sets the tiger apart from their felinecousins.

Unfortunately, crossbreeding causesthe cat to be sterile and can shorten theirlife span by causing medical problemsdue to the fact that their bone structure

cannot grow fast enough to keep upwith the rest of their development. Rocky is not only very unusual, butalso very smart because of his abilityto count. When fed his normal 15 - 20pounds of Hartford meat a day,(Hartford meat consist of meat fromevery part of a cow, which is groundup into blocks) he will go over andexamine it. If the proper allot-ment is not there, the liger willapproach his caretaker andgrowl until the full share isgiven. After which, he willmake a “gruffing” sound, whichis similar to a deep purr and hisway of saying “thank you.” “Rocky is a very special ani-

mal and is very well cared for,”said Kurt Beckelman, a volunteerat Safari’s. “The staff here areopposed to private ownership ofthe big cats because of theirpotential danger to humans andbecause the cats are often neglect-ed or abused. That is why sanctu-

aries exist, to take in the animals onceprivate owners realize they cannotafford to keep them. And unfortunately,once they have been around humans,they can not be returned to the wild or tozoos.”

For additional information aboutSafari’s Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary, call955-1964.

Rocky enjoying the good life at Safari’sDarlene Horner

A young girl enjoys feeding Rocky his favoritetreat, a frozen chicken leg.

Darlene Horner

Adoption opportunities for animal loversthrough shelter and TCC’s vet tech program

Spaying and neutering saves lives and tax dollars


Most people do not realizehow much money is spent eachyear to care for the manyhomeless cats and dogs inTulsa and the surroundingareas. According to BobWhiteley, assistant director ofthe Tulsa Animal Shelter,around $1.5 million a year isspent to house and care forhomeless animals. The expens-es include food, shelter, veteri-nary services, vehicles andsalaries for the staff.

If each pet owner would takeresponsibility for spaying orneutering of just their own pets,the amount of unwanted pup-pies and kittens born each yearwould be reduced significantly.Not only would this save the

lives of many dogs and cats theshelter has to euthanasize eachyear, (approximately 10,000 to12,000), it would eventuallydecrease the amount of fundingneeded to the care for theseabandoned animals and allowmore tax dollars to be funneledinto Tulsa’s economy.

The overpopulation problemis huge, if in doubt, visit theshelter and witness the incredi-ble number of dogs and catswho are on death row due tothe lack of homes. Correctingthe problem has to start withpet owners.

Also, please contact theauthorities if you see an animalwho is abused or abandoned.Animals can not speak up forthemselves, they have to relyon humans for defense andcare. In return, they giveunconditional love and loyalty.

Bernice is a female Pointermix who has been spayed andvaccinated. She is very cute,friendly and in desperate needof a great home.

In exchange for care,Bernice will supply lots oflove, doggie kisses and never-ending loyalty.

Contact the TCC VeterinaryTechnology Program at 595-8212 to adopt Bernice.

Photo courtesy of AngieMiller, RVT.

Sherman is a male BorderCollie mix who has beenneutered and vaccinated.

He is very friendly, lovespeople and would get alongwith other pets. He is veryactive so he needs owners whohave the time to play with him.

Contact the TCC VeterinaryTechnology Program at 595-8212 to adopt Sherman.

Photo courtesy of AngieMiller, RVT.


Arena Football League popularity growingLee BrennanSports Editor

For years, there has been anawareness of professional levelarena football. Football playerssuch as Kurt Warner and JeffGarcia have risen from theranks of the Arena FootballLeague (AFL) to become majorplayers in the National FootballLeague (NFL).

Yet, until recently, the AFL

has remained in the shadowsfor football fans. The increaseof air time and national cover-age on the major networks iscausing many to want to knowmore about this unique form offootball gracing their televi-sions in the NFL’s off season.

Here is a look at what theAFL is all about.

Typically, players in theAFL simply were not able tomake it in the NFL, or are being

groomed for a career in theNFL. Like the NFL, theAFL competes in a 16week season which culmi-nates with playoffs, andfinally, the Arenabowl.This year’s Arenabowlwill be played in LasVegas on June 12.

Likewise there are twoconferences: the AmericanConference and theNational Conference.There are 17 teams andeach conference will send ateam to the Arenabowl after theplayoffs.

The game itself is played ona 50-yard field, indoors, and thesame standard rules apply. Forexample, a first down is earnedafter 10 yards, touchdowns aresix points, field goals are threepoints and so forth. In arenafootball, the wall is the sideline

and the ball is thrown a lotmore than it is ran.

For die hard football fans,the AFL is becoming a wel-come reprieve in the drought ofmainstream football’s off sea-son. With only fluttering suc-cess from attempts such as NFLEurope, fans now have--to thedismay of wives and girlfriendseverywhere--football year

round! For moreinformation aboutthe AFL, check outtheir official web-site at arenafoot-ball.com.

