^?^^ ^5 cents
| Prep Dozens Early .\ebra/>
?ESS!rack. gather L. College
UBQS1 ?*-?*?'M*%*%&, f
See Page A2
The Chron
- Vol.XXXVUlNo.38 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, May 17, 2012
Photo by Lay la Garms
Roderick Mclver address
es the students as GIDE
YEA Board Chair Ward
Miller looks on.
Attorney
fights
bullying
by layla garms
The chronicle
Roderick Todd Mclver says
that his nine year-old son Kofi
has always been an avid learn
er and a standout in the class
room, so when Kofi's grades
began to
_? i -
sup lasi
year,
Mclver
said he and
Kofi's
mother,
M s h4i ri
Evans,
knew
something
was
wrong.
"At the end of his second
grade year, he started not
wanting to go to school,"
explained Mclver, who has
been practicing law since
1993. "He started having
nightmares. That's when we
realized something was going
on."
It wasn't long before
Kofi's parents discovered the
root of their son's angst. He
was being bullied
"Kofi's small for his age.
He was a premature baby, so
he's always been smaller than
most of the kids," explained
Mclver, the father of two
boys. "Kofi likes to read and
draw. (The bully) would say
Kofi was a geek. He would
always pick on Kofi about not
playing sports. It kept escalat
ing and Kofi just became the
mark."
Though afraid Kofi kept
quiet about his problems at
See Bullying on A2
I
McClain
A Phenomenal Vision
Photo by Lay la Garrm
Dr. Maya Angelou speaks during an announce
ment at Forsyth Medical Center on Tuesday. Also
pictured are Dr. Chere Gregory, director of neuro
sciences (right) and Kirsten Royster, head of the
Sara Lee Center for Women's Health.
President's stance gets local support
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE
One day after North Carolina voters passed
Amendment One, essentially banning same-sex unions
in the Tarheel State, President Barack Obama surprised
many when he publicly voiced his support for gay mar
riage for the first time.
Pundits have been busy theorizing what, if any,
effect the president's stance will have on his reelection
chances. Many locals, even those who don't fully agree
with President Obama on the issue of same-sex unions,
are finding common ground.
"(President Obama) has his views on how he
believes and he's not going to condemn to hell those
who have different beliefs," said Rev. Donald Jenkins,
pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church. "1 think
his spirit in how he came to his belief ought to be
admired."
Jenkins doesn't support same-sex marriage, but he
Aaron
Jenkins
While House Photo
President Obama announces his support for gay marriage to ABC's
See Marriage on A5 Robin Roberts last week at the White House.
Thousands attend Saturday's ceremony.
WSSL' Photo by Garrett Garms
Graduates persevered and survived
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE
Winston-Salem State University
conferred 1,200 degrees on Saturday
ai tne
Lawrence Joel
Veterans
Memorial
Coliseum ..dur
ing one of its
largest com
mencement
exercises to
date.
The stu
dents - who
danced, cried
and strolled across the stage to accept
their degrees - attracted a crowd of
nearly 14,000 well wishers, according
to WSSU officials.
Making it to graduation day was
no small feat for Durham resident
Johnathan Davis, who was diagnosed
with spinal cancer earlier this year.
She endured 22 rounds of radiation
that ended only two months before
she triumphantly crossed the stage in
i
her wheelchair Saturday.
"It has just been a heartwarming
experience," confessed Davis, a nurs
ing major who spent 16 years in the
field prior to her diagnosis. The 43
year-old said the pressure of her ill
ness was so great that there were
times when she feared she'd never be
_ ^
able to complete her degree.
"I stayed in the hospital a lot
because 1 coulcki't eat," she related.
"...It was days when I would just cry
and say, 'I can't go no fiirther. I can't
do this no more.'"
Davis credits two close friends and
her 14 year-old daughter Kalyn, who
accompanied her at the ceremony,
with keeping her encouraged through
out the ordeal and helping her to real
ize her cfceam of getting a college
degree.
Though he learned a lot at
WSSU, marketing major Desmond
Barnes said the semester he spent
studying abroad at Thammasat
University in Bangkok, Thailand was
hands down the most formative expe
rience of his college career. Barnes, a
Thuigood Marshall College Fund
ambassador and first generation col
lege grad, spent the Spring 2012
semester in Thailand along with 99
other students from across the globe.
The Hampton, Va.-native also visited
Sri Lanka, India and Cambodia during
Barnes
WSSU Photo by Gantn Ganm
Dr. Dyson addresses the mas
sive crowd.
Pholo by Layla Garms %
a i 1 ~ I a l n ? ? ^ i' i
mumnu junnuinan uuvis nun ner
SeeWSSUonA9 daughter, Kalyn Davis Wilder.
Workers exemplify can-do spirit
Local residents overcome physical, mental setbacks to become gainfully employed
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Monarch's Community
Employment Program cele
brated the accomplishments of
more than 80 individuals who
overcame great obstacles to
find worl^. The workers were
lauded during a ceremony last
Thursday at the Behavioral
Health Plaza on Highland
Avenue.
Monarch, formally Arc
Services, is a statewide non
profit that assists clients with
developmental and intellectual
dsabilities, mental illness or
substance abuse issues. The
local Community
Employment Program - based
at its Forsyth Industrial
Systems location - provides
vocational services such as
training and job coaches to res
idents in Forsyth, Davie,
Stokes and Guilford counties.
Clients are trained in custodial
work, food services and con
tract packaging and work for
local companies like Texas
Pete
i- _r a
oeiore get
ting jobs
of their
own.
More
than 60
alumni of
the pro
gram were
recognized
for finding
and keep
ing jobs
within the last 12 months and
more than a dozen more were
recognized for having stayed at
their jobs for 5-20 years. The
alumni's employers vary great
ly and include Lowes Foods,
See Alumni on A3
n
Photos by Todd Luck
Nakisha Beasley receives her award from Chris
Richardson and Ann Webster (center).
Hiatt
CHAMBER
A MM Fir Business.
S9B9BS
? Bo