Inside MOREHOUSE A CAMPUS NEWSLETTER FOR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS FEBRUARY 2015 ■ 7 Review of Morehouse’s Month Meet the 2015 Bennie and Candle Tim Sams Brings His Touch to Talented Maroon Tigers Hoops of King Award honorees Student Development Team Looks for Postseason Success Founder's Day 2015 Morehouse Celebrates 148 Years of Black Male Excellence BY ADD SEYMOUR JR. t was in the evenings, inside the basement “Both of them look at what impacts Excellence” Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Ray of the Springfield Baptist Church, when African American men, the African Charles Performing Arts Center. the light began to shine. American community, from two different The Rev. Joe Samuel Ratliff, senior vantage points,” he said. “They are very pastor of Houston’s Brentwood Baptist I Forty students were in the first class­ prominent in the social activism space when Church, will end the four-day celebration es at what William Jefferson White founded it comes to black males, so it’s appropriate with the Founder’s Sunday Worship ser­ as the Augusta Institute in February 1867. that they come to Morehouse during a time vice in King Chapel. Now, 148 years later, that institution has when the plight of African American males A number of other events will take evolved into Morehouse College and celebrates has been such an issue.” place throughout the next few days. a long history of developing and producing the spiritual base of the College during Holder is one of six men who will be Goodgame said it all points to the excel­ men who have influenced history and the Sunday’s worship service. honored with a Bennie or Candle Award lence that WTiite and others saw for the world. Henry Goodgame ’84, director of during the 27th Annual “A Candle in the future of what has become Morehouse This week, the College has been Alumni Relations and the chairman of the Dark” Gala on Saturday evening. The oth­ College. commemorating White’s work with the Founder’s Day Steering Committee, said this ers are Robert Crews, Thomas Moorehead, “We celebrate the African American Founder’s Day celebration: from Cornel year is special as West and Candle Award Paul Judge ’98, Grant Hill and Eugene male and we’re going to give you every West’s Founder’s Day Convocation speech, honoree U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Wade ’92. They also will speak to stu­ example of why,” he said. “That’s what we to honoring men who have made signifi­ are part of the celebration. dents and the public during “Reflections of do at Morehouse.” ■ cant marks in the world, to remembering Moot Court Team Becomes First Tech Platform Upgrade to Provide HBCU to Win National Title State-of-the-Art Technology at Morehouse BY ADD SEYMOUR JR. THE COLLEGE’S information technolo­ of technology being up and running at a par­ gy infrastructure is in the midst of a huge ticular moment,” he said. “Our hope is for improvement program, primarily through people not to be thinking about whether or the $6.8-million Technology Platform not it’s going to be out or whether if s going to Upgrade project be up. So reliability is one really key feature. Spearheaded by gifts from members of the “Also, I think greater efficiency Morehouse College Board of Trustees, the proj­ because we have a lot of processes that ect is an effort to raise money to create a state- are manual or by paper,” Campbell said. of-the-art technology platform at Morehouse “We are trying to move away from that so Integral in making the upgrade happen we can have greater efficiency in the way have been Board Chair Robert C. Davidson we do things. Some of that means not Jr. ’67, the Board’s development just implementing new Rodje Malcolm, Professor Winfield Murray, Emmanuel Waddell committee chair Dale E. Jones “THERE ARE software, but doing the TWO THINGS WE BY ADD SEYMOUR JR. ’82 and committee member process redesign that goes ARE GOING FOR John Wallace. along with it.” IN ONLY THEIR second year of existence, the Morehouse College Moot Court - MORE CONSIS­ Nearly $3.8 million had TENTLY President John Silvanus team is now the best in the country. been raised by late January RELIABLE Wilson Jr. ’79 charged The team defeated defending champion Patrick Henry College 3-2 to through an anonymous TECHNOLOGY ... Cliff Russell, the College’s claim the 2014-2015 national championship at the American Collegiate Moot donor, board members, gifts AND GREATER chief information offi­ Court Association’s 2015 national tournament. The event was held at Florida EFFICIENCY." from corporate partners and cer, with evaluating the International University in Miami, Fla., Jan. 16-17. $700,000 in Microsoft software