A&E

Drag pageant draws crowd

During the first round question-and-answer session of the 15th annual Miss Gay IU drag pageant, contestant Naomi Divine answered with, "We're here, we're queer, we're proud and we're gonna live for it." Her response captured the mood of the event, which was hosted by OUT, IU's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Union, Friday at the IU Auditorium.

Buck Owens, country music star famed for 'Act Naturally,' dies

LOS ANGELES - Singer Buck Owens, the flashy rhinestone cowboy who shaped the sound of country music with hits like "Act Naturally" and brought the genre to TV on the long-running "Hee Haw," died Saturday at the age of 76. Owens died at his home in Bakersfield, Calif., said family spokesman Jim Shaw. The cause of death was not immediately known. Owens had undergone throat cancer surgery in 1993 and was hospitalized with pneumonia in 1997.

Event showcases sounds, sights of Southeast Asia

A unique event titled "Finding Resonance: Sounds and Chronicles From the World We Walk In" will take place at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the John Waldron Arts Center located at 122 S. Walnut St. Produced by IU senior Zak Rosen, the evening will feature sound collages, audio documentaries and other sound compilations.

Beat boxer brings talents to Bloomington

Beat box actor Yuri Lane will be performing his narrative drama "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah" at 8 p.m. tonight at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The performance, which debuted in 2003 at the New York City Hip-Hop Theater Festival, has been on tour ever since, showing primarily at festivals and on college campuses.

Students invited to InMotion Dance company workshop this weekend

Tick. Tick. Boom. The InMotion Dance Explosion Workshop 2006 will detonate in rhythm at 11 a.m. Sunday in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation room 169 and end at 4 p.m. Dancers ages 15 and older are welcome. The full workshop will cost $15, and a half-day is $10.

Actor's passion to rise in 'Our Country's Good' tonight

Korean drama craze reaches United States

HONOLULU - It's become a daily ritual for Gayle Stephens. She often laughs and cries while getting her daily fix. She's even tried to get her family hooked. Stephens loves Korean dramas. She is among a growing number of Americans with no connection to Korean culture who say the shows are a more compelling and wholesome alternative to the usual daytime programming on American TV. And retail giants are also starting to tune in. "I like the fact that they're cleaner, they're not as smutty as the American dramas," said Stephens, a 32-year-old black woman who grew up in Durham, N.C. "I didn't think I would enjoy watching, but I really got caught up in it. It's very engaging," she said.

SOUTH AMERICAN DESSERTS

NBA star's art on display

DURHAM, N.C. - Four-time NFL Pro Bowler Calvin Hill never had any trouble interesting his young son in sports. It took a little longer for basketball star Grant Hill to develop his father's passion for art. "I did grow up in a household with a lot of art," the Orlando Magic's forward says. "I guess at the time, I didn't really appreciate it or realize it did have an effect on me." It was obvious to all who watched Hill lead Duke University to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1991 and 1992 that, like his father, a career as a professional athlete awaited once his college days were over. Calvin Hill, who played for three NFL teams, and wife Janet took young Grant to museums and galleries, but Calvin Hill wasn't sure if his son would buy art that wasn't merely decorative.

CHILLIN'

The Greeks have lost their marbles

Greece had them first, but Britain is screaming, "finders, keepers!" It's like two children bickering over their favorite toys. There are a lot of tears and hurt feelings, but the solution is really quite simple. The ownership of the Elgin Marbles has been debated for almost 200 years. The Elgin Marbles is a collection of statues and pieces of the frieze, the panel that once surrounded the top of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Most of the surviving pieces are divided between the museums in Athens and Britain, with others spread throughout eight of Europe's greatest art museums. Athens wants them all for its own museum, which is being constructed with the hope that it will be completed in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Stay aglow in the snow

SIDEWALK RUNWAY

On their toes

Despite the chill that has pervaded Bloomington throughout the past week, with the advent of spring, the anticipation of warmer days ahead promise the excitement of new beginnings to both students and faculty. The IU Ballet Theatre is no exception. This weekend, the company will present "From Bournonville to Balanchine: An Evening of Legendary Ballets," a selection of three well-known pieces: the classical "Paquita," the modern American "Who Cares?" and the festive and vivacious "Napoli." This production represents an interdepartmental collaboration, as each segment will be danced by the students of the Ballet Department of the Jacobs School of Music and accompanied by guest conductor Ronald Zollman and the IU Symphony Orchestra. The world-renowned ballets featured in this performance have been performed internationally, but have been given a new energy and enthusiasm by the dancers and production staff of this year's Spring Ballet.

Tap Dogs dancing onto stage tonight

Tap Dogs, a group of performers from around the world, will be on stage at 7:30 tonight in the IU Auditorium to perform a family-friendly show, according to a press release. Tickets are $19.50 to 37.50 for the general public and $13.50 to 27.50 for students with their IDs.

Defying gravity

Defying gravity -- In this undated studio photo supplied by the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Sean Mahoney and Lisa Viola perform "Spring Rounds." The dance had its New York premiere during the company's three-week annual City Center stint, which wrapped up this weekend in New York.

Art museum to hold horse discussion

The IU Art Museum will hold "Horses and Horsemanship" as part of its free Noon Talk series today from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the museum's Special Exhibition Gallery.

'V for Vendetta' No. 1 with $26.1M debut

LOS ANGELES -- Audiences were in a rebellious mood, lifting the action tale "V for Vendetta" to the top spot at the weekend box office with a $26.1 million debut. The Warner Bros. film, which stars Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving in a story of revolution against a totalitarian British government, bumped off the previous weekend's box-office leaders. Paramount's romantic comedy "Failure to Launch," which debuted at No. 1, slipped to second place with $15.8 million, raising its 10-day domestic total to $48.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Hollywood's next Kevin Smith

Making a movie is easy. All you need to do is max out all of your credit cards, take out a bank loan and fit the first day of shooting in while your wife is giving birth to twins. OK, none of that is easy, but it's only part of what writer/director Chris Folino went through to bring his long-standing dream to fruition.

Classical guitar major finds healing in music

A native of Detroit, home to rock legends KISS and more recent rock star Kid Rock, Matthew Douglas Smith wanted to play guitar his whole life. Detroit had established itself as a city infatuated with rock 'n roll, and it was the perfect laboratory for up-and-coming rock stars. But Smith wasn't really interested in any of it. Ever since he began to play guitar seriously as a freshman in high school, Smith has known his talents were better suited for the Metropolitan Opera than they were for the Mets' Tigers' stadium, which hosts occasional rock concerts.