Salem, -i^ "20409 1 * ? ? ?
T NORTH CAROLINA ROO!
FORSYTH CTY PUBLIC
660 W 5TH ST
WINSTON' SALEW NC
Winston
Vol. XXXVI No. 6 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, October 8, 2009
WSSU has
mind on
basketball
season
?See Page B9
Ministers
open
hearts to
students
-See Page A2
Gospel
music
comes to
the fa^om
)thCountH^^
ZOKA NI /VLI
illltSION
Photos by Todd Luck
Hemenway's "Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Biography."
Celebrating
Zora
Library plans major roll out for
this year's Big Read
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
More than 1 30 people
packed into the Diggs Gallery
last Thursday night to hear
about the life of author Zora
Neale Hurston.
Dr. Robert Hemenway,
author of "Zora Neale
Hurston: A Literary
tJiograpny spoke
on Hurston's life.
The event was part
of this year's Big
Read, co-sponsored
by the Forsyth
County Public
Library and Z.
Smith Reynolds
Library at Wake
roresi university. ?
The project's goal is
to set the whole
county reading Zora's most
famous work, "Their Eyes
Were Watching God."
"We are in the middle of a
six week celebration of all
things Zora," said Elizabeth
Skinner. Big Read chair and
assistant county library direc
.tor.
A puppet show perform
ance of Hurston's stories,
screenings of documentaries
on Hurston's life, and many
book discussions of "Eyes" are
just a few of the Big Read
activities. The film adaptation
of "Eyes," produced by Oprah
Winfrey's Harpo Productions
and starring Halle Berry, was
screened last Monday. The
final event will be a presenta
tion of "Zora a one woman
show starring Kim
Brockington presented by the
North Carolina Black
Repertory Company on
October 24 and 25 at the Arts
Council Theatre.
Forsyth County
Library Director
Sylvia Sprinkle
Hamlin said the
attendance at the
events has been
good so far.
"Eyes" was
chosen from among
several books that
Skinner
have been done by
other communities
throughout the
country using Big Read grants
from the National Endowment
of the Arts, which are designed
to promote reading in the
United States. Sprinkle
Hamlin said "Eyes" was of
interest to many in the commu
nity and a personal favorite of
hers.
"We felt it would fit in our
community and we would
have a diverse audience," said
Sprinkle-Hamlin.
Born in 1891, Hurston
grew up in Eatonville, Fla., the
nation's first incorporated
See Big Read on A12
Phcrto by Layla Farmc f
Dan Besse and Derwin Montgomery at Hanes Park.
Fair-y Land
Photo by Kevin Walker
Chanel Williams, right, and her friend, Debbie, joined thousands of others
Sunday at the Dixie Classic Fair. All the rides, games, food and excitement were
almost too overwhelming for Chanel's son, Cintonio (seated up top), and
Debbie's boy, Jason. The two little ones could not keep their heads still as they
surveyed the scene.
Parents urged to be open about sex
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
A panel discussion on Teenage
Pregnancy Prevention and Sexuality
held at the Central Library Tuesday
night served as the kickoff of Forsyth
County's participation in a national
campaign to increase parents' willing
ness to talk to their children about sex.
"Kids want to learn about sex,"
commented Teen Talk Coordinator
Rolanda Coleman, "and parents actu
ally have the most influence over their
(children's) choices about sex."
Observed in October of each year,
"Let's Talk Month" is designed to help
See Talk on A 12
Photo by Layla Farmer
Board Chair Carrie Worsley accepts a proclamation
from Mayor Allen Joines.
A Different Kind
of City Council Race
Council Member takes on future Council Member
on the track to generate excitement about voting
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Democrats Derwin
Montgomery and Dan Besse will
never have to face off in the City
Council elections, but that didn't
stop the two from vying for brag
ging rights Monday afternoon,
with a 400-meter foot race.
The race was the brainchild of
Besse, 54, the Council's youngest
incumbent. He challenged
Montgomery, 21, to the race,
themed, "Everybody's in the
Running," in hopes of increasing
awareness of the upcoming
municipal elections.
"These are very important
contests with respect to what kind
of city government we're going
to have for the next four years,"
Besse remarked. "If Derwin and
I can help draw some interest in
the importance of these elections,
it'll all be worthwhile."
The foot race found
Montgomery the victor, with a
slim, 11-second margin over his
elder competitor. Montgomery,
who participated in track and
field in high school, finished the
lap around the track at Hanes
Park in one minute, two seconds.
"Hey, double or nothing,"
Besse quipped, as the two stood
side by side at the finish line,
panting.
Sec Race on A 1 2
PhoCtx by Lay la Farmci
Pollard
A
Divine
Decade
WFU School of
Divinity celebrates
10th anniversary
BY LAYLA FARMER
I III CHRONICLE
Wake Forest University
celebrated a landmark in the
history of its School of
Divinity Tuesday morning, at
the school's Wait Chape/.
Sept. 12, 2009 marked the
official tenth anniversary of
the ecumenical Divinity
School's founding. Current
divinity
students
joined
with
alumni,
faculty
and staff
members
t o
observe
the occa
sion at the Miiti
school's
fall convocation.
"There was a great spirit in
the room." WFU President
Nathan Hatch said, relating a
tale of the gathering that led to
the divinity school's incep
tion. "New divinity schools
do not often start, and it was
clear that something special
happening."
A decade later, the divinity
school still stands strong on
the principles it initially
embraced, added Hatch.
"There is an abiding spirit
here of service and of great
hope." he commented,
"..ithis is indeed good work."
The service employed the
help of many current and for
mer students, who served in
various capacities. from
Margaret Leinbach. a member
of the School's Class of 2003,
who read the Scripture for the
day. to Cedric Wright, a mem
ber of the Class of 2010. who
read an excerpt from famed
African American author Toni
Morrison's novel. "Beloved. '
The Divinity School Choir
also performed several selec
tions.
The school also began the
2009-2010 season of its
Steelman Lectures series at
the convocation. The series
was endowed in 1998, by the
late Dr. Stanford L. Steelman.
an accomplished biochemist,
in honor of his w ife. Margaret
A. Steelman. who is also now
deceased. Members of the
Steelman family were in
See Divinit) on A 10
DON'T
PASS
THE BUCK
BUY LOCAL