Two Thumbs Up for the University of Tulsa
September 14, 2009 | Thursday Bram
The University of Tulsa may average around four thousand students — including the law and graduate schools — but it balances its small size with world class programs. Students come from as far away as the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela to study in TU’s petroleum engineering program, creating a uniquely international campus right in the middle of Oklahoma.
School Atmosphere
At TU, diversity is the watchword. It goes far beyond the student body. You have the choice of watching a Division 1-A football game or eating a halal meal in the cafeteria — and that’s just on the weekend. Studies at the school are equally broad. TU has top-notch engineering and science programs, as well as an English department responsible for the James Joyce Quarterly and an internationally renowned literary journal. It doesn’t hurt that the university’s roster includes such names as poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
The University of Tulsa is a liberal campus — for Oklahoma. It’s the only wet campus in the state (a point of pride for TU students) and is home to a very active BLGTA organization, as well as the usual complement of sororities and fraternities. At the same time, though, there are very active and very large religious groups on campus. TU was founded as the Presbyterian School for Indian Girls in 1882 and has maintained close ties to the Presbyterian Church in the past. The school is now secular, but Presbyterian services are still offered on campus at Sharp Chapel. On top of that, the Baptist Student Union, United Campus Ministries and the Newman Center all have their own buildings on campus. There’s also a mosque and several churches on campus.
Student Housing
That diversity extends to student housing. While freshmen are required to live in the campus residence halls, other students (including law and grad students) have the choice of on-campus apartments. Both apartments and residence halls vary in amenities — some apartments are actually town houses, for instance. Certain organizations arrange to sponsor sets of apartments, allowing you to live in a community of language students or another group of interesting people. Both the residence halls and apartments host numerous programs for students: cook outs, swim parties and even video game nights are common.
Other housing options include the sororities and fraternities. Members of the Greek system have the option of living in houses lining streets known, respectively, as Sorority and Fraternity Row. Many upper classmen also choose to live off campus. Many of the houses in the area immediately surrounding TU have been converted into rentals and cater to the college crowd.
Local Hang Outs
There are plenty of hang outs for TU students, both on campus and off. If you’re interested in staying on campus, you can grab a beer and watch a game in the Hurricane Hut, located in the Allen Chapman Activities Center.
If you want to get off campus, start with a meal at Tally’s. Just a few blocks off campus, this diner is a piece of Route 66 history — and the prices haven’t change that much from when the highway was a thoroughfare, making it perfect for a college student’s budget.
Downtown Tulsa is home to much of the area’s night life, with bars and coffee shops open to all hours. McNellie’s, an Irish pub, is a favorite with TU students because of its huge variety of beers. Another favorite downtown hangout is Gypsy Coffeehouse, which offers free WiFi along with great coffee.
TU makes sure students can get out to big events in Tulsa. For the yearly Oktoberfest, the university runs shuttles back and forth between campus and the festival. While it may be hard to get off campus if you don’t have a car, TU will make sure you don’t miss anything important.
TU’s Appeal
The University of Tulsa routinely wins awards for student happiness — in 2008, the Princeton Review ranked the school sixth in that category nationally. Students have the opportunity to get a great education without the pressures of attending a big school. The TU community is small enough to provide face time with anyone you want to spend time with, from student groups to professors.
