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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS E'f* if* Donnell Williamson Campus News Editor donnellwilliamsonjr@yahoo.com nee President John Wilson ’79 an nounced that the speaker for the class of 2013 commencement would be President Barack Obama, students, alum ni, faculty, staff, family and friends all stood to their feet in amazement. Obama will address the class on May 19 at the 129th Commencement of More house College. His first HBCU commence ment took place at Hampton University in 2010. Everyone who has a communal rela tionship with the Morehouse community began to tweet and update their Facebook statuses, relaying the message around the world: Barack Obama will be the speaker at Morehouse’s commencement this year! The class of 2013 is elated with this op portunity to hear the first African-American president deliver their commencement ad dress. African-American Studies major and Senior Class President Michael Daniels- Fleming ’13 is among those who are excited about Obama coming to speak. “Understanding all of the sacrifices that former Men of Morehouse have made to secure President Barack Obama as this year’s commencement ceremony speaker, I am extremely honored to be a beneficiary of such tireless efforts,” Daniels-Fleming said. Daniels-Fleming will be addressing the class of 2013 along with Obama. His expecta tions for Obama are high regarding the an niversaries that have occurred this year. “Given the importance of the century’s events, the anniversary of Morehouse Col lege’s Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech delivered at the March on Washington in 1963, the granting of freedom of slaves with the signing of the Emancipa tion Proclamation in 1863, and then the cen tennial year of the naming of the college, I expect President Obama to reflect on these events and to place his own life story in the context of the events as a means of encour aging the class of 2013 to go forth and serve as leaders in our community,” Daniels-Flem ing said. Students have set high expectations for the president. Senior Political Science ma jor Adam Starks is in the midst of those stu dents, too. “I feel ecstatic, almost too overjoyed to explain, but when I sit back and think there are three key points that come to mind,” “President Barack Obama ...will be a Morehouse Man” Starks said. “The first is what an honor it is for my class to be sent out to the world as Morehouse Men by the president of the Unit ed States, simply remarkable. “The second is more personal because since I will be commissioning as a 2nd Lieu tenant in the Air Force, on that day the Com mander in Chief will commission me to my life of military service, something I never dreamed would be the beginning of my ca reer,” Starks said. “Finally it will be amazing to say that once President Barack Obama re ceives his honorary degree he will be a Morehouse Man and a member of the class of 2013. That is pretty amazing.” Not only are students excited about the president coming to speak at commence ment. They are also shaping their minds around things that will have a lasting effect on them for the rest of their lives. “I believe President Obama will go down Morehouse history and discuss how certain Morehouse alum paved the way for him and allowed him to be where he is to day,” Starks said. Starks is prepared for the charge that Obama will give his class to go out and change the world. “I also think he will talk about the coming challenges in the educational sys tem as well as the world we are all about to enter,” Starks said. “I do not think he will address any specifically divisive issues, but will use this opportunity to challenge More house as an institution and our class as black men to continue to be on the cutting edge of social progression and never stop pushing forward in education because the future of America, in the eyes of our president, is in the hands of a heavily specialized and edu cated population.” The class of 2013 is ready to embark upon a new chapter of their lives. They t are preparing for Obama to give them the “hope” to change the world, cited about Sheftall receiving a Bennie award. “Sheftall has been here for a long time,” Butler commented. “Over the many years that he has been here, I know that he has made many contributions to the Col lege.” However, some students have begun to real ize the importance of the Gala, despite the fundraising aspect. “One of the primary purposes of the Gala is to raise money for the college; how ever, the Gala has a more symbolic pur pose,” Leonard said. “Having the opportu nity to learn of the accomplishments of the award recipients makes me realize why l chose to attend Morehouse College.” Students are truly inspired by the re cipients and are thankful for the commit ments that they have made and will make in the future. Recycle The Maroon Tiger