Softball star talks about her ambitions - See Page B2 Watt talks Medicare with local seniors - See Page A3 WSSU to welcome author Powell Sex and faith are subjects of book See Page A 9 "flRM* ' * " S-DIGIT 27101 23 071405 ADMINISTRATION FORSYTH CNTY PUB LIB 660 W STH ST WINSTON NC 271*1-2755 75 c. For Reference Not rjto be taken from this library CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OK COMMUNITY JOURf* Vol. XXX No. 31 THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2 The Littlest Guest Photo by Chalic Pfaff The Chronicle's 21st Annual Community Service Awards Banquet drew more than 600 people to the Benton Convention Center last Thursday where they watched more than two dozen people receive awards for their service. Among the guests was this little guy who upstaged many adults with his mature table etiquette. Student/soldiers to come home from Middle East V Platoon has been overseas for nearly a year BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE Twenty-nine Army reservists from the third pla toon of 991st Transportation Company are expected to return to Winston-Salem in about a Matthews week. The pla toon is based at Smothers Army Reserve Center on Mar t i n Luther King Jr. Drive. I he platoon is a detachment. Most of 991st Transportation Company is based in Salisbury. The unit transported food, supplies and sometimes ammunition to U.S. forces in Iraq. Fourteen of the reservists in the platoon are college stu dents who were abruptly pulled from the classroom in January 2003 when their com pany was activated. The reservists were enrolled in colleges throughout the Triad, including Winston-Salem State University, N.C. A&T State University and Greens Photo by Kevin Walker Lisa Davis talks to one of her " babies " by telephone from Kuwait. Davis is the platoon's sergeant. boro College. The platoon is also overwhelmingly African American. Of the 29 reservists, 25 are black. .Lisa Ann Davis, the pla toon's sergeant, said that many of the college students in the platoon joined the reserves to get money to pay for college. They never dreamed that they would be called to fight a waf. "They are really young. Some of them were in their first year of college," said Davis, who affectionately refers to members of the pla toon as her "babies." Davis, a 23-year veteran, accompanied her platoon to Iraq and spent two months with them before a medical condition required her to come home. This week, she is at Fort Bragg, waiting for her babies to return to American soil. The platoon is expected to return to Win ston-Salem by April 17. In some ways, Davis said, See Soldiers on A9 Execs bring corporate ladder tales to WSSU BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE The corporate world can be dog-eat-dog and cutthroat, three African-American executives told Winston-Salem State Uni versity students last week. To survive, they said, it takes the proper armor: a good education, mentors and the drive to go above and beyond. For the past several years, the National Urban League has been sending groups of black corporate-types to black col leges around the country to school students on the dos and don'ts and pluses and minuses of the business world. The pro gram, called the Black Execu tive Exchange Program, or BEEP, has made stops at WSSU for the past four years. Last week, three executives visited more than a d07.cn class rooms over two days at WSSU, where they told students that being mediocre doesn't cut it anymore. Today's human resources departments are look ing for people who are not only bright, but have a variety of skills to bring to the table, they said. Anne Marie Rowe-Straker of the Federal Reserve tank of Photo by KcVin Walker Bank executive Anne Marie Kowe-Straker makes a point lait week at WSSU. New York told students that they must work on being a multi tasker and not put all of their creative tggs in one basket. "What took 10 people to get done, managers are now looking for one person to do," said Rowe-Straker, who caused some students to ooh and aah when she told them she controls about $1.8 trillion on any given day at FRBNY. The students that will gradu ate from universities in the next Set BEEP on A10 Ready, Set, Study Wake students' program promotes good study habits COURTNEY GAILLARD THE CHRONICLE Tierney Kraft and Eliza beth Eubank couldn't believe that an Old Town Elementary School fifth-grader was doing her homework on a bucket at home. The Wake Forest sen iors volunteer as tutors at the school and recently found out that many other students like the fifth-grader don't have a decent place at home to study. "The fifth-grade teacher said that only four out of 20 kids in her class do well because they were the only ones with positive study envi ronments (at home)," said Eubank, who is double-major ing in studio art and sociolo gy Kraft and Eubank devel oped DESK (Developing Edu cation Through Student Knowledge) where they will provide 20 elementary stu dents with desks, chairs, school supplies and tutoring. The project has been fully funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Community Responsibility Grant. A local used furniture warehouse, Skidmore's, donated all of the desks and chairs, some of Photo by Kevin Walker Tierney Kraft and Elizabeth Eubank transport one of the desks they have collected. which can run hundreds of dollars apiece. "It's such a small thing at home, but a desk can have a big impact. We know that if we clear off our study space and have a good work envi ronment, then it really increases our ability to do work," said Kraft, who is a business major. "So many of these kids who are in need have tutors, which helps, but then they go home and they don't have a work environ ment or know about good study habits,^ Limited quiet space at home, says Old Town princi pal Tobie Arnold, is some thing many of her students are accustomed to working in where the battle for concen tration is constant. Old Town faculty identified children Sec DESK on AS In Grateful Memory of Our Founders, Florrie S. Russell and Carl H. Russell, Sr. " Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better " Muz&M fflutiBtixl Wotnt Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support 822 Carl Russell Ave. (at Martin Luther King Or.) Winston-Salem, NC 27101 722-3459 Kax (33