For somelocal Arena foot-ball action youwon’t have to gotoo far at all. TheTulsa Talons arepart of AFL2 andwill be playing

eight home games at the down-town Convention Center.

In 2003, they won theArenaCup championship andwill be shooting for another onethis year.

For more information aboutthe Talons visit their website attulsatalons.com. To purchasetickets, go to carsonattrac-tions.com.

Steven EilerSoutheast Associate Editor

Andrew Bird, a classicallytrained violinist and masterwhistler, has released anenchanting collection of songsexhibiting these and othermusical skills (playing nearlyevery sound heard on thealbum). Culling its name froma page in an old book of magictricks, “The MysteriousProduction of Eggs”(Righteous Babe Records)reveals something new everytime it is unfurled.

The sort of music that canmake a rainy day seem infinite-ly more important or make asunny day seem much morebeautiful, this music could eas-ily work its way into the sound-track of your life. The lyrics arevery quaint and playful, butoftentimes, deeper, darker sub-jects are explored throughwords that initially soundchildishly innocent.

It’s impossible to give agenre label to any one of thesesongs; they vary considerablyin style, but contain the unify-ing element of Bird’s versatileyet recognizable voice. Thesongs are structured some-where between classical musicand standard pop/rock (thoughthe strict verse, chorus verseformat is not always followed)but elements of things asdiverse as country, Indianmusic, Spanish dance music,and children’s music permeatethe recordings.

Despite its dynamic shifts,the album does not soundinconsistent. Instead, it flowstogether quite effortlessly.With whatever instrument Birdplays, no matter what style heis imitating or innovating, hesoars. He has intricately sewntogether musical strands fromso many places that the endresult is an auditory tapestry ofsorts, and that is what makesthis album so rewarding.

CD Review: This bird has flownCourtesy of tulsatalons.com


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Steven EilerSoutheast Associate Editor

Recently released on DVD, “IHeart Huckabees” (FoxSearchlight) is a peculiar comedyabout nothing less than discover-ing the meaning of life. The filmfeatures an all-star cast includingDustin Hoffman, MarkWahlberg, Jude Law and JasonSchwartzman.

The story follows AlbertMarkovsky (Schwartzman), theleader of a local environmentalprotection group. Curious abouta series of coincidences involv-ing a tall African man, Albertseeks the help of a pair of “exis-tential detectives” (Hoffman andLily Tomlin). Basically, thedetectives are hired to spy onAlbert to discover the source ofhis problems and to aid him inrealizing the reason for his exis-tence. Other characters enlist thedetectives to help solve their ownconfusions with life and eventu-ally find that (true to the detec-tives’ philosophy) everythingends up being connected.

The humor in the film isquirky, but readily apparent. Itrelies mostly on the charactersthemselves, (the casting seemsperfect) rather than a plethora ofconspicuously funny lines in thescript. It is rated R for language(which mostly occurs in the firstfive seconds of the film) and sex-ual content (which is brief, andmore awkward than provoca-

tive). “Huckabees” may not be a

film for everyone, but if youenjoy movies like “The RoyalTenenbaums” or “Rushmore” orif you are just curious, it is defi-nitely worth checking out.

Who knows? Maybe you willthink of things you have neverthought of, or maybe you willadopt a whole new paradigm.Maybe not, but if nothing else,you’ll laugh.

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During this time he would flyas a hobby, unaware that hisexperience would enable himto have a second career as aflight instructor.

“One of the most enjoy-able parts of the job was theopportunity to participate invarious aviation events andto meet many interesting

people, including astro-nauts,” Sellers said.

“One of my most memo-rable places to visit wasOshkosh, WI, where over10,000 airplanes gatherevery year. It was the experi-ence of a lifetime. I have alsobeen able to visit KittyHawk, NC, the birthplace ofaviation, where the WrightBrothers first flew. I am

excited to continue to sharemy experiences by volun-teering at the Air and SpaceMuseum during my retire-ment.”

Though Sellers is lookingforward to spending moretime with his family (wifeJoanne and children, Kevin,Dana, Michael, and Melinda,and his five grandchildren,and to continue his hobbiesof flying, traveling and golf-ing, he will always remem-ber his years at TCC withgratitude.

“It’s a greet feeling ofachievement and accom-plishment when former stu-dents, who are now pilots formajor airlines, come backand thank me for the trainingthey received. It makes allthe hard work and commit-ment all worthwhile,” Sellerssaid.

“SELLERS” from pg. 5

Above, TCC and TTC became partners to offer a flight pro-gram in which Dr. Sellers took part. Darlene Horner

without the students.”Individual students from

Omega Alpha were also rec-ognized through awards.

Destiny Stephens wonmost distinguished chapterpresident and chapter mem-ber.

Joana Marquette won mostdistinguished chapter officer.

