Honor student urges females to defer intimacy with a male SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE "You have a voice, and you have a choice about when you should become intimate with your boyfriend. Time is on your side. You do not have to rush into something you arc not ready for," said Reynita McMillan, an honor student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. McMillan. 25, was one of the guest speakers invited to address the Dare to Be Queen class at Northwest Middle School this summer. McMillan came to empower the sev enth- and eighth-graders in the program to make wiser decisions about relationships before things go too far. McMillan shared statistics about teen pregnancy in Forsyth County from the SHIFT NC organization of Forsyth County. "In the year 2013, the number of preg nancies among girls ages 15-19 in Forsyth County was 404. Regarding percentages, 42.1 percent of those young ladies were African American; 61.7 percent of these young ladies were Hispanic, and 18.5 per cent of them were Caucasian. You do not have to be a statistic. "When I was your age, about 13, I made the decision that I would like to wait until marriage before being sexually active as part of my commitment to God. You may not wish to make the same commit ment I made, but I do want you to know that the teen pregnancy rate for girls your age is higher than it should be. You need to give yourself time to make a sound deci sion about your relationships," said McMillan. McMillan says that she made this deci sion because her grandmother, the late Mae Clarida Piggott, and her mother made this commitment, and they were successful at accomplishing this goal. Also, her father, Reynard McMillan, introduced her to a class in the community called 'True Love Waits." Attending this class con firmed her desire to wait until marriage. She has found it to be a good choice. "I may not get as many dates as some young women, but when I look in the mir ror, I like what I see. 1 enjoy accomplish ing my goals, and I believe that one day, I will meet that special someone who is compatible with me, who takes an interest in some of the things that are important to me," McMillan said. "Temptation is always present, but I try to make wise decisions about the friends I hang out with. Hanging out with positive people who are goal-oriented helps me stay focused on my best self." Felecia Piggott-Long, who has taught the Dare to Be Queen class for four years, told the girls about a friend who died in childbirth at the age of 14. "I asked my mother to take me to the hospital to visit my friend who was having a baby. I was in the seventh grade," said Piggott-Long. "My mother took me to the hospital to visit my friend, but we were unable to see her because she had compli cations during the delivery, and died giv ing birth to her child. However, the child lived." Piggott-Long is Reynita McMillan's mother. "My mother told me this story years ago, but what I remember most is her description of the funeral. My mother explained how her friend was dressed in a beautiful white lace dress in the casket, and my mothef was a flower girl, and she also wore a white lace dress," said McMillan. "My mother never forgot this lesson, and neither did I. Having a child at such a young age is not the best choice for you. Give yourself time to mature. Time is on your side. Give your boyfriend time to prove to you that he loves you. True love does wait." Maya, one of the students in the class, thanked McMillan for taking the time to speak to them about matters of the heart. "Thank you for allowing us to ask questions about love and respect. It lets us know that we do not have to fold under pressure, and it is OK to wait. Sometimes it seems like everybody is sexually active, but this lets us know that young people can wait until they are ready," Maya said. Piggott-Long explained that some of her male students told her that they keep a "book of bangs" which lists girls they have been with. Khalie, another student, spoke up immediately. "No real lady would want to be in one of those books," she said. Photos by Felecia Piggott-Long Reynita McMillan (center) chats with the girls of Dare to Be Queen about mak ing wise life choices. Women's organization, Kimberly Park Holiness prepare for conference SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Minister Lady Carolyn Edmond, founder of WISE (Women in Spiritual Excellence) along with Kimberly Park Holiness Church will host "Under Construction: Women at Work" Conference 2015. Women's health, both spiritually and naturally, is a focus of the conference, with special attention to support the month of October in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness. The conference begins Friday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m. with praise and worship featur ing Sister Margie Jefferson and Sister Cydnee Hymes, Spiritual Dance Festival including TestimonyMime Ministries, Kayla Sorrell, Soloist Cydnee Hymes and a Christian simulation experience titled "Getting our Parts Connected" based on Romans 12:1-6 by Minister Carolyn Edmond. On Saturday, Oct. 17, a "Shop to You Drop" trip to Tanger Outlet in Mebane, for fellowship and fun is scheduled. The Sunday, Oct. 18, Women's Day service at 11 a.m. will be chaired by Sister Theressa Hymes and