A charming comedy will grace the stage at Salina South High School as the Theatre Department presents John Patrick's&nbsp;The Curious Savage.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in the auditorium of Salina South, 730 E. Magnolia Road. Parking for theatre patrons at Salina South is accessible from both E. Magnolia Road and Edward Street.

Seating is general admission. Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens/military, and $4 for students. Tickets will be available at the door 30 minutes prior to performances and will soon also be available online in advance at www.salinasouththeatre.com (added fees may apply online), according to information provided by the Salina South Theatre Department.

Play information from&nbsp;<a href="http://stageagent.com/">stageagent.com</a>&nbsp;as provided by the Salina South Theatre Department

The&nbsp;Curious Savage&nbsp;is the story of an elderly widow named Mrs. Savage, whose husband has left her $10 million dollars. She intends to give the entire fortune away to people who wish to pursue their “foolish dreams,” but her stepchildren strongly object. To prevent her from doing away with their family’s wealth and ruining their legacy, they have her committed to a sanatorium called The Cloisters, and it is among the gentle residents there that she finds her true family.&nbsp;The Curious Savage&nbsp;is a warm comedy that compares the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients with the greed and hostility of so-called “normal people.”

Cast members include Mia White, Evan Dickson, Isabelle Greenemeyer, Kirsten Lamia, Ryan Franks, Aubrey Powell, Alexander Figueroa, Emily Streeter, Kara Davis, Soren Mannebach, and Elias Torres.

Stage Managers are Jackie Fischer, Destiny Hamilton, and Malina Szyndlar.

The production is directed by Kate Lindsay with set design by Roger Coberly and costume design by Kay Engelland and Pam Debold.

By SALINA POSTA charming comedy will grace the stage at Salina South High School as the Theatre Department presents John Patrick's&nbsp;The Curious Savage.Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in the auditorium of Salina South, 730 E. Magnolia Road. Parking for theatre patrons at Salina South is accessible from both E. Magnolia Road and Edward Street.Seating is general admission. Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens/military, and $4 for students. Tickets will be available at the door 30 minutes prior to performances and will soon also be available online in advance at www.salinasouththeatre.com (added fees may apply online), according to information provided by the Salina South Theatre Department.Play information from&nbsp;<a href="http://stageagent.com/">stageagent.com</a>&nbsp;as provided by the Salina South Theatre DepartmentThe&nbsp;Curious Savage&nbsp;is the story of an elderly widow named Mrs. Savage, whose husband has left her $10 million dollars. She intends to give the entire fortune away to people who wish to pursue their “foolish dreams,” but her stepchildren strongly object. To prevent her from doing away with their family’s wealth and ruining their legacy, they have her committed to a sanatorium called The Cloisters, and it is among the gentle residents there that she finds her true family.&nbsp;The Curious Savage&nbsp;is a warm comedy that compares the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients with the greed and hostility of so-called “normal people.”Cast, crew and professional staffCast members include Mia White, Evan Dickson, Isabelle Greenemeyer, Kirsten Lamia, Ryan Franks, Aubrey Powell, Alexander Figueroa, Emily Streeter, Kara Davis, Soren Mannebach, and Elias Torres.Stage Managers are Jackie Fischer, Destiny Hamilton, and Malina Szyndlar.The production is directed by Kate Lindsay with set design by Roger Coberly and costume design by Kay Engelland and Pam Debold.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667441683814.jpeg" alt="Salina South Curious Savage art.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Salina South Curious Savage art.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

Salina South Theatre to present 'The Curious Savage'

The history of Salina's Dunbar School will be the focus of the upcoming Smoky Hill Museum First Thursday presentation.

The museum will host&nbsp;Dunbar School: A Legacy of Learning&nbsp;at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.&nbsp; The presentation will be offered both in person at the museum, 211 W. Iron Avenue, and through Zoom. To watch via Zoom, register at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smokyhillmuseum.org/" target="_blank">www.smokyhillmuseum.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Join Jennifer Gordon as she shares the history of Dunbar School. Walk, metaphorically, through the halls with Gordon to meet some of the teachers and students and learn why Salina’s Dunbar School was, and is, an important part of Salina’s story. She’ll also share about the activities surrounding the school’s 100th anniversary. Gordon is vice president of the Dunbar School Alumni Association.

Smoky Hill MuseumThe history of Salina's Dunbar School will be the focus of the upcoming Smoky Hill Museum First Thursday presentation.The museum will host&nbsp;Dunbar School: A Legacy of Learning&nbsp;at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.&nbsp; The presentation will be offered both in person at the museum, 211 W. Iron Avenue, and through Zoom. To watch via Zoom, register at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.smokyhillmuseum.org/" target="_blank">www.smokyhillmuseum.org</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Join Jennifer Gordon as she shares the history of Dunbar School. Walk, metaphorically, through the halls with Gordon to meet some of the teachers and students and learn why Salina’s Dunbar School was, and is, an important part of Salina’s story. She’ll also share about the activities surrounding the school’s 100th anniversary. Gordon is vice president of the Dunbar School Alumni Association.

Salina's Dunbar School focus of museum presentation Thursday

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVIDDE%20CORRAN%20and%20BOBBY%20CAINA%20CALVAN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVIDDE CORRAN and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press</a>

The ordinary brown brick building, tucked within a nondescript block on a street in Delaware, would probably not garner much attention if it weren't for the razor wire and armed guards outside — hints that something important lay inside, possibly even precious.

Fort Knox it is not. But the stash of collectibles the building holds is undoubtedly worthy of guarding.

There’s a rare Pikachu card and a century-old one of baseball great Honus Wagner, which recently sold for $7.25 million in a private sale. In addition to the trading cards, there are baseball bats and basketball shoes, including a pair of sneakers worn and signed by the late NBA great Kobe Bryant.

In all, $200 million in collectibles are stored in two vaults inside the building, equipped with some of the latest technology to keep the valuable cache safe from harm or thieves.

“A lot of people don’t keep jewelry at their house. They keep it at a safety deposit box,” maybe at a secure bank, said Ross Hoffman, the chief executive officer of industry giant Collectors, which operates the vault, a high-security facility specializing in protecting collectibles.

The building has no signage, and the company asked that any hint of its location not be divulged. Inside is a technologically advanced facility with a guarded vault, equipped with seismic motion detectors that will sound the alarm should anyone try to jackhammer through walls.

To move from room to room, a security guard ushers you through a card-activated double door entry way, letting the first door close before passing through the next. There are surveillance cameras everywhere.

Behind one of two 7,500-pound (3,400-kilogram) vault doors, each more than a foot thick, are rows of shelves that extend to the building’s rafters. Rows upon rows of boxes are filled with collectors’ items — including some with relatively little monetary worth but that represent sentimental value for their owners or that could someday be worth much more.

Hoffman called the facility a “pain killer.”

“There’s pain of things getting lost. There’s pain in the things getting stolen,” Hoffman said.

Interest in sports collectibles and memorabilia has boomed in recent years, not just high-ticket items but also for rediscovered pieces that had been tucked away in attics or basements. In August, a mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million, surpassing the $9.3 million paid for the jersey worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the contentious “Hand of God” goal in soccer’s 1986 World Cup.

“A lot of times people have collectibles for the bragging rights to show it to other people so they can go, ooh and ahh,” said Stephen Fishler, founder of ComicConnect, who has watched the growing rise — and profitability — of collectibles being traded across auction houses.

But some people don't want the burden of being responsible for securing their property, which they view as investments akin to stocks, Fishler said. These storage facilities help better liquify collectibles by treating them as assets that can be more easily bought and sold.

Hoffman, whose company also runs one of the leading grading and authenticating services, said his newest venture is an acknowledgment of the big money now involved in collectibles.

Before the pandemic, the sports memorabilia market was estimated at more than $5.4 billion, according to a 2018 Forbes interview with David Yoken, the founder of Collectable.com.

By 2021, that market had grown to $26 billion, according to the research firm Market Decipher, which predicts the market will grow astronomically to $227 billion within a decade — partly fueled by the rise of so-called NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which are digital collectibles with unique data-encrypted fingerprints.

While digitized NFTs don't require vaults for safekeeping, the trade in physical collectibles is expected to remain busy and lucrative.

“For a lot of people that buy cards, they have an intention of selling it," Hoffman said, "so to to keep it liquid and safe is a great thing."

