SENIORS DAY Crown Forum
A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE
THURSDAY, APRIL TWENTIETH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR INTERNATIONAL CHAPEL
A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCEC
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
Prelude “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” Fred Block
Opening Prayer Tyler Micah Washington ’23
The Occasion Daryl Bodrick ’23
An Epilogue for Morehouse Brothers Illya E. Davis ’89 Director for Freshmen and Seniors’ Academic Success
Introduction of Speaker Cornell K. Harris ’23
Poem Cruz -Malik Duhart ’23
Sage Reflections to Seniors Winford K. Rice, ’14 Adjunct Professor of Religion
Departmental Recognition of Highest Performing Seniors
Dr. Melvin Foster Associate Provost of Academic Success Associate Professor of Music
College Hymn Dear Old Morehouse J.O.B. Moseley ’29
College Organist Dr. David Oliver SENIORS
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
Program
DAY - CROWN FORUM
SENIORS DAY SPEAKER
Winford K. Rice Jr.
Reverend Winford Kennadean Rice Jr., commonly known as “Kenny,” is the proud son of Winford K. Rice Sr. and Crystal S. Rice from Suffolk, Virginia, and has one sister, Jasmine Rice.
Reverend Rice is a 2014 Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion & Philosophy, and was the top ranking scholar in the department of Religion. While at the college, Kenny served as the President of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Assistants program, presidential ambassador, NAACP political action co-chair, UPS Scholar, congressional intern for Rep. John Lewis through the Congressional Black Caucus, traveled to Toyko, Nagaski and Hiroshima, Japan as a peace ambassador for the non-proliferation of nuclear weaponry and was named the 2013-2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar. Additionally, he was initiated as a member of the distinguished Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and published his first work in an anthology of sermons by the Academy of Preachers in 2013. Reverend Rice has since been cited in the New York Times
Reverend Rice was licensed and ordained by Dr. Steven G. Blunt at First Baptist Church, Mahan in Suffolk, Virginia. He is a 2017 graduate of Harvard University’s Divinity School (HDS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he received his Master of Divinity degree as a Ministry Fellow. While at Harvard, Reverend Rice proudly served as the Youth and Young Adult Pastor of the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Reverend Rice also served as a Religious Services Fellow and prison chaplain for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Corrections in Chicago, Illinois, where his research examined the correlation between the usage of religious services and reduced recidivism rates for detainees in Cook County (Chicago). Additionally, Reverend Rice was the 2014-2015 Scholar in Residence at Myrtle Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts.
In March of 2017, Reverend Rice was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Pastoral Leadership at Morehouse College for his commitment to bridging civil societies, political institutions, and religious communities after having traveled to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pretoria, South Africa. He was also featured as one of the Late Night New Voices at the 103rd Annual Hampton Minister's Conference in Hampton, Virginia. In 2018, Reverend Rice graduated from Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia with a Master of Theology degree, specifically focusing on political and practical theologies. Currently, Reverend Rice serves as an Adjunct Professor of Religion at Morehouse College in the Religion and Philosophy Department as well as the Minister of Outreach and Men’s Ministries at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia where Dr. Cynthia Hale is Pastor and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree at Emory University.
Above all, Reverend Rice is passionate about preaching, pastoring, and people, and seeks to bridge the church and the academy by serving in the parish with both head and heart. In all things that he does, he aims to preach the gospel, and if necessary, uses words.
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE 202
3
SENIORS DAY - CROWN FORUM
Dear Old Morehouse
Dear old Morehouse, Dear old Morehouse;
We have pledged our lives to thee; And we’ll ever, yea forever, Give ourselves in loyalty.
True forever, true forever, To old Morehouse may we be; So to bind each son the other Into ties more brotherly.
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Make us steadfast, honest, true, To old Morehouse, and her ideals, And in all things, that we do.
Jordan Mills ’23 Secretary
Daryl Bodrick II ’23 President
Justin Peterkin ’23 Vice President
2023 Senior Class Council
Justin Mosely ’23 Treasurer
Edmond Jackson ‘23 Master of Mentorship
Bryin Thomas ’23 Outreach Coordinator
Tahaj Barrett ’23 Creative Director
Ronald Barnes
Precious Martin
Howard Jones
Thane Wharton
2023 Senior Honors
Department of Africana Studies and History
George Pratt
Department of Business
BETA GAMMA SIGMA International Business Honor Society
Eric Russell
Eric Gallardo
Badi Joyce
Josiah Smith
Department of Chemistry
Donald Hill
Jaylen Reynolds
Tahj Henry-Jackson
Department of Cinema, Television, Emerging Media Studies
Henry McCants
Justin Upshaw
Department of Computer Science
Zavion Harris-Smart
Department of English
William L. Clay
Department of Economics
Cruz-Malik J. Duhart
Je’Vion R. Fluellen
Cornell K. Harris
OMICRON DELTA EPSILON International Honor Society
Aylon Gipson
Jondell Cumberbatch
Mark Nichols
William L. Clay
Cruz-Malik J. Duhart
Department of English
Jared Holt
Evan Gray
Steven Adams
Je’Vion R. Fluellen
Cornell K. Harris
Joseph Aderoju
Taurean Beville
Brandon Dalambert
Herman Gore
Rodney Gross
Department of Kinesiology
Justin Hayes
Kevin Long
Juilyen Mohammed
Addison Norwood
Darius Ragland
Department of Mathematics
Clarence Stephens
Jamal Thomas
Blake Wagner
Trenaj Mongo
Don Edwards
Tyler Hunter
Department of Music
Jeremiah Hickey
Kobe Lawson-Chavanu
Divine Linus
Naiem Battle
Shawn A. Brooks
Trenaj S. Mongo
Torri Michael Rodney
Department of Philosophy and Religion
Philosophy
Alexander Walton
John Curry
Religion
George Pratt
Lawrence
Department of Political Science
Tristan Hitchens-Brookin Miles Griffin
Department of Sociology
Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society
Caleb Strickland
Isaiah Ahmad Wilson
Departmental Honors
Jason Roberson
Torri Rodney
Caleb Strickland
Ricardo Vega
Isaiah Ahmad Wilson
