Intersections - Oklahoma

Episode 50 – Sandino was our guest in episode one and now is back to check in at episode 50! We discuss what has changed – or maybe not changed – in a year when it comes to Maps for Neighborhoods and neighborhood issues in OKC. He is deeply involved in two organizations that help people to improve their lives and shape their communities in positive ways as the Director of Urban Services at Public Strategies consulting firm and the executive director of It’s My Community Initiative that works to strengthen families. The organization develops workforce programs across the state.

Episode 49 – We visit with Cyndi once again almost a year later than her appearance on Intersections the first time. Then, she was only the second guest we had and she had completed a successful campaign to win the seat for Oklahoma House District 85 after the unfortunate death of long-time legislator David Dank. Because that was mid-term, she has been campaigning for that seat once more, this time in the regular two-year cycle. We explore the main questions around what happens to the dynamic between legislator and consituency when the legislator has been on that many doorsteps that many times in a few years.

Episode 48 – In April, Ziva and reporting partner Cary Aspinwall were named finalists for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for their coverage in the Tulsa World of Oklahoma’s botched execution of Clayton Lockett. The same day they heard that news, they joined with Dylan Goforth and Kevin Canfield to begin working on The Frontier, an online news startup in Tulsa. Ziva is the Editor in Chief and is a staff writer.

Episode 47 – In her third year teaching Art at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary in Oklahoma City Public Schools, Paxton is starting to see the value of longevity and continuity in teaching. We talk about that and about the things students learn from art beyond the mechanics of pencil to paper.

Episode 46 – Computer code developers have volunteered their time and knowledge to bring greater transparency to city governments across the U.S. Code for OKC is a group of like-minded code developers who are working to make the budget of Oklahoma City much more useable for people who are not used to looking at massive city budget data. Matt tells us about the process and their progress.

Episode 45 – Most ordinary people might recognize the name “DC on Film Row” as that cool, intimate outdoor music and party venue on the east end of the Film Row district. But “DC” stands for Dunlop Codding, the law firm that lends that space to the community. The firm protects intellectual properties, a unique, specialized part of federal law. And Doug is one of the unique principal partners.

Episode 44 – Matt spent considerable time in the rarefied environment of the Los Angeles television and film industries. Now he has moved back to Oklahoma to pursue a new life with his wife after their recent marriage and to pursue his expanding travel writing career. Because of Matt’s experience he has started The Point, a writers workshop in Oklahoma City with classes beginning this fall. For information go to www.mattpaynewriter.com .

Episode 43 – Nearly 40 episodes after Angela was our guest the first time, we talk about the progression of her public school advocacy into electoral politics. Leading up to the primaries in June, she formed a Facebook group that promotes candidates for the Oklahoma Legislature who openly and passionately support public schools. It got her far more public attention than she sought, becoming the political target of one of the candidates in the primary runoffs recently ended in this week.

Episode 42 – As the principle of his firm, Robot House Creative, Brian leads two other members of his firm in developing brands for the boutique firm’s clients. But also, he is the writer for a comic book series that is now available in bookstores and Amazon. We talk about all of that and compare his boutique shop to the Mad-Men television series type of big ad firm.