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVIDDE%20CORRAN%20and%20BOBBY%20CAINA%20CALVAN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVIDDE CORRAN and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press</a>The ordinary brown brick building, tucked within a nondescript block on a street in Delaware, would probably not garner much attention if it weren't for the razor wire and armed guards outside — hints that something important lay inside, possibly even precious.Fort Knox it is not. But the stash of collectibles the building holds is undoubtedly worthy of guarding.There’s a rare Pikachu card and a century-old one of baseball great Honus Wagner, which recently sold for $7.25 million in a private sale. In addition to the trading cards, there are baseball bats and basketball shoes, including a pair of sneakers worn and signed by the late NBA great Kobe Bryant.In all, $200 million in collectibles are stored in two vaults inside the building, equipped with some of the latest technology to keep the valuable cache safe from harm or thieves.“A lot of people don’t keep jewelry at their house. They keep it at a safety deposit box,” maybe at a secure bank, said Ross Hoffman, the chief executive officer of industry giant Collectors, which operates the vault, a high-security facility specializing in protecting collectibles.The building has no signage, and the company asked that any hint of its location not be divulged. Inside is a technologically advanced facility with a guarded vault, equipped with seismic motion detectors that will sound the alarm should anyone try to jackhammer through walls.To move from room to room, a security guard ushers you through a card-activated double door entry way, letting the first door close before passing through the next. There are surveillance cameras everywhere.Behind one of two 7,500-pound (3,400-kilogram) vault doors, each more than a foot thick, are rows of shelves that extend to the building’s rafters. Rows upon rows of boxes are filled with collectors’ items — including some with relatively little monetary worth but that represent sentimental value for their owners or that could someday be worth much more.Hoffman called the facility a “pain killer.”“There’s pain of things getting lost. There’s pain in the things getting stolen,” Hoffman said.Interest in sports collectibles and memorabilia has boomed in recent years, not just high-ticket items but also for rediscovered pieces that had been tucked away in attics or basements. In August, a mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million, surpassing the $9.3 million paid for the jersey worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the contentious “Hand of God” goal in soccer’s 1986 World Cup.“A lot of times people have collectibles for the bragging rights to show it to other people so they can go, ooh and ahh,” said Stephen Fishler, founder of ComicConnect, who has watched the growing rise — and profitability — of collectibles being traded across auction houses.But some people don't want the burden of being responsible for securing their property, which they view as investments akin to stocks, Fishler said. These storage facilities help better liquify collectibles by treating them as assets that can be more easily bought and sold.Hoffman, whose company also runs one of the leading grading and authenticating services, said his newest venture is an acknowledgment of the big money now involved in collectibles.Before the pandemic, the sports memorabilia market was estimated at more than $5.4 billion, according to a 2018 Forbes interview with David Yoken, the founder of Collectable.com.By 2021, that market had grown to $26 billion, according to the research firm Market Decipher, which predicts the market will grow astronomically to $227 billion within a decade — partly fueled by the rise of so-called NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which are digital collectibles with unique data-encrypted fingerprints.While digitized NFTs don't require vaults for safekeeping, the trade in physical collectibles is expected to remain busy and lucrative.“For a lot of people that buy cards, they have an intention of selling it," Hoffman said, "so to to keep it liquid and safe is a great thing."

Rare Pikachu, Kobe's sneakers — a hidden vault guards it all

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HILLEL%20ITALIE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bono">Bono</a>&nbsp;opened his book tour Wednesday night in what he called a “transgressive” mood, a little bit guilty for appearing on stage with three musicians who were not his fellow members of U2 and otherwise singing, joking and shouting out his life story to thousands of adoring fans at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre.

He even performed one song in Italian, a flawlessly operatic take of “Torna a Surriento.”

“This is all a little surreal,” he noted at one point. “But it seems to be going well.”

The 62-year-old singer, songwriter and humanitarian described himself as an eternal boy (born Paul David Hewson) with his fists “in the air,” a “grandstanding” rock star and a baritone trying to be a tenor. He is now a published and best-selling author, his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-new-york-manhattan-000c09b8e941e6159db8bb74d1a7ca4f">“Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story"</a>&nbsp;out this week and already in the top 10 on Amazon.com.

Through “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Where the Streets Have No Name" and other U2 classics, he traces his biography from his stifling childhood home in Dublin and the grief over the early death of his mother Iris Hewson to the formation of the band that made him a global celebrity and his enduring marriage to Alison Stewart.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bill-clinton">Former President Bill Clinton</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tom-hanks">Tom Hanks</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-edge">U2 guitarist The Edge</a>&nbsp;were among his famous admirers in the audience, which often stood and cheered and sang along. For the 90-minute plus “Stories of Surrender” show, billed as “an evening of words, music, and some mischief,” Bono wore a plain black blazer, matching pants and added color with his orange-tinted glasses. He opened with an account from his book of his heart surgery in 2016, but otherwise pranced and leapt like a man who had never seen the inside of a hospital and belted out songs written decades ago without any sense he had forgotten what inspired them.

Ticket prices for the sold out show reached rock star levels as some web sites offered scalped seats for $2,000 and higher. Compared to a U2 show, the setting was relatively intimate — handwritten illustrations on screens hanging toward the back of the stage and a few tables and chairs that Bono used as props to climb on or to simulate conversations. With warm and comic mimicry, he recalled phone calls with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/luciano-pavarotti">Luciano Pavarotti</a>&nbsp;and his pleas of “Bono, Bono, Bono” as the opera star recruited him to perform at a benefit show in Modena, Italy, and once turned up at U2's studio on short notice — with a film crew.

Bono also re-enacted his many tense bar room meetings with his father, who seemed to regard his son's career as some kind of failed business venture. Brendan Robert Hewson's rough facade did collapse once, unexpectedly — when he met&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/princess-diana">Princess Diana</a>, an encounter Bono described as like watching centuries of Irish loathing of the royals "gone in eight seconds."

“One princess, and we're even,” Bono added.

He spoke often of loss, of his mother when he was a teenager and of his father in 2001. But he also described his life as a story of presence, whether of his religious faith, his wife and children, or of his bandmates. After what he called the characteristic Irish response to a child's outsized ambitions — to pretend they don't exist — he called himself “blessed,” and added that “what was silence has been filled, mostly, with music.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HILLEL%20ITALIE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bono">Bono</a>&nbsp;opened his book tour Wednesday night in what he called a “transgressive” mood, a little bit guilty for appearing on stage with three musicians who were not his fellow members of U2 and otherwise singing, joking and shouting out his life story to thousands of adoring fans at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre.He even performed one song in Italian, a flawlessly operatic take of “Torna a Surriento.”“This is all a little surreal,” he noted at one point. “But it seems to be going well.”The 62-year-old singer, songwriter and humanitarian described himself as an eternal boy (born Paul David Hewson) with his fists “in the air,” a “grandstanding” rock star and a baritone trying to be a tenor. He is now a published and best-selling author, his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-new-york-manhattan-000c09b8e941e6159db8bb74d1a7ca4f">“Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story"</a>&nbsp;out this week and already in the top 10 on Amazon.com.Through “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Where the Streets Have No Name" and other U2 classics, he traces his biography from his stifling childhood home in Dublin and the grief over the early death of his mother Iris Hewson to the formation of the band that made him a global celebrity and his enduring marriage to Alison Stewart.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bill-clinton">Former President Bill Clinton</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tom-hanks">Tom Hanks</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-edge">U2 guitarist The Edge</a>&nbsp;were among his famous admirers in the audience, which often stood and cheered and sang along. For the 90-minute plus “Stories of Surrender” show, billed as “an evening of words, music, and some mischief,” Bono wore a plain black blazer, matching pants and added color with his orange-tinted glasses. He opened with an account from his book of his heart surgery in 2016, but otherwise pranced and leapt like a man who had never seen the inside of a hospital and belted out songs written decades ago without any sense he had forgotten what inspired them.Ticket prices for the sold out show reached rock star levels as some web sites offered scalped seats for $2,000 and higher. Compared to a U2 show, the setting was relatively intimate — handwritten illustrations on screens hanging toward the back of the stage and a few tables and chairs that Bono used as props to climb on or to simulate conversations. With warm and comic mimicry, he recalled phone calls with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/luciano-pavarotti">Luciano Pavarotti</a>&nbsp;and his pleas of “Bono, Bono, Bono” as the opera star recruited him to perform at a benefit show in Modena, Italy, and once turned up at U2's studio on short notice — with a film crew.Bono also re-enacted his many tense bar room meetings with his father, who seemed to regard his son's career as some kind of failed business venture. Brendan Robert Hewson's rough facade did collapse once, unexpectedly — when he met&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/princess-diana">Princess Diana</a>, an encounter Bono described as like watching centuries of Irish loathing of the royals "gone in eight seconds."“One princess, and we're even,” Bono added.He spoke often of loss, of his mother when he was a teenager and of his father in 2001. But he also described his life as a story of presence, whether of his religious faith, his wife and children, or of his bandmates. After what he called the characteristic Irish response to a child's outsized ambitions — to pretend they don't exist — he called himself “blessed,” and added that “what was silence has been filled, mostly, with music.”

Bono opens book tour before adoring fans at Beacon Theatre

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two Belgian activists who targeted Johannes Vermeer's iconic “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting in a climate protest last week were sentenced Wednesday to two months in prison, with prosecutors saying their action “crossed a line” of acceptable protest.

Half of the sentence was suspended by a judge in The Hague, meaning the men will serve one month. A third suspect is due in court Friday. Their identities were not released, in line with Dutch privacy rules.

One man glued his head to glass protecting the 17th-century masterpiece at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague while another poured a can of thickened tomato soup over his head. The second man, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Just Stop Oil,” then glued his hand to the wall next to the painting. A third man filmed the protest.

The painting was not damaged, but the glass covering it had to be replaced and the protest caused other minor damage, prosecutors said. The painting was returned to its wall a day later.

Vermeer was not a prolific artist — taking a long time over every work — and just about three dozen of his paintings have survived, displayed in museums and galleries in various countries.

In a statement, prosecutors in The Hague said that the activists' "goal, however important you consider it, does not justify the means.”

The prosecutors had demanded four-month sentences, saying they wanted to send a message that “paintings hang in museums to be enjoyed, not exploited for activist ends. You keep your hands off them.”

Earlier this month, climate protesters threw mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in a German museum and a similar protest happened in London, where protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in the National Gallery. In both those cases, the paintings were not damaged.

