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Graduates frompag f A J remarked jokingly, "it's dif ficult . it's a task because you're trying to juggle the family life, you're tying to juggle the kids, having dinner cooked for a hus band that sometimes gets impa tient and working in the study time . . . Sometimes, burning the midnight oil is the famous thing to do." It was a bittersweet moment for 53 year-old Andrea Rowdy, a sociology major. "J lost a dear friend ... we were supposed to walk togeth er," she said, tears running unabashedly down her cheeks. Rowdy's comrade, Jacqueline Redd, passed away in October. The two had been friends for more than 30 years and embarked upon their col lege journeys beginning in 1977. "When 1 stopped that semes ter back in '77, I said I was going to go back, but 1 never went back," Rowdy said. "It took me 30 years to go back." When Rowdy did return to school in 2004, Redd was again at her side. "She was going through some difficult times so, there fore, she stayed out a semester, but we were determined to get this done together," Rowdy said. "It was her that really pushed me to go, and it's because of her that I'm here, so therefore, she's still with me going across the stage ... I have my sadness for her, but I know she's looking down and she's walking with me." Ashley Freeman, a transfer student, was the first biotechnol ogy major to graduate from Winston-Salem State. Despite being the proverbial "guinea pig" for the program. Freeman says that she received a top notch education. "1 feel like I got a lot more at Winston-Salem State, my first semester here than I did in my (whole) experience at the com munity college," she remarked. "Just the experiences that I've been able to do; I've been able to go into a lot of different industries of research ... I've just had a lot of experiences that a lot of other undergraduates don't get." Mother and son team Sonja and Andrew Glass had much to celebrate, as both graduated with honors on Friday. Andrew, a Justice Studies major, said the school provided a valuable learning experience for him, both in and out of the classroom. "I'll be going into law enforcement and I'll be dealing with a lot of diverse cultures. Winston-Salem State has given me a lot of diverse knowledge on how to understand people and how they think and oper ate." he said. "That I could not have found anywhere else." Graduation Day was a long time coming for Sonja Glass, who obtained a BSN to enhance her 32-year nursing career. "I'm 52 years old and I never thought I would go back to school," she admitted. "But it's been kind of fun because my son's been in school at the same time - it's been kind of compet itive around grade time ." Filled with pride and exulta tion for both Andrew and her self, Sonja's voice quivered slightly when she spoke of her son. "We're just so proud of our son. He's just a wonderful young man," she said. "This is a very exciting time for both of us and you know, 1 think we thought it was never going to come and today it's here." That pivotal moment had come in fact, for all of those who walked that day, but before they made the trip across the stage and beyond into their futures, they were privy to some sage advice from Che Honorable Judge Joseph D. Johnson, a dis trict court judge in Shawnee County, Kansas' 3rd Judicial District Court and a 1973 gradu ate of Winston-Salem State. One of seven children born to illiterate parents in the Jim Crow South, Johnson rose from the throes of poverty to great ness, silencing critics at every turn. "I cannot tell you how proud I am to carTy the moniker of Winston-Salem State University everywhere I go," he declared. Johnson regaled the audi ence with tales of his trip to the top, relating the tales of triumph, tempered by the upsets and heartaches, that he has known. "Sometimes the Lord will put extra obstacles in your way in order to give you extra les sons," Johnson stated. He urged the audience to seek out their passions in life. "I wish you a magnificent obsession that will give you a reason for living," he exhorted. "If you take nothing else ... please embrace this - as you go forth to continue the pursuit of your dreams, please, please, please live life with conviction and firmness and hope. Commit yourself to finding a passion to live life to the fullest." Johnson implored the new alumni to remember their alma mater in their giving. "Your pursuit of a higher education is courageous, but it comes with a price tag other than student loans," he boomed. "Do not be selfish; remember our alma mater, support her, not only with your funds, but with your time. Take pride in her and display her name whenever and wherever possible." Dynamic in his delivery and artful in his prose, Johnson cap tivated the audience and left them with many things to con sider. "You are now armed with the very tools that I have; you may do the same," he remarked. "You have been touched by the soul of Winston-Salem State, and I know you are better for it." PhoK.bv Uc Adams WSM Sonja Glass rbett Smoot-Hairston Freeman Andrew Glass Photo by Lee Adams/WSSU Judge Joseph Johnson Kwanzaa from page A1 The years passed and the celebration gained popularity. "The interest in the com munity (grew), there were individuals who really got excited about it," she recalled. "Then we started celebrating seven days, having it in differ ent homes." The small intimate affair once shared among friends snowballed. "We did it for several years (in people's homes), but then it began to get bigger and the interest began to grow so we decided that we would expand it to the community," Andrews stated. "It became the city wide Kwanzaa celebration where, instead of families hosting the day, there would be churches and agencies hosting it." The Winston-Salem Urban League will host this year's kickoff event Wednesday, as it traditionally has. "It's really exciting; we're honored to be able to host the kickoff night because we think that sort of sets the tone - it gets people in the mood for our Kwanzaa celebration," com mented Patricia Sadler, public relations director for the Urban League. "Most of the Kwanzaa principles are in line with our mission in terms of empowering the community and changing lives, so when we think about determination and we think about unity, peo ple coming together, building businesses in our own commu nity - we think that those are all in\por}ant principles that we at the Urban Leagifc sup port." The opening event will be centered around the first Kwanzaa principle "umoja," which means "unity," and will feature a feast and performanc es by several creative groups, Sadler says. This year's celebration will include some new elements as well. "One of the things we've added ... this year is that we will honor someone that exem plifies the principle; during each celebration, someone will be honored," Sadler