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<p>Thousands of people flocked to downtown State College on a sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate Pride and the LGBTQ community.</p>



<p>Presented by Centre LGBTQA Support Network, Downtown State College Improvement District and State College Borough, the third annual State College Pride <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/community/parade-festival-among-state-college-pride-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">included</a> a parade of colorful floats and marchers through town and a festival in Sidney Friedman Park, among other events throughout the weekend.</p>



<p>State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, served as grand marshal of the parade and festival. A frequent visitor to Centre County, Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.</p>



<p>He called 2023 &#8220;probably the most important year for Pride in a really long time,&#8221; noting a vocal anti-LGBTQ contingent and legislation in a number of states, particularly related to transgender individuals. </p>



<p>&#8220;In this moment, in this Pride year, what we are doing right now, showing up with joy in our hearts, showing up for and with each other in real community, that is critical right now,&#8221; Kenyatta said. &#8220;Because this is actually what our communities look like. This is actually where most people are&#8230; Do not believe the noise and the nonsense that most people are as hateful and vitriolic as some of the politicians who unfortunately get elected&#8230;. For Pride, it’s really critical for us as a community that we recognize our joy does not exist in contrast to their hatred.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-kenyatta-lane-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424953"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, State College Pride grand marshal, and Judge Timika Lane lead the 2023 Pride parade. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Pennsylvania, Kenyatta said, should aspire to be the best place to live, raise a family and retire for everyone, including LGBTQ people.</p>



<p>&#8220;We deserve to be happy, to be joyous, to be just who you are every single day, no matter what they’re talking about, no matter what they’re doing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just be who the hell you are.&#8221;</p>



<p>State College Mayor Ezra Nanes acknowledged that some in attendance may be feeling scared, worried or uncertain because of events nationally. </p>



<p>&#8220;It’s OK to feel that,&#8221; Nanes said. &#8220;I want you to know that me, Ezra Nanes, my family, the Borough of State College, we are here for you. We will always be here for you. We’re going to keep building on the amazing work that you’ve already done, that we’ve already done together.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-3-1024x751.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424937"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-8-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424942"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Nanes issued a proclamation last week declaring June as Pride Month in the borough, and as the parent of an LGBTQ child, he called Pride &#8220;not just principle,&#8221; but also personal.</p>



<p>&#8220;One of the greatest joys in life, whether you’re a parent or a sibling or just an adult with a child in your life that matters, is supporting that child in discovering who they are,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that’s a really important principle of what Pride is, that we all believe in helping people discover themselves, not telling them who they should be.&#8221;</p>



<p>State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Lemont, said Pride is also personal for him and his family and called it a &#8220;joyful occasion.</p>



<p>&#8220;This represents the absolute best of what State College is and can be,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This sets the standard for what every day should be like. You are not only seen, you are not only accepted, but you should be celebrated and you should be loved. If we could bottle today and make every day like that, wouldn’t this be a better world, a better place to be?&#8221;</p>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-14-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424955" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-14-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424955"/></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption"><em>Scenes from the 2023 Pride parade in downtown State College. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>Timika Lane, a Philadelphia judge who is running for Pennsylvania Superior Court in November, emphasized the importance of individuals making their voices heard to ensure all are treated with dignity and respect.</p>



<p>&#8220;We have to decide in Pennsylvania, what is it going to be? Are we going to be a place of love or are we going to be a place of hate?&#8230; Your voice matters,&#8221; Lane said.</p>



<p>Kenyatta urged those in attendance to be true to themselves, knowing that it will inspire someone else to do the same.</p>



<p>&#8220;If we lift each other up, if we encourage each other to be brave, if we remind ourselves that we are the majority of this commonwealth, that we are the majority of this nation, when we do that then we will continue to pull this nation closer to making the ideals of freedom, justice and fairness real for everybody,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter who you love, no matter how you worship or choose not to, here in Pennsylvania it’s about you getting a fair shot and a fair shake. We’re going to keep doing that together.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-9-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424943"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>State College Pride has grown substantially since it was first held in 2021. Last year it drew an estimated 4,000 people and organizers expected that number would increase again for the third edition.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.centrelgbtqa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre LGBTQA Support Network</a> (CLSN), which was founded in 2014, has been instrumental in that, as well as in providing resources year round. Sue Marshall, a founding member and current board secretary, said planning for next year&#8217;s Pride will start next week.</p>