Associated PressTHE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two Belgian activists who targeted Johannes Vermeer's iconic “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting in a climate protest last week were sentenced Wednesday to two months in prison, with prosecutors saying their action “crossed a line” of acceptable protest.Half of the sentence was suspended by a judge in The Hague, meaning the men will serve one month. A third suspect is due in court Friday. Their identities were not released, in line with Dutch privacy rules.One man glued his head to glass protecting the 17th-century masterpiece at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague while another poured a can of thickened tomato soup over his head. The second man, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Just Stop Oil,” then glued his hand to the wall next to the painting. A third man filmed the protest.The painting was not damaged, but the glass covering it had to be replaced and the protest caused other minor damage, prosecutors said. The painting was returned to its wall a day later.Vermeer was not a prolific artist — taking a long time over every work — and just about three dozen of his paintings have survived, displayed in museums and galleries in various countries.In a statement, prosecutors in The Hague said that the activists' "goal, however important you consider it, does not justify the means.”The prosecutors had demanded four-month sentences, saying they wanted to send a message that “paintings hang in museums to be enjoyed, not exploited for activist ends. You keep your hands off them.”Earlier this month, climate protesters threw mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in a German museum and a similar protest happened in London, where protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in the National Gallery. In both those cases, the paintings were not damaged.

Climate activists get a month in prison for Vermeer protest

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22GLENN%20GAMBOA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer</a>

Sara Campos remembers being inspired to start skateboarding after playing Tony Hawk videogames on the California family’s PlayStation 2.

Campos, 23, who uses they/them pronouns, never dreamed they would be part of Tony Hawk’s charitable work. But last month, Campos was selected for the first class in The Skatepark Project’s fellowship program. The program trains 12 diverse skateboarding enthusiasts in community organizing and project management to be able to build a skatepark in their neighborhoods. Not only does the program hope to create a new gathering place in minority communities. It also aims to support and train young minority leaders.

“It’s almost like a dream come true,” said Campos, who used to draw skatepark designs on printer paper to show their parents. “Getting to do that again, but for real this time, is one of those things you didn’t actually think would happen.”

It’s almost exactly what Hawk hoped for when he launched this initiative.

“With this program, we are engaging these kids — not only to advocate for a skatepark for their use but also to realize that their voices can matter, that they can effect change,” Hawk said. “If you’re a city looking for more projects that are inclusive, that are diverse, I think skateboarding is at the top of the list these days.”

Hawk, who won 73 championships by age 25 and was world champion of vert skating for 12 straight years in the 1980s and ’90s, noted that the sport has changed dramatically over the years. He no longer hears people shouting, “White boy sport,” at him while he’s on his board.

He now sees a wide array of races and genders when he visits skateparks. It’s a shift that he hopes to foster with his nonprofit work.

“My style was so mechanical that I became an outcast within the skate community, but I did find my own sense of identity and community at the skatepark,” Hawk said. “It’s an individual pursuit, but you are bolstered by the community around you. And then they support you in your endeavors.”

Neftalie Williams, a sociologist and expert on skateboarding culture as well as a provost postdoctoral scholar at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, said he is excited by the prospect of having skateparks built through the fellowship program.

“These young people care passionately about skateboarding and are now getting training to be able to carry out their mission and get the work done,” Williams said. “It’s not just getting the skatepark built or getting knowledge within these young people’s hands. They’re gonna have generational knowledge that’s going to passed down and there are very few things that allow that.”

The Skatepark Project – which began as the Tony Hawk Foundation in 2002, funded by Hawk’s $125,000 win on the celebrity edition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” – saw the fellowship as a response, of sorts, to the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Hawk said he believes the fellowship can help address racial inequality as well as provide opportunities for a new generation of minority leaders.

Williams, who is also on The Skatepark Project’s board of directors, recalled Hawk and his team saying: “How do we do more? There’s a racial reckoning that’s going on. There needs to be more representation (in skateboarding) for LGBTQ+ communities. There needs to be more work for Indigenous folks. How do you take this platform and really take it to the next level, really empower the next generation?”

Creating a new generation of skateboarding advocates who also understand the mechanics of community organizing is part of the answer.

Nicole Humphrey, program coordinator for the fellowship, wants each fellow to create a skatepark that reflects their community and its needs, while also being economically sustainable. But she also wants them to feel that they can apply what they learn in this fellowship to future projects beyond skateboarding, from building other public spaces in their communities to making their voices heard on issues that concern them.

“What I learned very early is there wasn’t a book or anything to reference,” said Humphrey, a community organizer who also co-founded the nonprofit Black Girls Skate, dedicated to supporting minority skateboarders. “There’s nothing like it. We’re really honestly building it from scratch, and it’s been fun. But I think my entry point was really just being in the organizing space.”

Though the Skatepark Project fellowships began only in September, Campos, a communications and digital marketing specialist at Utopia PDX, has already learned much about what they need to do to build a skatepark in Northeast Portland, one that can be “a space where once you show up, you just feel like you belong there.”

Campos also received plenty of information they can use for Queer Skate PDX, the nonprofit they co-founded to support women, LGBTQ+ and gender nonconforming people getting started in skateboarding by offering them needed equipment and sponsoring events to meet other skaters.

“As a person of color who lives in a state that is predominantly white, it makes it a little bit harder to find community groups that you can relate to,” said Campos, whose family is from Guam. “I had the idea of trying to prioritize and uplift all of these marginalized communities, as well as serving everyone as a whole.”

Campos said the fellowship has given them a deeper knowledge about the history of skateboarding as well as what the sport has done for them.

“Skating has brought me a group of friends and connections and community that I would not have if it wasn’t for skating,” Campos said, adding that they also met their partner, Rochelle, through the sport. “It’s taught me a lot in terms of falling down and getting back up. It’s taught me a lot about courage.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22GLENN%20GAMBOA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer</a>Sara Campos remembers being inspired to start skateboarding after playing Tony Hawk videogames on the California family’s PlayStation 2.Campos, 23, who uses they/them pronouns, never dreamed they would be part of Tony Hawk’s charitable work. But last month, Campos was selected for the first class in The Skatepark Project’s fellowship program. The program trains 12 diverse skateboarding enthusiasts in community organizing and project management to be able to build a skatepark in their neighborhoods. Not only does the program hope to create a new gathering place in minority communities. It also aims to support and train young minority leaders.“It’s almost like a dream come true,” said Campos, who used to draw skatepark designs on printer paper to show their parents. “Getting to do that again, but for real this time, is one of those things you didn’t actually think would happen.”It’s almost exactly what Hawk hoped for when he launched this initiative.“With this program, we are engaging these kids — not only to advocate for a skatepark for their use but also to realize that their voices can matter, that they can effect change,” Hawk said. “If you’re a city looking for more projects that are inclusive, that are diverse, I think skateboarding is at the top of the list these days.”Hawk, who won 73 championships by age 25 and was world champion of vert skating for 12 straight years in the 1980s and ’90s, noted that the sport has changed dramatically over the years. He no longer hears people shouting, “White boy sport,” at him while he’s on his board.He now sees a wide array of races and genders when he visits skateparks. It’s a shift that he hopes to foster with his nonprofit work.“My style was so mechanical that I became an outcast within the skate community, but I did find my own sense of identity and community at the skatepark,” Hawk said. “It’s an individual pursuit, but you are bolstered by the community around you. And then they support you in your endeavors.”Neftalie Williams, a sociologist and expert on skateboarding culture as well as a provost postdoctoral scholar at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, said he is excited by the prospect of having skateparks built through the fellowship program.“These young people care passionately about skateboarding and are now getting training to be able to carry out their mission and get the work done,” Williams said. “It’s not just getting the skatepark built or getting knowledge within these young people’s hands. They’re gonna have generational knowledge that’s going to passed down and there are very few things that allow that.”The Skatepark Project – which began as the Tony Hawk Foundation in 2002, funded by Hawk’s $125,000 win on the celebrity edition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” – saw the fellowship as a response, of sorts, to the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Hawk said he believes the fellowship can help address racial inequality as well as provide opportunities for a new generation of minority leaders.Williams, who is also on The Skatepark Project’s board of directors, recalled Hawk and his team saying: “How do we do more? There’s a racial reckoning that’s going on. There needs to be more representation (in skateboarding) for LGBTQ+ communities. There needs to be more work for Indigenous folks. How do you take this platform and really take it to the next level, really empower the next generation?”Creating a new generation of skateboarding advocates who also understand the mechanics of community organizing is part of the answer.Nicole Humphrey, program coordinator for the fellowship, wants each fellow to create a skatepark that reflects their community and its needs, while also being economically sustainable. But she also wants them to feel that they can apply what they learn in this fellowship to future projects beyond skateboarding, from building other public spaces in their communities to making their voices heard on issues that concern them.“What I learned very early is there wasn’t a book or anything to reference,” said Humphrey, a community organizer who also co-founded the nonprofit Black Girls Skate, dedicated to supporting minority skateboarders. “There’s nothing like it. We’re really honestly building it from scratch, and it’s been fun. But I think my entry point was really just being in the organizing space.”Though the Skatepark Project fellowships began only in September, Campos, a communications and digital marketing specialist at Utopia PDX, has already learned much about what they need to do to build a skatepark in Northeast Portland, one that can be “a space where once you show up, you just feel like you belong there.”Campos also received plenty of information they can use for Queer Skate PDX, the nonprofit they co-founded to support women, LGBTQ+ and gender nonconforming people getting started in skateboarding by offering them needed equipment and sponsoring events to meet other skaters.“As a person of color who lives in a state that is predominantly white, it makes it a little bit harder to find community groups that you can relate to,” said Campos, whose family is from Guam. “I had the idea of trying to prioritize and uplift all of these marginalized communities, as well as serving everyone as a whole.”Campos said the fellowship has given them a deeper knowledge about the history of skateboarding as well as what the sport has done for them.“Skating has brought me a group of friends and connections and community that I would not have if it wasn’t for skating,” Campos said, adding that they also met their partner, Rochelle, through the sport. “It’s taught me a lot in terms of falling down and getting back up. It’s taught me a lot about courage.”