Omega Alpha also gainedfive star status this year, thehighest rating a chapter canreceive, which is based solelyon the programs they canconduct throughout the year.For example Relay for Life isone program PTK has pro-moted this year.

PTK Metro was recog-nized with first place forscholarship hallmarks, andalso received first place forfellowship and second placefor leadership among thechapters in the region.

Omega Alpha won a SilverPinnacle award for member-ship as well. This means thatin the region, Metro had thesecond highest number ofnew inductees.

Congratulations to Metro’sOmega Alpha chapter ofPTK.

“PTK METRO” from p. 3

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Pisces(Feb 19 - Mar 20)

Leo(July 23 - Aug 22)

Taurus(Apr 20- May 20)

Gemini(May 21 - June 20)

Aries(Mar 21 – Apr 19)

Cancer(June 21 - July 22)

Scorpio(Oct 23 - Nov 21)

Capricorn(Dec 22- Jan 19)

At the beginning of the end,you always have questionswith answers that rest some-where in the middle.Therefore, you have decided tofind the end of the beginningand search for clues aboutwhereabouts when you were inthe middle. Tonight yourfuture direction becomescloudy.-C.L. Harmon

By nature, you love peopleand people love you. To you,life is just a big party full oflaughter and fun. This week,instead of focusing on satisfy-ing your own needs, use someof your natural exuberance tobrighten up someone else’sday. Share your gregariouspersonality with a sick friend,lonely relative or an isolatedneighbor. Remember, whatyou sow, you will reap ten-fold. -Toni Hill

You will encounter a familyturmoil, however, it willresolve itself and the loomingstorm will eventually dissi-pate. These challenges willonly prove to make family tiesmuch stronger.-Matt Foster

Listen up. Fear is not anoption and resistance is futile.Change is coming and youcan’t fight it.-La Shawn Baker

You have been quite theworkhorse lately, haven’t you?Well, summer is almost hereand you need to plan on takingsome well deserved time off.Nothing too extravagant, just along weekend now and thenshould be just the ticket. Getready to go outside and soakup up the sun. You’re lookingpretty pale.-Kat Hale

Life is about making choicesand living with the conse-quences. Instead of spendingvaluable time trying to fix mis-takes of the past, focus onmaking the right decisions forthe future. Life is about cele-brating who you are now andlooking forward to a bright andprosperous future, not aboutdrudging up a past you can notchange. -Toni Hill

Watch your step. You’regiving someone the idea thatyou might be getting a littleserious in your relationship.They don’t call it “head overheels” for nothing, you know.Take note: some really goodadvice is headed your way.You should listen closely.-Kat Hale

If you follow in someone’sfootsteps and they trip, do youfall on top of them? What if youmiss a step? Do you get offcourse and become lost? Evenworse, what happens when youreach the end of the journey andrealize you wanted to go else-where? Always follow your

Virgo(Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Libra(Sept 23 – Oct 22)L is for love, which we have alot of, I is for Libra’s tendencytake too many things personal-ly, B is for our benevolencetoward others, R stands forwhat is right, which we weighwith precision, and A is for ouractive pursuit for truth andmeaning.-Stephen McPherson

Sagittarius(Nov 22 - Dec 21)

Everyone in America isfamiliar with slogans and mot-tos. “Just do it,” “Can you hearme now?” “It’s more bueno,”and many more have become apart of our everyday lives. Howabout taking some time toreflect on your life and yourplace in this world? What doyou want people to rememberyou for? Come up with a slo-gan or motto for your life, onethat symbolizes who you areand what you stand for.-Lindsay M. Madeja

For the next couple ofweeks, learn to let your truelight shine. And if you don’thave the light, then welcome itinto your life pressed down,shaken together and runningover. -Stephen McPherson

*DISCLAIMER:No one on the staff of The

TCC Connection proclaims tobe a professional “reader ofthe stars” by any means.However, these horoscopesare fun to write and are hope-fully fun to read as well.

In conclusion, this sectionis meant for entertainmentpurposes only, and we do notrecommend, following anyadvice or misinformationgiven here.

Thank you and pleasantreading!

own path, at least this way youcan take pride on your ownjourney to somewhere.-C.L. Harmon

I’m thinking that’s the“Wedding March” playing

somewhere in the background.Start looking happy, will you?The people paying for thisshindig are beginning to get alittle nervous. You’re going todo just fine. This is a gooddecision for you-Kat Hale

Answer tto tthe ppuzzle:

THIS SEMESTER IS ALMOST OVER

MMeettrroo SSttuuddeenntt AAccttiivviittiieessCongratulations to our 2005 Photo Contest Winners!

Portrait: Digital Imaging1st Place - Megan Tarpley2nd Place - Brandy Jacobs

Environment:1st Place - Brian Elsberry

2nd Place - David RamseyContemporary

1st Place - Angela Jones2nd Place - Paula Esposito

1st Place - Salahel-Din Ahmed

Best in ShowSalahel-Din Ahmed

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