THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 7, 1994 TAG: 9410070084
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER CAMPUS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
WHEN WINFRED Thomas was named class president this year, his teachers and classmates were not the least bit surprised.
It was something they had heard the year before, the year before that and the year before that.
Winfred, 17, a senior at Booker T. Washington High in Norfolk, has been president of his class every year since he was a freshman.
Besides being in charge, Winfred enjoys Italian culture - from the yummy cuisine to the movie mob scene - and playing baseball.
FULL NAME: Winfred Thomas, Jr.
BIRTHDATE: February 13, 1977
BIRTHPLACE: Norfolk
OCCUPATION: Maintenance clerk at Rack & Sack grocery store
SIBLINGS: Lizetta, 24, Charity, 14, and Dwight, 16
WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT DAY OFF: Sleeping in late and phoning my friends to see what's up for the night.
LAST SMART THING YOU DID: Enrolled in summer school so I could increase my grade-point average.
LAST DUMB THING YOU DID: Alienated a friend of mine for going with a girl I formerly dated.
FAVORITE MEAL: Anything Italian.
FAVORITE MOVIES: ``The Godfather'' and ``The Godfather II''
FAVORITE SONG: ``As We Lay'' by Shirley Murdock
FAVORITE SINGER/BAND: Toni Braxton
LAST BOOK READ: ``Gentleman Pimp'' by A.S. Jackson
HOBBIES: Playing baseball and computers.
BEST DATE YOU'VE BEEN ON: The young lady and I stayed home, ordered pizza and talked.
WORST DATE YOU'VE BEEN ON: I took a young lady out for dinner, paid for everything, walked her to her door and she said, ``I had a good time, FRIEND.'' I almost died.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?: I would eliminate my tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. At times, I am not taken seriously because I have been known to play too much.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR PARENTS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?: Nothing. I have a very close relationship with my parents. I discuss anything with them.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: ``Law and Order,'' ``The Real World'' and ``Melrose Place''
LAST VACATION: July 1993, when my family went to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
BEST JOB: Working at Rack & Sack
WORST JOB: Working at Hardee's on the grill. The heat was unbearable.
WHAT ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?: Being elected class president four years running at Booker T. Washington. Being selected for ``Who's Who in American High School Students'' for 1992-94.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IN 10 YEARS?: A lawyer with a respectable salary.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING IN AMERICA, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?: I would change the way young black males are viewed in America because the viewpoint is one-sided (the negative side). Not all young black males come from single families or are drug dealers or users or gang members. We are not all in jail nor jail-bound.
We have morals, principles, values, dreams and goals we want to and are going to achieve. There needs to be more attention given to young black males who are achieving success and are still in their communities giving themselves and being examples to their neighbors to balance the viewpoint and reflect the true picture of the young black male.
HEROES AND ROLE MODELS: The Lord Jesus Christ and my parents.
YOUR MOST UNIQUE TRAIT: My personality
BEST SUBJECT: Social studies
WORST SUBJECT: Math
IF A MOVIE WAS FILMED ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE DRAMATIC TURNING POINT?: The turning point of my life was when I enrolled in Booker T. Washington High School. It wasn't long before I realized that I was starting over again and I had to reestablish my credentials. It gave me the incentive to set priorities and goals and helped me develop a desire to get focused and reach my goals.
WHAT MAKES YOU MAD?: I do not get mad often, but when I do, it is usually when individuals are untruthful. I feel there is no need to lie, because it has been proven through experience that ``What is done in the dark will come to light.'' MEMO: Holly Wester is a student at Virginia Wesleyan College. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
Senior Winfred Thomas has been president of his Booker T. Class
every year since he was a freshman.
by CNB