Tony Hawk uses skateboarding to teach community organizing

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Is Fleetwood Mac's landmark album “Rumours” better than “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar? Should “Tapestry” by Carole King be ranked higher or lower than “Thriller” by Michael Jackson?

Rolling Stone magazine has some answers in a new book that's sure to spark conversations —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/rolling-stone_9781419758775/">“The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”</a>&nbsp;It's where you'll find that Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run” fittingly sits just ahead of “Ready to Die” by The Notorious B.I.G., at No. 21 and No. 22, respectively.

"Every record on here is in some ways on for different reasons," said Jon Dolan, the reviews editor at Rolling Stone who helped create the book. “We are really happy, to be honest, about the whole list.”

But if you disagree with the rankings, don't blame the folks at Rolling Stone. Blame Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Iggy Pop. Nile Rodgers, Questlove, Billie Eilish, Herbie Hancock, Saweetie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lin-Manuel Miranda and members of Metallica and U2, among dozens of other artists. They were among the judges.

The book's editors reached out to about 500 voters from the world of music — artists, journalists, record label figures and Rolling Stone staffers — and asked for their top 50 albums (Stevie Nicks kindly offered 80). They got some 4,000 albums and created a spreadsheet with weighed points.

On every page, the artists make a fascinating musical tapestry. Take a section in the lower Top 100 — at No. 86 is The Doors' self-titled debut, followed by “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis, “Hunky Dory” by David Bowie and, at No. 89, is “Baduizm” by Erykah Badu, connecting gems of classic rock, jazz, prog-rock and R&amp;B.

“Is there a person who loves all those things equally? Probably not. But we hope there’s people who could definitely want to try them all out and see what they think,” Dolan said. “That’s the goal: making connections and being introduced to new things.”

Dolan was impressed by some established artists embracing modern music, like John Cale of the Velvet Underground championing FKA Twigs and Nicks ranking Harry Styles' “Fine Line” quite high.

“It’s sweet when these people who have been around are not just pooh-poohing the younger generation,” he said. “It’s neat when people are voting for things outside of their genre and what you’d expect.”

The book's origins started in 2003 when the magazine published its first 500 list, putting The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at No. 1. It was a pretty Beatles-heavy list, with three more Fab Four albums making the top 10.

“It had kind of the perspective of a 45-year-old male rock fan who was open minded, who liked rap a little bit, but kind of patting it on the head, and liked R&amp;B, but was kind of dismissive of the more recent stuff,” he said.

“We really wanted to break away from that perspective and think the list could actually have many perspectives converging.”

Joni Mitchell's “Blue” shot up on the new list, going from No. 30 in 2003 to the top 10 now, and Prince and the Revolution's “Purple Rain” went from No. 76 to No. 8. Another big gainer was Lauryn Hill's “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” which zoomed up from the 300s in 2003 to Top 10 now.

“Certain albums become kind of new classics,” said Dolan. “It is something that’s kind of evolving and up for grabs. And we wanted to kind of at least imply that in doing this one.”

The new list is more inclusive of genres other than rock and so pushed some iconic albums down, like AC/DC’s “Back in Black” which went from No. 77 to No. 84, now nestled between “Dusty in Memphis” by Dusty Springfield and John Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band.” (“I’m pretty sure they would accept that company,” Dolan said.)

Some artists' catalogues have also shifted. Bob Dylan's “Blood on the Tracks” leapfrogged his "Blonde on Blonde" and “Highway 61 Revisited” this time, and the Beatles' “Abbey Road” became their top album in the book, over “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver.”

“The warmth and the beauty and the sweetness of ‘Abbey Road’ maybe in a way wins out over this sort of landmark sonic inventiveness of ‘Revolver’ because people love to listen to it.”

There's been some online griping about the list, like that only “The Stranger” from Billy Joel made the list and no entries from non-Western artists, Fans of U2 might be mad that “The Joshua Tree” dropped out of the Top 100 and fans of electronic music might bemoan that there are only eight electronic albums.

But Rolling Stone says the list is a snapshot as music marches onward. While the albums were being tabulated this time, Taylor Swift’s “folklore” and Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” came out, and Dolan suspects both might have made the book if they’d only come out earlier.

“Because the list is so stylistically diverse and open-ended, I think we’re kind of implying that it’s always a work in progress,” he said. “In 20 years, Rolling Stone, whatever entity it is, will do this again at some point.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Is Fleetwood Mac's landmark album “Rumours” better than “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar? Should “Tapestry” by Carole King be ranked higher or lower than “Thriller” by Michael Jackson?Rolling Stone magazine has some answers in a new book that's sure to spark conversations —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/rolling-stone_9781419758775/">“The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”</a>&nbsp;It's where you'll find that Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run” fittingly sits just ahead of “Ready to Die” by The Notorious B.I.G., at No. 21 and No. 22, respectively."Every record on here is in some ways on for different reasons," said Jon Dolan, the reviews editor at Rolling Stone who helped create the book. “We are really happy, to be honest, about the whole list.”But if you disagree with the rankings, don't blame the folks at Rolling Stone. Blame Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Iggy Pop. Nile Rodgers, Questlove, Billie Eilish, Herbie Hancock, Saweetie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lin-Manuel Miranda and members of Metallica and U2, among dozens of other artists. They were among the judges.The book's editors reached out to about 500 voters from the world of music — artists, journalists, record label figures and Rolling Stone staffers — and asked for their top 50 albums (Stevie Nicks kindly offered 80). They got some 4,000 albums and created a spreadsheet with weighed points.On every page, the artists make a fascinating musical tapestry. Take a section in the lower Top 100 — at No. 86 is The Doors' self-titled debut, followed by “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis, “Hunky Dory” by David Bowie and, at No. 89, is “Baduizm” by Erykah Badu, connecting gems of classic rock, jazz, prog-rock and R&amp;B.“Is there a person who loves all those things equally? Probably not. But we hope there’s people who could definitely want to try them all out and see what they think,” Dolan said. “That’s the goal: making connections and being introduced to new things.”Dolan was impressed by some established artists embracing modern music, like John Cale of the Velvet Underground championing FKA Twigs and Nicks ranking Harry Styles' “Fine Line” quite high.“It’s sweet when these people who have been around are not just pooh-poohing the younger generation,” he said. “It’s neat when people are voting for things outside of their genre and what you’d expect.”The book's origins started in 2003 when the magazine published its first 500 list, putting The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at No. 1. It was a pretty Beatles-heavy list, with three more Fab Four albums making the top 10.“It had kind of the perspective of a 45-year-old male rock fan who was open minded, who liked rap a little bit, but kind of patting it on the head, and liked R&amp;B, but was kind of dismissive of the more recent stuff,” he said.“We really wanted to break away from that perspective and think the list could actually have many perspectives converging.”Joni Mitchell's “Blue” shot up on the new list, going from No. 30 in 2003 to the top 10 now, and Prince and the Revolution's “Purple Rain” went from No. 76 to No. 8. Another big gainer was Lauryn Hill's “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” which zoomed up from the 300s in 2003 to Top 10 now.“Certain albums become kind of new classics,” said Dolan. “It is something that’s kind of evolving and up for grabs. And we wanted to kind of at least imply that in doing this one.”The new list is more inclusive of genres other than rock and so pushed some iconic albums down, like AC/DC’s “Back in Black” which went from No. 77 to No. 84, now nestled between “Dusty in Memphis” by Dusty Springfield and John Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band.” (“I’m pretty sure they would accept that company,” Dolan said.)Some artists' catalogues have also shifted. Bob Dylan's “Blood on the Tracks” leapfrogged his "Blonde on Blonde" and “Highway 61 Revisited” this time, and the Beatles' “Abbey Road” became their top album in the book, over “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver.”“The warmth and the beauty and the sweetness of ‘Abbey Road’ maybe in a way wins out over this sort of landmark sonic inventiveness of ‘Revolver’ because people love to listen to it.”There's been some online griping about the list, like that only “The Stranger” from Billy Joel made the list and no entries from non-Western artists, Fans of U2 might be mad that “The Joshua Tree” dropped out of the Top 100 and fans of electronic music might bemoan that there are only eight electronic albums.But Rolling Stone says the list is a snapshot as music marches onward. While the albums were being tabulated this time, Taylor Swift’s “folklore” and Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” came out, and Dolan suspects both might have made the book if they’d only come out earlier.“Because the list is so stylistically diverse and open-ended, I think we’re kind of implying that it’s always a work in progress,” he said. “In 20 years, Rolling Stone, whatever entity it is, will do this again at some point.”

What are the 500 best albums? Rolling Stone has an answer

By MARK KENNEDY Associated Press

NEW YORK — Is Fleetwood Mac's landmark album “Rumours” better 
than “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar? Should “Tapestry” by 
Carole King be ranked higher or lower than “Thriller” by Michael 
Jackson?