explained. Youth will play a much more important role this year than they have in the past, she says. "It's an educational process - we want them to leam, we want them to understand the importance of Kwanzaa," she , Commented. "... so all of the celebrations will feature youth in different kinds of activi ties." Entreprenuer Dana Suggs says she is also looking for ward to the celebration. Suggs owns the popular Afro-centric Body & Soul boutique on Trade Street, which will co sponsor the observance of the second night of Kwanzaa along with Goler Memorial AME Zion Church. "I think it has been our fourth year to sponsor the sec ond night of Kwanzaa, which is Kujichagulia, in English words, self-determination," she commented. "We wanted that principle because we felt it was so important and it was something that really drove us." Suggs says she has enjoyed sponsoring the event in recent years and feels it has been good for the store as well jt "If your customer base is involved or concerned about different issues, I think you should be involved in that too," she remarked. "We serv ice a large African American community, Kwanzaa being an American holiday that pays tribute to African Americans, we felt it was just something that we should be a part of." For the first time ever, a Kwanzaa Ball on December will complement the Kwanzaa events. The Ball will be held Dec. 28 at Whitespace Gallery and will feature musicians Tichina Vaughn and Keith Byrd. The Kwanzaa schedule of events is as follows: Wednesday, December 26 - Principle: Unity - Umoja, Urban League Bldg, 201 W. 5th Street; Thursday, December 27 Principle: Self Determination - Kujichagulia, Goler Memorial AME Zion Enrichment Center, 620 N. Patterson Avenue; Friday, December 28 - Principle: Collective Works and Responsibility - Ujima, Location: Neal Place, 1306 Tyndall Street (between 14th & 13th Streets); Saturday, December 29 Principle: Cooperative Economics - Ujamaa, Location: Sims Recreation Center 1201 Adler Street; Sunday, December 30, Principle: Purpose - Nia Location: Grace Presbyterian Church 3901 Carver School Road; Monday, December 31 - Principle: Creativity - Kuumba, Location: Central Library, 660 West 5th Street; Tuesday, January 1 - Principle: Faith - Imani, Location: Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1075 Shalimar Drive". AKAs from page A10 return to their roots include live iormer lnierna tional presidents, and high-profile members like Actress Phylicia Rashad, Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince; and 102-year old Hazel Hainsworth Young, a retired educator from the Houston public schools and one of the sorority's most senior members. The campus will be bedecked with historical mark ers that will chronicle pink and-green-letter-dates in Alpha Kappa Alpha's history. In an act of remembrance, members will re-enact the ceremonial process that led to the birth of Alpha chapter and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. As the historic birthplace, AJCA history is embedded in the fabric of Howard University. Because of this, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, the official home for Alpha Kappa Alpha's archival records, will add a Centennial exhibit to its vast Alpha Kappa Alpha collection. The Centennial birthday celebration will feature the launch of the Sorority's official publication, Ivy Leaf, in digital form. Taking the magazine to a new technological level repre sents a milestone in Alpha Kappa Alpha's long and impressive history. ?> And, in keeping with the Sorority's credo "to provide service to all mankind," mem bers will participate in a series of projects where they will out reach to seniors, cancer patients and respond to the needs of the community. A cli mactic high point of the week end will be the dedication of a library. Sorority members will donate books to the library and solicit donations of reading material from area bookstores. The weekend is being driv en by the theme. Extra Special Preservation, which embraces President's McKinzie's ESP programmatic theme. Heading the Centennial Birthday Celebration Committee, which is overseeing the celebratory festiv ities, is Faye Bryant, Alpha Kappa Alpha's 21st national pres ident and former Alpha Chapter member. McKinzie said (he Alnha Birthday Celebration is the first of two major celebrations to take place during its Centennial year. She announced that more than 20,000 members will con verge upon Washington, D.C. for its Centennial International Conference from July 12-18. At that time, more tributes and commemorations will take place. At the same time, the sorority will engage in a week long series of meetings, plena ries and "conversations" about how to deal with today's press ing issues while charting a course for the Sorority as it enters its second millennium. The public will be invited to some of the events. Flexibilty from page A7 the United States, in large part, because if its commit ment to flexibility such as compressed workweeks, flex time, job sharing, and remote or tele work. Employees with a wide variety of jobs and responsibilities completed the HRA, including executives, administrative support staff, and warehouse and produc tion workers. "These weren't all office workers - that's an important point," Grzywacz said. "This isn't just about high-level office workers - these people perform a wide variety of tasks within the company." The data was analyzed to determine if lifestyle behav iors differ between employees with different levels of per ceived flexibility and to iden tify if changes in flexibility over a one-year time period predicted changes in health behavior. The study focused on frequency of physical activity, engagement in stress management programs, par ticipation in health education activities, healthful sleep habits, and self-appraised overall lifestyle. "Overall, the results showed that nearly all the health behaviors examined in this study were associated with perceived flexibility," Grzywacz said. "Although further research is needed, these results suggest that flex ibility programs that are situ ated within a broader organi zational commitment to employee health may be use ful for promoting positive lifestyle habits." Co-authors of the study are Patrick R. Casey, B.S., also of Wake Forest, and Fiona A. Jones, Ph.D., University of Leeds, United Kingdom. C 2007 AT&T Intellectual Property All right* reserved AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademark* of AT&T Intellectual Property let's go You need a wireless company that can keep up with you. One that will serve you In more places and more ways. That's why we work to improve and expand our network every day. We're ready when you are. The new at&t Your world. Delivered.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 20, 2007, edition 1
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