College’s technology infra­ The Morehouse team of Rodje Malcolm and Emmanuel Waddell, the only that came as a grant from the Thurgood structure strengths, weaknesses and needs. team from a historically black college or university in the competition, became Marshall College Fund. After his evaluation, Russell has begun the first HBCU squad to win the national title. They did it by defeating a Patrick Those gifts are already being used for implementing many of his suggestions. Henry College team that had won the title seven years in a row. things such as making needed improvements “The major thing we are going to see are Malcolm and Waddell were the nation’s only team to go undefeated for the to Banner, implementing new residence hall radical improvements in our management entire academic year. software and drastically improving Wi-Fi structure,” he said. “Things like Blackboard, “Rodje and Emmanuel are stellar students who worked extremely hard to access across campus. Banner and Banner Mobile. Students are win this competition,” said the team’s coach, Winfield Murray. “They repre­ “There are two things we are going going to see tangible user tools that they sim­ sented Morehouse superbly and without fault.” for - more consistently reliable technology ply did not have before. They’ll have Banner “Schools across the country have recognized that moot court better pre­ wherever you touch technology and greater Mobile so they can better manage their pares students for law school and law careers than any other forensic program,” efficiency,” said provost and senior vice presi­ course schedules. They will have a much eas­ he said. “Students have to understand judicial precedent, how to brief case law, dent for Academic Affairs Garikai Campbell. ier access to technology through the network how to argue appellate matters before the U.S. Supreme Court and how to “In the past, I think we have been plagued refinements that we’ll be able to put into address a tribunal en banc. These skills are normally taught in law school, so we with the question of could you rely on a piece place, and it will all be secure.” H are well ahead of the curve in preparing our lawyers of tomorrow.” I LU to INSIDE MOREHOUSE, FEBRUARY 2015 Dalton Becomes New Morehouse Police Chief Inside Morehouse is about the people who College’s First Female Chief to Focus on Community Policing make up the Morehouse College community. BY ADD SEYMOUR JR. To tell those stories, WHEN VALERIE DALTON first joined the Atlanta Police Department WE NEED YOU as an officer in the late 1980s, she made it clear that she didn’t want to to send us your ideas, sit behind a desk. “I stood toe to toe with everybody,” she said. “I was on the streets. I comments and thoughts, did the chasing. I did all of those things. I was determined that I was not along with your news, going to be looked at as a female, but as a fellow officer.” information about your new It’s a mindset that propelled her up through the APD ranks during a books or publications and 27-year career where she eventually became a major and zone commander. your commentary for She’s now blazing a new trail at Morehouse, as she has become the first sections like My Word. female to be sworn in as the College’s police chief. Dalton also becomes the To send us your information, associate vice president for Public Safety. “I am confident that we have chosen the right person at the right time contact Inside Morehouse for the right assignment, and that’s our new chief,” said President John Editor Add Seymour Jr. at Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79. [email protected] Dalton said she understands the significance of being the first female chief, but she is focused on providing a safer campus for the Morehouse community, especially students. Morehouse Police Chief Valerie Dalton speaks after her swearing in. For up-to-the minute “It’s a great opportunity for me to be part of a team that is responsible for securing and providing a secure atmosphere for future leaders,” Dalton the best way to do that is to develop tilings where there is some connectivity information about the College, said. “That’s a wonderful thing to have the opportunity to do.” and partnerships. I’m excited about making sure that happens and there is go to www.morehouse.edu A Cincinnati, Ohio, native who moved to South Georgia as a young­ not that disconnect between the police and students here on campus.” or visit Morehouse on ster, Dalton wants to tackle an issue plaguing many of the nation’s HBCUs Dalton took her new post on Jan. 5 and was officially sworn in by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube — decaying communities that surround them.