Christopher Thigpen, 11th grader Norwalk High School, reports from Morehouse College

Morehouse College By Christopher Thigpen – 11th grader Norwalk High School This May, President Barack Obama will deliver the commencement speech at Morehouse College. How inspiring to have the first African American president delivering this very important message to hundreds of African American males who will go on in their pursuit to change the world for the better. Morehouse has been preparing young men to change the world for decades. Morehouse has traditionally graduated more black men than any other school, anywhere. As a young black male I have dreamed of one day experiencing the “Morehouse Mystique” of being a part of a brotherhood that is like no other. I know that Morehouse will be a place that will not ignore, stereotype or make me feel inferior. It will be a place that promotes respect, brotherhood and pride. Words cannot express the thrill and excitement that I feel as I walk the grounds of Morehouse. Will I be able to change the world just as many have done before me? I am so grateful for the opportunity that the Carver Center has given me. I am spiritually disciplined and I am more determined than ever before to gain admission to Morehouse College. The Augusta Institute was re-named Morehouse College in honor of Henry L. Morehouse when it relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 1879 from Augusta, GA. He donated the most money at the time so the school bares his name. There are many prominent graduates of Morehouse. Possibly the most famous is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the country through one of its most transforming civic movements; David Satcher brought attention to the issues of health care disparity and access. Maynard Jackson caught the attention of the world when he focused on diversity and equal access as the first African American mayor of Atlanta; Donn Clendenon was named a World Series MVP; and Spike Lee continues to make films that challenge how blacks are viewed in life. I was surprised to hear that Dr. King’s father and brother also graduated from Morehouse. Morehouse has an auditorium that was named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There are many paintings/portraits on display in the auditorium and the flags that are hanging in the halls show the diversity of its students. The painting that caught my attention was one that had the top in black and white and the bottom in color. I learned that the top of the painting represents the individuals who inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and the bottom the represents the many people who Martin Luther King Jr. inspired. I have read that Dr. King’s “non-violence movement” was inspired by Mahatma Ghandi and this inspiration is captured here with prominently displayed quotes in the lobby of the auditorium and two sculptures. One is of Ghandi and the other is of his wife Kasturba. The sculpture was unique because Ghandi has his eyes closed and Kasturba had her eyes open which represents that she was his ears. The other had Ghandi’s ears open and his wife’s ears were covered. This represent that he was her ears as well. The campus also has the Ray Charles Musical Hall which was made possible by a generous donation from the famous singer. Admission to Morehouse requires a 2.8 GPA. There are approximately 2,500 students and the tuition is $40,000/year. Not even the tuition can dampen my hopes of being a Morehouse Tiger in the very near future.