<p>In the shorter term, however, CLSN will be celebrating another advancement. A long-planned LGBTQ center for downtown State College will open sometime in August at the corner of Calder Way and South Pugh Street, Marshall said.</p>



<p>&#8220;We can’t wait,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We will have a big opening celebration.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-anchor-arrow-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424949"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Community members danced while Anchor &amp; Arrow played at the 2023 State College Pride festival on Saturday, June 10, in Sidney Friedman Park.</em> <em>Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</em></figcaption></figure>


‘Showing Up with Joy in Our Hearts.’ State College Celebrates Pride


<p>There may be just one person who claims not to know who will start at quarterback for Penn State football when the team begins its season against West Virginia on Sept. 2.</p>



<p>While Drew Allar has been set as the presumed successor to longtime starting quarterback Sean Clifford since the day that he stepped onto Penn State’s campus in January 2022, James Franklin didn’t declare a winner to the Nittany Lions’ quarterback competition with 86 days until the season opener.</p>



<p>“We have competition at every single position, every single year, returning starter or not,” Franklin told the media on Thursday. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”</p>



<p>Allar’s competition at the position is Beau Pribula, who, like Allar, was a member of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2022. The difference between the two was that Allar was a five-star recruit by the time he arrived on campus. Pribula was a three-star.</p>



<p>More recently, Allar took snaps behind Clifford in the 2022 season. The youngster played in enough games that he was unable to take a redshirt season. By contrast, Pribula didn’t take a snap in a Penn State game until the Blue-White Game in April, when he attempted 22 of his 27 passes with second-string players.</p>



<p>Franklin’s hesitation to name a starter isn’t surprising. Entering his 10th year with Penn State, Franklin wants competition at the position. It’s likely that Allar will only stick around Penn State for two more years. Franklin will need someone to step up when the Ohio native is gone.</p>



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<p>It’s a situation that Franklin has had before. From 2016-17, he had running backs Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders on the same roster. Barkley was a shout for a Heisman candidate in college, and when Sanders turned pro, he reached last season’s Super Bowl as the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.</p>



<p>At Penn State, Barkley was the evident starter. But Franklin said that competition between the two made them both better. If Franklin has his way, the same will happen to Allar and Pribula.</p>



<p>“I think at times there may have been some frustration with that, but I truly believe that type of competition in college really set them up to be successful in the NFL,” Franklin said. “[Barkley] always had somebody behind him trying to take reps away from him. And [Sanders], as a young player, was trying to overtake [Barkley]. So I think that is a healthy position to be in.”</p>



<p>Franklin also has to answer the question of how he’ll use each quarterback. As Mike Yurcich, Penn State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said at the same press conference, each quarterback has different styles. Gameplans have to be tailored to those styles.</p>



<p>Allar’s been described as a quarterback who’s steady in the pocket. Teammates have raved about his ability to place passes in locations where only a receiver can catch them. Allar can be mobile but his arm is what really sets him apart from the pack.</p>



<p>Pribula, however, is described as athletic. He’s the quarterback that Franklin and Yurcich could turn to when they need to push a pile or in a situation that calls for a mobile quarterback. He’s the Nittany Lions’ alternate.</p>



<p>However Franklin plays the two quarterbacks, it will likely be some time before Penn State fans have an answer to the question that’s hung over the program for more than a year. Franklin noted that he wanted Clifford to compete for a starting role for the six years that the recent&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/29/sean-clifford-drafted-no-149-overall-by-green-bay-packers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL draftee</a></strong>&nbsp;spent in Happy Valley. The same will apply to Allar.</p>



<p>If Franklin has 86 days to name a starter against the Mountaineers, he may just use all 86.</p>


