r
f '? f' I.
Unbending: Students continue boycott of mall |
?jr DAMON PUD
, '
Kamry Corp. is J spying sBsgalinai
that security officers at the Four Sea
sons Town Centre diecriutiaaic inieit
student* from North Carolina AAT
State University
The courtesy code at Four Seasons
is designed to ensure that the mall is a
tafe, pie<umii! and comfortable shopping
environment for all laembers of our
community," said Ron Mack, executive
vice president at Four Seasons Town
Centre at a new* conference last Friday.
"AAT etudenu have not bean tingled
out, and African Americans have not
been singled out."
According to Mack security guards
are trained on steps of enforcement and
were given diversity training.
He also said courtesy code pam
phlets had been distributed to all ad
leges, universities and high schools in
Orccn?t>ora, not jnst AJtT.
The only school not receiving any
correspondence from the mall m Ben
nett College, an African American
AAT students claim they were being
approached, harassed and asked to
leave by mall security officers for no jus
Ufbble reasons The students also said
the mall unfairly targeted them by dis
tributing its shopping courtesy code on
M?l) official* ifthiHed the policy ia
bebrsury 1996. Loilenog, yelling, play
ing radios and threatening other people
Accordina to wit rct?rcls siiehilv
matt than half of those stopped by mall
security are block.
This ia not the first time African
American youth have pointed the finger
at major retailers for discriminatory
acta
f See ?l)'fh on AH
?? ii ii i ?????
Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point vol. xxv no. is
The Chronicle
81060?" The Choice for African American News and Information e-mail address: wschron&netunlimifed.net
__ NFOCR3RYWMC?TY , ^
I WINSTON SALEM "
Conscientious
crafter
Photo# by T. Korin Walker
Over thm past 90 yMff/ Both Pmmmstmr has spant hours creating ornamonts tar har unique Christmas tram. Thm lacerations arm made tram scraps mt tahrk and
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Local woman turns scraps into treasures
By T.KEVIN WALKER
TWOBOWM
Roiic Feemster has seen the rigors
that some people go through to decorate
their homes for the holiday season.
' The ladders that are erected so that
yards of multi-colored lights can be
rigged on rooftop and chimneys. The
mammoth wreaths that are placed in
every window and on every door. The
elaborate, electric nativity scenes, com
plete with the Star of Bethlehem and
life-sized replicas of Mary, Joseph and
Baby Jesus.
Feemster has nothing against other
people's grandeur, it's just not her style.
Instead, Feemster throws a great
amount of energy and all of her holiday
spirit into her almost six-foot tall Christ
mas tree.
For more than a decade now, the
beautifully-crafted, intricate ornaments
that hang from the tree have been
designed and hand-made by Feemster
herself.
"I can do this by myself," Feemster
said, pointing to her tree. "If I did some
thing outside, I would need some help."
There was a time when Feemster was
like the rest of us, buying fragile bulbs
and glittery tinsel from department
stores, and then piling them on her tree.
But she wanted to break the monotony.
"I just wanted to do something dif
ferent, " she said.
Feemster's innovative approach to
ornament making starts with household
scraps. Discarded pieces of lace, old
strings of ribbon and outdated beads
have all made their way onto the tree in
some form or another.
Like most, shortly after the Thanks
giving holiday, she dusts off her tree and
clears a space in her living room. She
says it takes her almost an entire day to
decorate it and even longer if she has
new additions for the tree.
But she says she doesn't mind. Deco
rating the tree gets her in a festive mood
"This is my Christmas before Christ
mas," she said.
And for the short period of time
between Thanksgiving and New Year's,
the tree becomes the focal point of
Feemster's cozy living room.
Feemster - who is in her 70s and
semi-retired - tries to make at least one
or two new ornaments every year. She
says when she gets an idea, she quickly
SwItwaurM on AIO
Almost cool: Freshman prepares for exams
This article is part of an ongoing
series about Brian Graham, a freshman
at North Carolina Agricultural and Tech
nical State University. The Chronicle will
follow Brian through his first year as he
settles into life at the historically black
university.
By DAMON FORD
THE CHRONICLE
Final exams.
A time for studying and burning the
midnight oil for the average College stu
dent.
While many students are sweating
bullets while studying for as many as six
tests over the next 10 days, Brian Gra
ham, a freshman at N.C. Agriculture
and Technical State University was cool
and calm last weekend as he prepared
for his first finals week.
"I'll be up all night studying for
these two," he said sheepishly Sunday
evening. "I'm looking forward to going
home and seeing my friends."
The Hickory native was exempt from
a math exam because of his 110 average
and two others classes didn't have
finals, which makes exam week a little
less stressful, he says.
Looking back over the past Ave
months Graham has gone through a few
rough times as an Aggie but says he
doesn't regret anything.
One of his toughest challenges was
when he had to change roommates.
Graham moved down the hall to
bunk with fellow freshman Justin
Blackwell, a native of Yanceyville who
is majoring in mechanical engineering.
Graham switched rooms with Black
well's roommate. Graham says he never
had a conflict with his old roommate, a
childhood friend from Hickory.
Their schedules just didn't click.
"Me and Justin are similgr," Graham
said. "At eight we're up going to class
and meetings. But they still come down
here and we still go down there."
Graham's also had to adjust to a rig
orous college schedule. Most 18-year
olds are used to taking six test during a
grading period in high school but in col
lege Graham says the rules change.
"You could go a whole month with
one test and if you don't do good on it
you're messed up." he said.
He made a few mistakes but learned
some valuable lessons about handling
his studies.
"Don't wait until the last minute to
do stuff," he said. "Go ahead and get it
out of the way. Get to know your pro
SVi Orahom <m A13
services
held for
educator
By DAMON FORD
yHEOaOfOCLE J
A memorial service was held ast week for
Vance H. Chavis, one of Greensboro's best
known educators and civil rights leaders
The 92-year-old died last Monday at
Moses Cone Hospital after a lengthy bout -
with cancer. ,
Family and friends from all walks of life
packed into quaint St. James Presbyterian
Church, where Chavis was a member, to pay
their last respects to the astute man.
"He was a person who was very interest
ed in people," said his widow Mary Chavis,
"He was very conscious of the injustices that
involved his people." Throughout the ser
vice; heads were held high and smiles crossed
faces as people took the podium to reflect on
Chavis's life.
"I could give many examples of uncle
Vance's life," said his nephew. Dr. Theodore
Patterson. "HAavanted to do it all and he did
most of it."
See Chavis on AS
Crime
topic of
meeting
Residents air gripes
about judicial process
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
After decades of being the victims of
the worst crime rates in the city, East Win
ston residents want
peace of mind. And
they are turning to
local law enforce
ment and elected
officials to help them
get it.
A community
discussion Tuesday
evening at Sr. Bene
dict Catholic Church
was held to bring Wombh
lawmakers and citi
zens together under the same roof to dis
cuss the judicial process. but the discussion
, See Crime on All
Pkoto kgr Damon Ford
^ #ie Bmry SUndby pripeHr^ fcr e*e^
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