Rolling Stone magazine has some answers in a new book that's sure to spark conversations — <a href="https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/rolling-stone_9781419758775/">“The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”</a>
 It's where you'll find that Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run” fittingly
 sits just ahead of “Ready to Die” by The Notorious B.I.G., at No. 21 
and No. 22, respectively.

"Every record on here is in some ways on
 for different reasons," said Jon Dolan, the reviews editor at Rolling 
Stone who helped create the book. “We are really happy, to be honest, 
about the whole list.”

But if you disagree with the rankings, 
don't blame the folks at Rolling Stone. Blame Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, 
Iggy Pop. Nile Rodgers, Questlove, Billie Eilish, Herbie Hancock, 
Saweetie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lin-Manuel Miranda and members of Metallica 
and U2, among dozens of other artists. They were among the judges.

The
 book's editors reached out to about 500 voters from the world of music —
 artists, journalists, record label figures and Rolling Stone staffers —
 and asked for their top 50 albums (Stevie Nicks kindly offered 80). 
They got some 4,000 albums and created a spreadsheet with weighed 
points.

On every page, the artists make a fascinating musical 
tapestry. Take a section in the lower Top 100 — at No. 86 is The Doors' 
self-titled debut, followed by “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis, “Hunky 
Dory” by David Bowie and, at No. 89, is “Baduizm” by Erykah Badu, 
connecting gems of classic rock, jazz, prog-rock and R&amp;B.

“Is 
there a person who loves all those things equally? Probably not. But we 
hope there’s people who could definitely want to try them all out and 
see what they think,” Dolan said. “That’s the goal: making connections 
and being introduced to new things.”

Dolan was impressed by some 
established artists embracing modern music, like John Cale of the Velvet
 Underground championing FKA Twigs and Nicks ranking Harry Styles' “Fine
 Line” quite high.

“It’s sweet when these people who have been 
around are not just pooh-poohing the younger generation,” he said. “It’s
 neat when people are voting for things outside of their genre and what 
you’d expect.”

The book's origins started in 2003 when the 
magazine published its first 500 list, putting The Beatles “Sgt. 
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at No. 1. It was a pretty 
Beatles-heavy list, with three more Fab Four albums making the top 10.

“It
 had kind of the perspective of a 45-year-old male rock fan who was open
 minded, who liked rap a little bit, but kind of patting it on the head,
 and liked R&amp;B, but was kind of dismissive of the more recent 
stuff,” he said.

Joni
 Mitchell's “Blue” shot up on the new list, going from No. 30 in 2003 to
 the top 10 now, and Prince and the Revolution's “Purple Rain” went from
 No. 76 to No. 8. Another big gainer was Lauryn Hill's “The Miseducation
 of Lauryn Hill,” which zoomed up from the 300s in 2003 to Top 10 now.

“Certain
 albums become kind of new classics,” said Dolan. “It is something 
that’s kind of evolving and up for grabs. And we wanted to kind of at 
least imply that in doing this one.”

The new list is more 
inclusive of genres other than rock and so pushed some iconic albums 
down, like AC/DC’s “Back in Black” which went from No. 77 to No. 84, now
 nestled between “Dusty in Memphis” by Dusty Springfield and John 
Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band.” (“I’m pretty sure they would accept that 
company,” Dolan said.)

Some artists' catalogues have also shifted.
 Bob Dylan's “Blood on the Tracks” leapfrogged his "Blonde on Blonde" 
and “Highway 61 Revisited” this time, and the Beatles' “Abbey Road” 
became their top album in the book, over “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts 
Club Band,” “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver.”

“The warmth and the 
beauty and the sweetness of ‘Abbey Road’ maybe in a way wins out over 
this sort of landmark sonic inventiveness of ‘Revolver’ because people 
love to listen to it.”

There's been some online griping about the 
list, like that only “The Stranger” from Billy Joel made the list and no
 entries from non-Western artists, Fans of U2 might be mad that “The 
Joshua Tree” dropped out of the Top 100 and fans of electronic music 
might bemoan that there are only eight electronic albums.

But 
Rolling Stone says the list is a snapshot as music marches onward. While
 the albums were being tabulated this time, Taylor Swift’s “folklore” 
and Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” came out, and Dolan suspects both
 might have made the book if they’d only come out earlier.

“Because
 the list is so stylistically diverse and open-ended, I think we’re kind
 of implying that it’s always a work in progress,” he said. “In 20 
years, Rolling Stone, whatever entity it is, will do this again at some 
point.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667407479905.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK KENNEDY Associated PressNEW YORK — Is Fleetwood Mac's landmark album “Rumours” better 
than “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar? Should “Tapestry” by 
Carole King be ranked higher or lower than “Thriller” by Michael 
Jackson?Rolling Stone magazine has some answers in a new book that's sure to spark conversations — <a href="https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/rolling-stone_9781419758775/">“The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”</a>
 It's where you'll find that Bruce Springsteen's “Born to Run” fittingly
 sits just ahead of “Ready to Die” by The Notorious B.I.G., at No. 21 
and No. 22, respectively."Every record on here is in some ways on
 for different reasons," said Jon Dolan, the reviews editor at Rolling 
Stone who helped create the book. “We are really happy, to be honest, 
about the whole list.”But if you disagree with the rankings, 
don't blame the folks at Rolling Stone. Blame Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, 
Iggy Pop. Nile Rodgers, Questlove, Billie Eilish, Herbie Hancock, 
Saweetie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lin-Manuel Miranda and members of Metallica 
and U2, among dozens of other artists. They were among the judges.The
 book's editors reached out to about 500 voters from the world of music —
 artists, journalists, record label figures and Rolling Stone staffers —
 and asked for their top 50 albums (Stevie Nicks kindly offered 80). 
They got some 4,000 albums and created a spreadsheet with weighed 
points.On every page, the artists make a fascinating musical 
tapestry. Take a section in the lower Top 100 — at No. 86 is The Doors' 
self-titled debut, followed by “Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis, “Hunky 
Dory” by David Bowie and, at No. 89, is “Baduizm” by Erykah Badu, 
connecting gems of classic rock, jazz, prog-rock and R&amp;B.“Is 
there a person who loves all those things equally? Probably not. But we 
hope there’s people who could definitely want to try them all out and 
see what they think,” Dolan said. “That’s the goal: making connections 
and being introduced to new things.”Dolan was impressed by some 
established artists embracing modern music, like John Cale of the Velvet
 Underground championing FKA Twigs and Nicks ranking Harry Styles' “Fine
 Line” quite high.“It’s sweet when these people who have been 
around are not just pooh-poohing the younger generation,” he said. “It’s
 neat when people are voting for things outside of their genre and what 
you’d expect.”The book's origins started in 2003 when the 
magazine published its first 500 list, putting The Beatles “Sgt. 
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at No. 1. It was a pretty 
Beatles-heavy list, with three more Fab Four albums making the top 10.“It
 had kind of the perspective of a 45-year-old male rock fan who was open
 minded, who liked rap a little bit, but kind of patting it on the head,
 and liked R&amp;B, but was kind of dismissive of the more recent 
stuff,” he said.“We really wanted to break away from that perspective and think the list could actually have many perspectives converging.”Joni
 Mitchell's “Blue” shot up on the new list, going from No. 30 in 2003 to
 the top 10 now, and Prince and the Revolution's “Purple Rain” went from
 No. 76 to No. 8. Another big gainer was Lauryn Hill's “The Miseducation
 of Lauryn Hill,” which zoomed up from the 300s in 2003 to Top 10 now.“Certain
 albums become kind of new classics,” said Dolan. “It is something 
that’s kind of evolving and up for grabs. And we wanted to kind of at 
least imply that in doing this one.”The new list is more 
inclusive of genres other than rock and so pushed some iconic albums 
down, like AC/DC’s “Back in Black” which went from No. 77 to No. 84, now
 nestled between “Dusty in Memphis” by Dusty Springfield and John 
Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band.” (“I’m pretty sure they would accept that 
company,” Dolan said.)Some artists' catalogues have also shifted.
 Bob Dylan's “Blood on the Tracks” leapfrogged his "Blonde on Blonde" 
and “Highway 61 Revisited” this time, and the Beatles' “Abbey Road” 
became their top album in the book, over “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts 
Club Band,” “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver.”“The warmth and the 
beauty and the sweetness of ‘Abbey Road’ maybe in a way wins out over 
this sort of landmark sonic inventiveness of ‘Revolver’ because people 
love to listen to it.”There's been some online griping about the 
list, like that only “The Stranger” from Billy Joel made the list and no
 entries from non-Western artists, Fans of U2 might be mad that “The 
Joshua Tree” dropped out of the Top 100 and fans of electronic music 
might bemoan that there are only eight electronic albums.But 
Rolling Stone says the list is a snapshot as music marches onward. While
 the albums were being tabulated this time, Taylor Swift’s “folklore” 
and Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” came out, and Dolan suspects both
 might have made the book if they’d only come out earlier.“Because
 the list is so stylistically diverse and open-ended, I think we’re kind
 of implying that it’s always a work in progress,” he said. “In 20 
years, Rolling Stone, whatever entity it is, will do this again at some 
point.”