‘We Have Competition at Every Single Position’: Penn State Quarterback Question Still Unanswered


<p>The deadline is fast approaching to participate in two of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts&#8217; signature annual events.</p>



<p>Friday marks the final day to the Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, as well as to submit entries for the Banner Exhibition and Competition.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://arts-festival.com/children-and-youth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Applications for the Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale</a> </strong>must be postmarked no later than Friday. They can also be hand delivered to the Arts Festival office at 403 S. Allen St., Suite 205A, State College until 5 p.m. on Friday.</p>



<p>Part of the Children and Youth Day that kicks off the festival, the sidewalk sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12, on South Allen Street in State College. The 2023 Arts Festival takes place July 12-16 on the streets of State College and the Penn State campus.</p>



<p>Children from ages 8 to 18 who live in, or who have relatives in Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin or Union counties are eligible to participate in the Children’s Sidewalk Sale, which offers a fun way for young artists to sell their original artwork. Artists must make their own work and items made from kits are not permitted. Also prohibited are weapons, the sale of food or services like face painting or hair braiding and use of trademarked characters or products.</p>



<p>To download an application and to see participation rules, visit <a href="https://arts-festival.com/children-and-youth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>arts-festival.com/children-and-youth</strong></a>. There is a $25 entry fee.</p>



<p>For the <strong><a href="https://arts-festival.com/banners" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">banner competition</a></strong>, entries must be delivered to the Arts Festival office by 5 p.m. on Friday.</p>



<p>Individuals and groups may submit entries, which typically hang between 15 and 20 feet over the street. Identical or different designs must be visible from both sides of the banner. All components of the banner design and construction must be securely attached, or the banner will not be displayed. Banners with religious, partisan or commercial messages will not be accepted. The Arts Festival encourages local non-profit organizations to create banners celebrating their organization.</p>



<p>A banner jury will award prizes in three categories: professional, general and youth.</p>



<p>Submission guidelines and a banner entry form are available at <a href="https://arts-festival.com/banners" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>arts-festival.com/banners</strong></a>.</p>


Deadline Nears to Enter Arts Festival’s Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, Banner Competition


<p>The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the call for entries for its annual Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale.</p>



<p>Part of the Children and Youth Day that kicks off the festival, the sidewalk sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12, on South Allen Street in State College. The 2023 Arts Festival takes place July 12-16 on the streets of State College and the Penn State campus.</p>



<p>Children from ages 8 to 18 who live in, or who have relatives in Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin or Union counties are eligible to participate in the Children’s Sidewalk Sale, which offers a fun way for young artists to sell their original artwork. Artists must make their own work and items made from kits are not permitted.</p>



<p>Applications must be postmarked no later than June 23, 2023, and those postmarked after that date will not be considered. They may also be delivered in person to the Arts Festival offices at 403 S. Allen St., Suite 205A, State College until 5 p.m. on June 23. There is a $25 entry fee.</p>



<p>To download an application and to see participation rules, visit <a href="https://arts-festival.com/children-and-youth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>arts-festival.com/children-and-youth</strong></a></p>


Applications Open for Arts Festival’s Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale


<p>The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has issued the call for entries for one of its signature events: the annual banner competition</p>



<p>Individuals and groups may submit entries, which typically hang between 15 and 20 feet over the street. Identical or different designs must be visible from both sides of the banner. All components of the banner design and construction must be securely attached, or the banner will not be displayed. Banners with religious, partisan or commercial messages will not be accepted. The Arts Festival encourages local non-profit organizations to create banners celebrating their organization.</p>



<p>A banner jury will award prizes in three categories: professional, general and youth. Jurors will be announced at a later date.</p>



<p>Banners entered in the competition must be delivered to the office of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts by 5 p.m. on June 23.</p>



<p>Submission guidelines and a banner entry form are available at <a href="https://arts-festival.com/banners" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>arts-festival.com/banners</strong></a>.</p>



<p>The 57th Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts will take place from July 12 through July 16 in downtown State College and on the Penn State campus .</p>


Arts Festival Accepting Applications for Banner Competition

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts

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