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The Chronicle
Volume41,Number36 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, May 21, 2015
GRADUATION DAY 2015 I
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Photo by Erin Mizelle for the Winston-Salem Chronicle
Kenny Brown, WSSU student government vice president of external affairs, graduates from Winston-Salem
State University on Friday, May IS at Bowman Gray Stadium with a bachelor's degree in political science
and a concentration in public administration.
Common tells WSSU graduates:
'Depart to serve'
BY CHANEL DAVIS
IHE CHRONICLE
Winston-Salem State University's
2015 graduating class of roughly
1,000 undergraduate and graduate
students listened closely as they were
encouraged to find, believe in and
live their paths by Grammy-award
winner Common as they embark on
their next adventure.
More than 12,000 people filled
Bowman Gray Stadium Friday morn
ing, May 15, despite the threat of rain,
to see their children, mothers, broth
ers, sisters, fathers and friends cross
the finish line of their academic jour
ney.
Austin Parks, 21, was in line with
his brothers, although not familial, as
they anxiously waited to march into
the stadium. Parks, a member of
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, said he
was excited to be graduating with a
bachelor's degree in Sports
Management.
"I'm ready to go make the big
dollar signs, eventually," he said,
adjusting his tie. "I'm going to go get
my law degree before eventually
becoming a sports agent."
A calm Jasmine May, 21, stood in
the rear of the line patiently waiting to
receive her degree.
"I'm very, very excited.
Sometimes the road got tough, but we
made it," she said.
The clinical lab science major is
not quite done with school yet.
"I'm going to graduate school at
UNC-Greensboro in the fall."
Common, the 2015 commence
ment speaker, told graduates that they
should give themselves purpose, be
great at it and make sure that it's for
them and it impacts someone or
See WSSU on A7
Colbert jokes, gives WFU grads
advice: Set your own standard
President Hatch says
slow down to figure
out next steps in life
BY CHANEL DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE '
Thousands of people filled Wake
Forest University's Hearn Plaza, also
known as The Quad, from wall to
wall Monday morning, May 18, bat
tling the heat.
Almost 1,900 of them were mem
bers of the graduating class of 2015,
six of them Fulbright Scholars and
more than 800 graduate and profes
sional students. Relatives and friends
came to watch their loved ones
receive their hard-earned degrees.
President Nathan O. Hatch told
graduates that they should take this
opportunity to breathe before the start
of their new experiences and lives.
"Your work is finished. You can
now exhale and inhale without glanc
ing at your iPhone to check for the
next meeting, lab, paper or test. This
is a great occasion to breathe, stop,
slow down and savor the moment, all
that you've accomplished," he said.
He went on to tell graduates that
this is a pivotal moment to invoke
breathing spaces by learning to wel
come surprises and unexpected
opportunities and to stop long enough
to ask 'What is worth giving my life
for? Are my aspirations big enough?
Are they worthy enough?'
"Give yourself enough breathing
room to welcome the unexpected," he
said. "... When you inhale, give
thanks for what has been accom
plished. When you exhale, make sure
you're not just going through the
See WFU on A7
Safety, mobility
concerns arise
in talk about
new bus routes
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Proposed changes to bus routes in East Winston were
among several topics at the East Ward town hall meeting
held Thursday, May 14, at New Jerusalem Baptist Church.
The town hall was one regularly held by City Council
Member Derwin Montgomery to keep his East Ward con
stituents informed. Attendees heard from representatives
from various city departments, including the Winston
Salem Transit Authority.
Tina Carson-Wilkins, WSTA marketing director, made
a presentation on the 26 new proposed bus routes. She
explained that many of the current routes go back decades,
with various small changes to them made over time. She
said the new routes, designed to be more direct and effi
cient, where created using information from surveys of
WSTA passengers. The routes were created within the
WSTA's current budget, using similar amounts of miles
and man hours.
She said East Winston, like the rest of the city, will see
changes to its service.
"We're going to add a circulator, which is going to be
solely for the East Winston community," she said "We're
going to give you the opportunity to connect more because
we're going to add more transfer points so instead of
everybody having to come downtown, you'll be able to go
to Sturmer Park to transfer, perhaps to the Department of
Social Services, where so many services are needed."
She also listed a planned transfer point at the old
Union Station, which the City is planning to transform
into a transportation hub. Night routes will increase from
seven routes to 12. Saturday routes will be reduced from
18 to 13, but now all routes will run both day and night.
She said the new route numbers will stay the same
See Routes on A2
City reports no major
tax increases, less
crime at East Ward
town hall meeting
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE .
Several other topics were discussed during last week's
East Ward town hall meeting.
City Manager Lee Garrity talked about the city budget
that would be released today (May 21). It's a balanced
budget, as city budgets are required to be by state law. It
continues to compensate for $7 million in state funding
that is being cut over four year, but contains no reduction
in services or tax increases beyond the property tax hikes
approved by voters as part of the bonds. He said it was a
relatively "calm" budget.
Winston-Salem Police Department Chief Barry
Roundtree said that overall crime was down in the city rel
ative to last year. He also responded to a viral Youtube
video posted in April showing a 2 a.m. downtown group
street brawl near the intersection of Fourth and Cherry
streets.
"Our downtown is safe, this community is safe," he
said. "Our crime in downtown is down 19.4 percent from
last year. That fight was an isolated incident. "
Rountree responded to a question on what the WSPD
is doing as far as community outreach and preventing
police abuse. He said there were 340 body cameras in use
See Town Hall on A2
Adams opens satellite office in Winston-Salem, 5 other cities
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams has announced the
opening of a satellite office in Winston-Salem and
five other cities throughout North Carolina's 12th
Congressional District, which she represents.
The Winston-Salem office is in the Black
Phillips Smith Neighborhood Government
Services Center. 2301 N. Patterson Ave. Hours are
Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The
phone number is 336-275-9950.
Adams' staff will be available to assist con
stituents with casework and various other services
during the times the satellite
offices are open.
Former N.C. Sen. Earline
Parmon, who is now Adams'
outreach director, will be the
staff person at the new office.
Parmon said Monday. May
18, that Adams wants all in the
district to know that the office is
there and personnel are ready to "??
help them with their issues
involving federal agencies such as with Medicaid t
Medicare, Social Security and the Internal
Revenue Service.
Her email address is
Earline Parmon@mail .house .gov.
In addition to Adams' two district offices in
Charlotte and Greensboro, constituents from the
12th District can visit either one of the six satellite
offices during the days and hours they are open.
"I want to make sure everyone in North
Carolina's 12th Congressional district has access
to my office," Adams said. "I understand that our
Sec Office on A3
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