On this week's Tiger Talk, Voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock speaks with Fort Hays State University Head Football Coach Chris Brown about the latest in FHSU Football.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xbWbnMu8LMA"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On this week's Tiger Talk, Voice of the Tigers Gerard Wellbrock speaks with Fort Hays State University Head Football Coach Chris Brown about the latest in FHSU Football.

🎥🏈 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

When Larned's Rob Munden is not playing pickleball, he's still thinking about pickleball. Now four-plus years of labor are paying off with Munden's first novel, "Peanut Butter Pickleball and Murder." The established playwright has a logical reason for writing the book.

"The reason I decided to write my first novel is I went on Amazon to look for a novel about pickleball, and I couldn't find one," he said. "I said, ah heck, I'll just write my own. I thought if I can't find a pickleball novel, I'll just write the pickleball novel."

Munden graduated from Hoisington High School, Barton Community College, and Fort Hays State University before settling back in the area in Larned. More than 30 of his plays have been produced or had special readings throughout Kansas, Minnesota, and Florida. Writing a novel, he said, is quite different than writing a play.

"The biggest difference is, with a play, I'm really limited to what I can do on a stage," said Munden. "So what people can see on the stage, and the number of characters, obviously, is limited to what can be put on a stage. Whereas a novel is so expansive, I can put as many characters and people, any place in the world. That's the biggest difference. I thought it would make it easier, but it actually makes it harder. You have a lot more people and places to keep track of during the book."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667302003951.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostWhen Larned's Rob Munden is not playing pickleball, he's still thinking about pickleball. Now four-plus years of labor are paying off with Munden's first novel, "Peanut Butter Pickleball and Murder." The established playwright has a logical reason for writing the book."The reason I decided to write my first novel is I went on Amazon to look for a novel about pickleball, and I couldn't find one," he said. "I said, ah heck, I'll just write my own. I thought if I can't find a pickleball novel, I'll just write the pickleball novel."Munden graduated from Hoisington High School, Barton Community College, and Fort Hays State University before settling back in the area in Larned. More than 30 of his plays have been produced or had special readings throughout Kansas, Minnesota, and Florida. Writing a novel, he said, is quite different than writing a play."The biggest difference is, with a play, I'm really limited to what I can do on a stage," said Munden. "So what people can see on the stage, and the number of characters, obviously, is limited to what can be put on a stage. Whereas a novel is so expansive, I can put as many characters and people, any place in the world. That's the biggest difference. I thought it would make it easier, but it actually makes it harder. You have a lot more people and places to keep track of during the book."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667302091389.jpeg" alt="munden2.jpg" />
 <figcaption>munden2.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

Area playwright promotes pickleball in his debut novel

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">The Associated Press</a>

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Taylor Swift scored a 10 out of 10 as she became the first artist in history to claim the top 10 slots of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with tracks from her new record “Midnights."

<a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-all-hot-100-top-10-anti-hero-1235163664/">Billboard reported Monday</a>&nbsp;that Swift surpassed Drake, who had held the previous record with nine of the top 10 songs for a week in September 2021.

“10 out of 10 of the Hot 100??? On my 10th album??? I AM IN SHAMBLES,” the pop star&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1587140950186512386">tweeted Monday.</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-review-45cf7eca3326d784829b405deb48310f">The new album</a>&nbsp;came out Oct. 21 with both a 13-track standard release and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-music-video-5c11d7d0e9cbb17ccc9a120c4a3882f6">a deluxe version</a>&nbsp;with another seven bonus tracks. It has had one of the biggest album launches in nearly seven years. Billboard also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-midnights-debut-number-one-billboard-200-albums-chart-1235163377/">reported that Swift now ties with Barbra Streisand</a>&nbsp;for the female artist with the most No. 1 albums.

The No. 1 spot belongs to “Anti-Hero,” whose lyrics “It's me/hi/I'm the problem/It's me” have quickly become a TikTok trend. The other top 10 songs include “Lavender Haze,” “Maroon,” “Snow on the Beach,” “Midnight Rain,” “Bejeweled" and ”Question...?"

The numbers are for the week Oct. 21-Oct. 27.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22The%20Associated%20Press%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">The Associated Press</a>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Taylor Swift scored a 10 out of 10 as she became the first artist in history to claim the top 10 slots of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with tracks from her new record “Midnights."<a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-all-hot-100-top-10-anti-hero-1235163664/">Billboard reported Monday</a>&nbsp;that Swift surpassed Drake, who had held the previous record with nine of the top 10 songs for a week in September 2021.“10 out of 10 of the Hot 100??? On my 10th album??? I AM IN SHAMBLES,” the pop star&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1587140950186512386">tweeted Monday.</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-review-45cf7eca3326d784829b405deb48310f">The new album</a>&nbsp;came out Oct. 21 with both a 13-track standard release and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-midnights-music-video-5c11d7d0e9cbb17ccc9a120c4a3882f6">a deluxe version</a>&nbsp;with another seven bonus tracks. It has had one of the biggest album launches in nearly seven years. Billboard also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-midnights-debut-number-one-billboard-200-albums-chart-1235163377/">reported that Swift now ties with Barbra Streisand</a>&nbsp;for the female artist with the most No. 1 albums.The No. 1 spot belongs to “Anti-Hero,” whose lyrics “It's me/hi/I'm the problem/It's me” have quickly become a TikTok trend. The other top 10 songs include “Lavender Haze,” “Maroon,” “Snow on the Beach,” “Midnight Rain,” “Bejeweled" and ”Question...?"The numbers are for the week Oct. 21-Oct. 27.

Perfect 10: Taylor Swift sets Billboard Hot 100 first

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667239134500.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

By LINUS OWENS <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-halloween-become-so-popular-among-adults-104896">The Conversation</a>

Halloween used to be kid stuff. To quit dressing up was an important 
rite of passage. It meant you were one step closer to becoming an adult.
 

Not anymore. Today adults have become avid Halloween revelers, <a href="https://nrf.com/blog/the-evolution-of-halloween-3-trends-watch">especially young adults</a>.

By 2005, just over half of adults celebrated Halloween. Today, that number has grown to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/24/halloween-adults-costumes-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark/1593177/">over 70 percent</a>. Those between 18 and 34 years old participate at the highest rate, and they’re also the holiday’s biggest spenders, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/how-much-more-millennials-will-spend-on-halloween-than-generation-x.html">shelling out over twice as much</a> on their costumes as older adults and children.

Halloween celebrations have changed, too: less trick-or-treating and more parties and bar hopping. Today, <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/halloween-drinking-holiday/">alcohol is as important as candy</a> to the Halloween economy.

Some blame it on <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/10/28/halloween-used-to-be-for-kids-now-its-for-sad-millennials/">millennials’ refusal to grow up</a> and enter the “real world.”

But that’s too simplistic of an explanation. I’ve been studying how 
young adults are celebrating Halloween, and what sort of relationship 
this might have to the changing norms and expectations of adulthood. 

Young adults’ embrace of Halloween could have something to do with the fact that adulthood itself has changed. 

If Halloween has become more popular among adults, it’s because 
traditional markers of adulthood have become less clear and less 
attainable. 

Sociologists tell us if you want to understand a culture, <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814722275/">look at its holidays</a>.
 Christmas gift-giving rituals shed light on how we manage social 
relationships. Thanksgiving feasts depend on shared understandings of 
family and national origin stories.

Halloween, with its emphasis on identity, horror and transgression, 
can tell us about who we want to be and what we fear becoming. 

Historian Nicholas Rogers <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/halloween-9780195168969?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">has argued</a> that many of the trends and rituals of the holiday are actually tied to conflicting social values.

For example, urban legends about <a href="https://www.history.com/news/how-americans-became-convinced-their-halloween-candy-was-poisoned">razor blades in apples</a>
 in the 1970s reflected cultural anxieties about loss of community and 
fear of strangers. More recently, debates about skimpy costumes tap into
 broader concerns about <a href="https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/your-daughter-wants-a-sexy-halloween-costume-why-and-how-you-should-say-yes/">young girls growing up too quickly</a>.

Halloween has also been a holiday embraced by those who were not full
 members of society. More than a century ago, Irish immigrants, <a href="http://www.anthropologyinpractice.com/2009/10/from-melting-pot-to-salad-halloween.html">who brought their Halloween traditions with them to America</a>, used the celebration to strengthen community ties.

Initially, their Halloween traditions set them apart. But as they 
assimilated, they spread the holiday to the rest of the country. By the 
1950s, it had become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/how-candy-and-halloween-became-best-friends/64895/">a night for children</a>. Later, <a href="https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/staff-editorials/10658/halloween-gay-history/">gays and lesbians</a> carved out Halloween as a space where their differences could be celebrated not stigmatized.

The ‘emerging adult’ and the space between

Today’s young adults, it could be argued, are living in a sort of purgatory.

Traditional markers of adult responsibility and independence – family, career, home ownership – <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-samuelson-millennials-jobs-adulthood-perspec-0427-jm-20170426-story.html">have either been delayed</a> or abandoned altogether, by choice or necessity. Transitions to adulthood have become uncertain, drawn out and complicated.

In recent years, psychologists and sociologists have coined a term 
for this transitional life stage, which usually spans someone’s 20s and 
30s: “<a href="http://jeffreyarnett.com/articles/EABOOK2004ch1.pdf">emerging adulthood</a>.”

According to these experts, features of emerging adulthood can 
include identity exploration, focus on the self and a feeling of being 
caught between two worlds. There’s also a sense of wonder and 
possibility.