Deaconness Katosha Sorrell. Sister Phyllis Mosley of Kimberly Park is the 11 a.m. Women's Day Speaker. The conference continues at 4 p.m. Sunday, with Alvin Borders, president and CEO of How is Your Heart. Borders and company will present the play, "Dr. Heart Block Family Practice.". .The.play uses entertainment to educate on ways to have a healthy heart. Borders has toured and presented at various churches throughout the community to educate the importance of heart health. The public is welcome to all events. Pastor, Elder Robert R. Edmond, Jr. is pas tor of Kimberly Park Holiness Church. Old Salem announces opening of new restaurant SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Old Salem Museums and Gardens announced the opening of a new dining option The Flour Box Tea Room and Cafe, in the historic district. Located in the lower level of T. Bagge Merchant (the entrance is off of West Street), The Flour Box Tea Room and Cafe offers morning coffee and pastries, casual lunch options as well as afternoon tea. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. "Old Salem is very excited that The Flour Box Tea Room & Cafe is now open, providing our visitors and Triad residents with more places to eat in the historic dis trict," said Ragan Folan. President and CEO of Old Salem Museums & Gardens. "This is another step towards enhancing the offerings at Old Salem both for the community and visitors to our museum." The Flour Box Tea Room and Caf6 is owned and operated by wife and husband team, Milla and Mike Ranieri, who also operate The Flour Box, a bakery at the cor ner of Marshall Street and Brookstown Avenue. "We are delighted to be part of Old Salem," said Mike Ranieri. "Our aim is to provide delicious and interesting food in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere." For more information, visit oldsalem.org. To contact The Flour Box Tea Room & Cafe, call 336-201-5182 or email theflourboxtearoomandcafe @ gmail.com. N ?. Arts Council Fellowships application- 1 deadline is Nov. 2 SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE __j The North Carolina Arts Council will iccept applications for the 2015-16 Artist fellowship awards for choreographers, rraft, film and visual artists until Monday, ^ov. 2. The Artist Fellowship program, now in ts 35th year, supports creative develop nent and the creation of new work for irtists in North Carolina. The Artist fellowship allows artists to set aside time o work and to buy supplies and eqliip nent. The fellowship award is $10,000. fellowship guidelines can be found at ittp://www.ncarts.org. North Carolina irtists who have been year-round residents if the state for at least a year immediately prior to the application deadline may tpply. Students are not eligible. The N.C. Arts Council's fellowship program is one of the country's premier programs for artists support with fellow ?hip totally more than $4.5 million award id to more than 600 artists across disci plines. The fellowship program is also the foundation of the Arts Council's support for artists, including the regional artist pro gram grants. Creative Capital workshops. North Carolina Heritage Awards, Artist Directory and the Mary B. Regan commu nity artist residency grant. For more details on the exhibition and programming, go to www.secca.org or visit the Arts Council's blog at www.NCArtsEveryday.org. Applicants will submit the Artist Fellowship application electronically using the online application system. Complete details about the fellowship are available on the Arts Council home page at www.ncarts.org. Any questions about craft, film and visual arts should contact Jeff Pettus at jeffpettus@ncdcr.gov or call 919-807 6513. Choreographers should contact Andrea Lawson at AndreaJLawson@ncdcr.gov or call 919 807-6511. General inquires can be direct ed to Amv Hoppe at amvhoppe@ncdcr.gov or call 919-807-6501. Have a Story Idea? mMmckonklem WSSU Students Named to HBCU White House Initiative SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Two Winston-Salem State University students were named among top students selected as mem bers of the 2015 White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities HBCU All-Stars. Mona Zahir and Kyle Brown were among 83 undergraduate, graduate and professional students recently selected. The All-Stars were selected from more than 450 students who submit ted applications represent ing 70 HBCUs. Students were selected based on their accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement. Zahir, a junior from Charlotte and Brown, a senior from Kinston are both political science majors. Over the course of the year, the HBCU All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the WHIHBCUs by pro viding outreach and com munication with their fel low students about the value of education, and the role of the Initiative as a networking resource. Through social media and their relationships with community-based organi zations, the All-Stars will share promising and proven practices that sup port opportunities for all young people to achieve their educational and career potential. Tooth decay remains the most common chronic infectious disease among children. However, according to the CDC, the combination of dental sealants and fluoride can drastically diminish the prevalence of tooth decay.