Others have <a href="http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931460.001.0001/acprof-9780199931460">a less rosy view</a> of emerging adulthood, describing it as a time of fear and anxiety about an unknowable future.

So why might an emerging adult be drawn to Halloween?

Most obviously, Halloween costumes let them experiment and explore self and identity. The possibilities are endless. <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/125161/best-witch-costumes">Witch</a>? <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Robot-Costumes">Robot couple</a>? <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/523613894157925537">Sexy Robot</a>? <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g23082871/emoji-halloween-costumes-ideas">Emoji</a>? <a href="https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/banksys-shredded-painting-becomes-years-trendiest-cheap-halloween-costume-37453840.html">Banksy’s shredded art</a>?

Young adults I’ve spoken with often identify this as their favorite 
part of the holiday – the chance to be, at least for a night, whatever 
they wish to be.

Costumes are identity work, but they are also just plain work. That matters in a world in which many young adults <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qbv5a7/its-not-just-you-most-millennials-are-bored-at-work">are stuck in unfulfilling jobs</a>.

Cultural critic <a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/malcolm-harris/kids-these-days/9781478992332/">Malcolm Harris</a>
 argues that young adults – despite being highly educated and 
hardworking compared to older cohorts – rarely find jobs matching their 
credentials and abilities.

During Halloween, hard work and creative thinking matter. For example, costume contests, in bars or <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/793trm/2017_wreddit_halloween_costume_contest_megathread/">online</a>,
 provide opportunities for people to construct costumes that meld 
humorous or timely cultural references with craft skills. You can do 
more than simply participate in Halloween; you can “<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/viral-halloween-costumes-2017-11">win it</a>” with the best costume.

And young adults don’t do it alone. Some have told me that they’ll 
test out different costumes on social media to see which gets the best 
response. Others will look to others online for inspiration.

In this way, Halloween meshes with modern networked culture, in which
 young adults are using social media to navigate the world and make 
choices. Sociologists have found that many young adults build “<a href="http://alonetogetherbook.com/">collaborative selves</a>” by continuously looking to others online to reinforce and evaluate their identities.

Halloween has always promised the chance to be creative and to become something else. 

But in embracing the holiday, emerging adults are doing more than 
reject traditional adulthood. They’re playing with identity in a way 
that puts their skills and cultural competence to work. They’re defining
 new ways to be – and become – an adult. And in the process, they’ve 
changed the way Halloween is celebrated.

Linus Owens is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Middlebury College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667236094413.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINUS OWENS <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-halloween-become-so-popular-among-adults-104896">The Conversation</a>Halloween used to be kid stuff. To quit dressing up was an important 
rite of passage. It meant you were one step closer to becoming an adult.
 Not anymore. Today adults have become avid Halloween revelers, <a href="https://nrf.com/blog/the-evolution-of-halloween-3-trends-watch">especially young adults</a>.By 2005, just over half of adults celebrated Halloween. Today, that number has grown to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/24/halloween-adults-costumes-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark/1593177/">over 70 percent</a>. Those between 18 and 34 years old participate at the highest rate, and they’re also the holiday’s biggest spenders, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/how-much-more-millennials-will-spend-on-halloween-than-generation-x.html">shelling out over twice as much</a> on their costumes as older adults and children. Halloween celebrations have changed, too: less trick-or-treating and more parties and bar hopping. Today, <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/halloween-drinking-holiday/">alcohol is as important as candy</a> to the Halloween economy.Why has this been happening?Some blame it on <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/10/28/halloween-used-to-be-for-kids-now-its-for-sad-millennials/">millennials’ refusal to grow up</a> and enter the “real world.”But that’s too simplistic of an explanation. I’ve been studying how 
young adults are celebrating Halloween, and what sort of relationship 
this might have to the changing norms and expectations of adulthood. Young adults’ embrace of Halloween could have something to do with the fact that adulthood itself has changed. If Halloween has become more popular among adults, it’s because 
traditional markers of adulthood have become less clear and less 
attainable. <h2>Halloween’s shifting meaning</h2>Sociologists tell us if you want to understand a culture, <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814722275/">look at its holidays</a>.
 Christmas gift-giving rituals shed light on how we manage social 
relationships. Thanksgiving feasts depend on shared understandings of 
family and national origin stories. Halloween, with its emphasis on identity, horror and transgression, 
can tell us about who we want to be and what we fear becoming. Historian Nicholas Rogers <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/halloween-9780195168969?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">has argued</a> that many of the trends and rituals of the holiday are actually tied to conflicting social values. For example, urban legends about <a href="https://www.history.com/news/how-americans-became-convinced-their-halloween-candy-was-poisoned">razor blades in apples</a>
 in the 1970s reflected cultural anxieties about loss of community and 
fear of strangers. More recently, debates about skimpy costumes tap into
 broader concerns about <a href="https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/your-daughter-wants-a-sexy-halloween-costume-why-and-how-you-should-say-yes/">young girls growing up too quickly</a>.Halloween has also been a holiday embraced by those who were not full
 members of society. More than a century ago, Irish immigrants, <a href="http://www.anthropologyinpractice.com/2009/10/from-melting-pot-to-salad-halloween.html">who brought their Halloween traditions with them to America</a>, used the celebration to strengthen community ties. Initially, their Halloween traditions set them apart. But as they 
assimilated, they spread the holiday to the rest of the country. By the 
1950s, it had become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/how-candy-and-halloween-became-best-friends/64895/">a night for children</a>. Later, <a href="https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/staff-editorials/10658/halloween-gay-history/">gays and lesbians</a> carved out Halloween as a space where their differences could be celebrated not stigmatized. <h2>The ‘emerging adult’ and the space between</h2>Today’s young adults, it could be argued, are living in a sort of purgatory.Traditional markers of adult responsibility and independence – family, career, home ownership – <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-samuelson-millennials-jobs-adulthood-perspec-0427-jm-20170426-story.html">have either been delayed</a> or abandoned altogether, by choice or necessity. Transitions to adulthood have become uncertain, drawn out and complicated. In recent years, psychologists and sociologists have coined a term 
for this transitional life stage, which usually spans someone’s 20s and 
30s: “<a href="http://jeffreyarnett.com/articles/EABOOK2004ch1.pdf">emerging adulthood</a>.”According to these experts, features of emerging adulthood can 
include identity exploration, focus on the self and a feeling of being 
caught between two worlds. There’s also a sense of wonder and 
possibility.Others have <a href="http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931460.001.0001/acprof-9780199931460">a less rosy view</a> of emerging adulthood, describing it as a time of fear and anxiety about an unknowable future. <h2>Millennial monsters</h2>So why might an emerging adult be drawn to Halloween?Most obviously, Halloween costumes let them experiment and explore self and identity. The possibilities are endless. <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/125161/best-witch-costumes">Witch</a>? <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Robot-Costumes">Robot couple</a>? <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/523613894157925537">Sexy Robot</a>? <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g23082871/emoji-halloween-costumes-ideas">Emoji</a>? <a href="https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/banksys-shredded-painting-becomes-years-trendiest-cheap-halloween-costume-37453840.html">Banksy’s shredded art</a>? Young adults I’ve spoken with often identify this as their favorite 
part of the holiday – the chance to be, at least for a night, whatever 
they wish to be.Costumes are identity work, but they are also just plain work. That matters in a world in which many young adults <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qbv5a7/its-not-just-you-most-millennials-are-bored-at-work">are stuck in unfulfilling jobs</a>. Cultural critic <a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/malcolm-harris/kids-these-days/9781478992332/">Malcolm Harris</a>
 argues that young adults – despite being highly educated and 
hardworking compared to older cohorts – rarely find jobs matching their 
credentials and abilities. During Halloween, hard work and creative thinking matter. For example, costume contests, in bars or <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/793trm/2017_wreddit_halloween_costume_contest_megathread/">online</a>,
 provide opportunities for people to construct costumes that meld 
humorous or timely cultural references with craft skills. You can do 
more than simply participate in Halloween; you can “<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/viral-halloween-costumes-2017-11">win it</a>” with the best costume.And young adults don’t do it alone. Some have told me that they’ll 
test out different costumes on social media to see which gets the best 
response. Others will look to others online for inspiration.In this way, Halloween meshes with modern networked culture, in which
 young adults are using social media to navigate the world and make 
choices. Sociologists have found that many young adults build “<a href="http://alonetogetherbook.com/">collaborative selves</a>” by continuously looking to others online to reinforce and evaluate their identities. Halloween has always promised the chance to be creative and to become something else. But in embracing the holiday, emerging adults are doing more than 
reject traditional adulthood. They’re playing with identity in a way 
that puts their skills and cultural competence to work. They’re defining
 new ways to be – and become – an adult. And in the process, they’ve 
changed the way Halloween is celebrated.Linus Owens is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Middlebury College.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104896/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Why has Halloween become so popular among adults?

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JEFF%20McMILLAN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JEFF McMILLAN Associated Press</a>

Lately, drag has been dragged through the mud.

The art form has been cast in a false light in recent months by right-wing activists and politicians who complain about the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children. Opponents often coordinate protests at drag events that feature or cater to children, sometimes showing up with guns. Some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105544325/drag-shows-children">politicians have proposed</a>&nbsp;banning children from drag events and even criminally charging parents who take their kids to one.

Performers and organizers of events, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drag-story-hour-hosts-e1ad3ff0dd73e2e66d98190d00568a1e">story hours</a>&nbsp;in which colorfully clad drag queens read books to children, say the protesters are the ones terrorizing and harming children and making them political pawns — just as they've done in other campaigns around bathroom access and educational materials.

The recent headlines about disruptions of drag events and their portrayal as sexual and harmful to children can obscure the art form and its rich history.

Drag is the art of dressing and acting exaggeratedly as another gender, usually for entertainment such as comedy, singing, dancing, lip-syncing or all of the above.

Drag may trace its roots to the age of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbkmkmn">William Shakespeare,</a>&nbsp;when female roles were performed by men. The origin of the term is debated, but one possibility is that it was coined after someone noticed the dresses or petticoats that male actors wore onstage would drag along the floor. Another casts it as an acronym — an unproven notion that notes in scripts would use “DRAG” to indicate the actor should “dress as a girl.”

Drag performances could later be seen on the vaudeville circuit and during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.them.us/story/inqueery-drag">Harlem Renaissance.</a>&nbsp;They became a mainstay at gay bars throughout the 20th century, and remain so.

RuPaul took things a step further with his reality-competition show “RuPaul's Drag Race," which became an award-winning hit and allowed drag to explode in popularity — and into the mainstream.

Many drag opponents cite nudity in their objections. Every performer makes different choices, but drag queens often wear more, not less, clothing than you’d see on a typical American woman of the 21st century, at a public beach or on network TV.

Their costumes tend toward extravagant, sometimes floor-length gowns. Drag queens may use false breasts, wear sheer costumes, and use makeup or other means to show cleavage and appear exaggeratedly feminine.

The difference, performers note, is that opponents of drag see sexual deviance in the cross-dressing aspect.

Drag does not typically involve nudity or stripping, which are more common in burlesque, a separate form of entertainment. Explicitly sexual and profane language is common in performances meant for adult audiences. Such routines can consist of stand-up comedy that may be raunchy — or may pale in comparison with some mainstream comedians.

It's up to parents and guardians to decide that, just as they decide whether their children should be exposed to or participate in certain music, television, movies, beauty pageants, concerts or other forms of entertainment, parenting experts say.

Performances in nightclubs and brunches meant for adults may not be suitable for children, while other events, such as drag story hours, are tailored for children and therefore contain milder language and dress.

Drag performers and the venues that book them generally either don’t allow children if a performance has risque content, or else require children to be accompanied by a parent or guardian — basically, how R-rated movies are handled by theaters.

Drag story hours, in which performers read to children in libraries, bookstores or other venues, have become popular in recent years. The events use a captivating character to get their child's attention — any parent whose kid can't take their eyes off Elsa from “Frozen” gets the idea. The difference here is that the goal is to get kids interested in reading.

Some children have performed drag at age-appropriate events. One 11-year-old who dons a princess dress and tiara was scheduled recently to perform at a story and singing event at an Oregon pub — but was downgraded to “guest of honor” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-eugene-oregon-education-c18fdac0c1f8ca137e98fb92c1d5eafe">protests outside broke out into fighting.</a>

“Part of keeping our children safe is allowing them to be children, to be playful, to take risks, and to be silly, without it necessarily meaning anything deeper or more permanent," says Amber Trueblood, a family therapist. "Many parents are OK with children dressing as assassins, evil villains or grim reapers, yet they seldom take the costume choice to mean anything more than playful and fun.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JEFF%20McMILLAN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JEFF McMILLAN Associated Press</a>Lately, drag has been dragged through the mud.The art form has been cast in a false light in recent months by right-wing activists and politicians who complain about the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children. Opponents often coordinate protests at drag events that feature or cater to children, sometimes showing up with guns. Some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105544325/drag-shows-children">politicians have proposed</a>&nbsp;banning children from drag events and even criminally charging parents who take their kids to one.Performers and organizers of events, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drag-story-hour-hosts-e1ad3ff0dd73e2e66d98190d00568a1e">story hours</a>&nbsp;in which colorfully clad drag queens read books to children, say the protesters are the ones terrorizing and harming children and making them political pawns — just as they've done in other campaigns around bathroom access and educational materials.The recent headlines about disruptions of drag events and their portrayal as sexual and harmful to children can obscure the art form and its rich history.<h2>WHAT IS DRAG?</h2>Drag is the art of dressing and acting exaggeratedly as another gender, usually for entertainment such as comedy, singing, dancing, lip-syncing or all of the above.Drag may trace its roots to the age of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbkmkmn">William Shakespeare,</a>&nbsp;when female roles were performed by men. The origin of the term is debated, but one possibility is that it was coined after someone noticed the dresses or petticoats that male actors wore onstage would drag along the floor. Another casts it as an acronym — an unproven notion that notes in scripts would use “DRAG” to indicate the actor should “dress as a girl.”Drag performances could later be seen on the vaudeville circuit and during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.them.us/story/inqueery-drag">Harlem Renaissance.</a>&nbsp;They became a mainstay at gay bars throughout the 20th century, and remain so.RuPaul took things a step further with his reality-competition show “RuPaul's Drag Race," which became an award-winning hit and allowed drag to explode in popularity — and into the mainstream.<h2>IS DRAG SEXUAL?</h2>Many drag opponents cite nudity in their objections. Every performer makes different choices, but drag queens often wear more, not less, clothing than you’d see on a typical American woman of the 21st century, at a public beach or on network TV.Their costumes tend toward extravagant, sometimes floor-length gowns. Drag queens may use false breasts, wear sheer costumes, and use makeup or other means to show cleavage and appear exaggeratedly feminine.The difference, performers note, is that opponents of drag see sexual deviance in the cross-dressing aspect.Drag does not typically involve nudity or stripping, which are more common in burlesque, a separate form of entertainment. Explicitly sexual and profane language is common in performances meant for adult audiences. Such routines can consist of stand-up comedy that may be raunchy — or may pale in comparison with some mainstream comedians.<h2>SHOULD CHILDREN SEE OR DRESS IN DRAG?</h2>It's up to parents and guardians to decide that, just as they decide whether their children should be exposed to or participate in certain music, television, movies, beauty pageants, concerts or other forms of entertainment, parenting experts say.Performances in nightclubs and brunches meant for adults may not be suitable for children, while other events, such as drag story hours, are tailored for children and therefore contain milder language and dress.Drag performers and the venues that book them generally either don’t allow children if a performance has risque content, or else require children to be accompanied by a parent or guardian — basically, how R-rated movies are handled by theaters.Drag story hours, in which performers read to children in libraries, bookstores or other venues, have become popular in recent years. The events use a captivating character to get their child's attention — any parent whose kid can't take their eyes off Elsa from “Frozen” gets the idea. The difference here is that the goal is to get kids interested in reading.Some children have performed drag at age-appropriate events. One 11-year-old who dons a princess dress and tiara was scheduled recently to perform at a story and singing event at an Oregon pub — but was downgraded to “guest of honor” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-eugene-oregon-education-c18fdac0c1f8ca137e98fb92c1d5eafe">protests outside broke out into fighting.</a>“Part of keeping our children safe is allowing them to be children, to be playful, to take risks, and to be silly, without it necessarily meaning anything deeper or more permanent," says Amber Trueblood, a family therapist. "Many parents are OK with children dressing as assassins, evil villains or grim reapers, yet they seldom take the costume choice to mean anything more than playful and fun.”<h2>THREATS AND ‘GROOMING’</h2>Opponents of drag story hours and other drag events for audiences of children often claim they “groom” children, implying attempts to sexually abuse them or somehow influence their sexual orientation or gender identity.The term “grooming” in a sexual sense describes how child molesters entrap and abuse their victims. Its use by opponents of drag, as well as by protesters in other realms of LGBTQ opposition, seeks to falsely equate it with pedophilia and other forms of child abuse.Perpetrators of the false rhetoric can then cast themselves as saviors of children and try to frame anyone who disagrees — a political opponent, for example — as taking the side of child abusers.The objections are often religious in nature, with some opponents citing the devil at work. Threats to drag events, and story hours in particular, have increased along with the rhetoric. In addition to the protest in Oregon that failed to suppress one such event, organizers of a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-florida-hate-groups-cfae38d999438d5c3d6daf49a470fe75">one in Florida did cancel theirs</a>&nbsp;after what they said were threats from hate groups.The threats are likely an attempt to scare parents into not taking their children to such events, leading them to fizzle out and push drag back into the closet, observers say. Some organizers, parents and performers have dug in their heels, insisting they won't cave.In another tactic to discourage attendance, drag opponents have been known to attend performances, take and post a video that lacks context, and then troll or “dox” the performer or venue.One such video clip showed a profane drag act in front of a young child and framed it as abuse — though the child was with adults and the venue had advised attendees about coarse content, suggested parental discretion and required any children to be accompanied by parents.Other undermining efforts include a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-drag-queen-story-hour-photo-965766299271">false claim</a>&nbsp;that a performer flashed children at a Minnesota library and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-drag-queen-story-hour-not-arrested-416945160416">another false claim</a>&nbsp;that the head of the Drag Queen Story Hour organization was arrested for child pornography.Despite some opponents' claims, drag cannot “turn” a child gay or transgender, although its playful use of gender may be reassuring to kids who are already questioning their identity. That way, therapist Joe Kort&nbsp;<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/joe-kort-phd">wrote in a blog post</a>&nbsp;in Psychology Today, gender-nonconforming kids can have “other templates as they begin to sort out their feelings about who they authentically are.”