Profile Update

Check out the sports action January 20-26 in basketball, bowling, fencing, swimming, and wrestling! As always, see the team pages under Athletics before heading to an event.

George Willmott ’26 didn’t originally plan to write a book about former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, he explained during a chapel talk about his biographical work The Intellectual Maturation and Ideological Legacy of William Rehnquist (Archway Publishing, May 2024).

The next College Money Method program, “Understanding How Colleges Assess Your Ability to Pay and Aid Eligibility,” is Tuesday, January 28, 6 p.m.

For our third Memphis Day, we celebrated Memphis music heritage and explored the impact that our hip-hop, blues, rock, and soul sounds have had on the world.
 
A morning panel, moderated by Instructor in Music Matt Tutor ’91, featured heavy hitters on the Memphis music scene, including Memphis-born rapper Al Kapone (Alphonzo Bailey), Memphis-born producer, performer, and innovator IMAKEMADBEATS (James Dukes), and two-time Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, arranger, and artist Kurt “KC” Clayton. The panelists then participated in a Memphis recording industry panel facilitated by Music Director Chris Piecuch.

Elizabeth Cawein, the founder of Music Export Memphis, says the “magic is in the middle” for the local music industry. She spoke in Hyde Chapel about focusing on the “music middle class” – 60% of local musicians who would like to remain in the area and support themselves through music. Music Export Memphis creates opportunities for and subsidizes working musicians, allowing them to tour, build audiences outside the city, and sustain their careers while remaining rooted in the Mid-South.

First semester grades will be posted online Wednesday, January 1, 2025. A guide for accessing grades is HERE.

MUS offers a variety of Summer Programs designed to help current and future Owls build skills, explore educational and creative topics, and have a great time. As we fill in our roster of summer camps and classes, we wanted to keep you up to date. Details and registration information will be communicated when they are available.

CSO volunteers will be ringing bells throughout the day at the Mendenhall Kroger (540 South Mendenhall Road) for the Salvation Army on Saturday, December 21.

CSO volunteers will host a Mid-South Food Bank distribution on Monday, December 23, 8:30-11 a.m., in the Lower School parking lot.

The Actuarial Foundation announced the semifinalists in the 2024-25 Modeling the Future Challenge (MTFC), including the MUS team. Alan Cheng ’25 (captain), Joephen Chen ’25, Rushil Komeravelli '25, Michael Liu ’25, and Albert Ding ’26 have qualified to progress to the next round of the challenge.

We are interested in hearing from you! Class of 2026 parents can access the survey in your SCOIR account. Your insights are an invaluable part of this process.

The Basketball Homecoming Dance is Saturday, February 1, from 8-10 p.m. in the Campus Center Dining Hall. The theme will be Winter Wonderland.

The Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETA) has named its prestigious Teacher of the Year Award the John Simi Teacher of the Year Award in recognition of his “unparalleled contributions to education and technology integration across Tennessee.”

Spring theater auditions will be held Wednesday, December 11, and Thursday, December 12, from 4-6 p.m. in Hyde Chapel. Auditions will cover both upcoming spring productions: the winter student showcase, Live at the Hyde, and the spring production, Henry IV, Part 1.

Save the date! The Schaeffer Bookstore will be open Friday, December 13, 8 a.m. to noon, to help you complete your list of stocking stuffers and gifts!

Robert J. Hussey, Sr. Chair of Religion Clay Smythe ’85 opened the annual Thanksgiving chapel November 26, reading from the “1928 Book of Common Prayer.” Upper School Counselor Chima Onwuka offered The Collect. Luke Tijong ’26 read Deuteronomy 8:7-18; Joey Paul ’25, Psalm 65; and Instructor in Religion Elliott Dent, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.

Congratulations to all Owl musicians who auditioned for the All-West Tennessee Orchestras. They performed difficult musical excerpts, scales, and were required to sightread in front of a judge who is a professional musician and/or teacher. The 13 selected students will play in the All-West Tennessee Honor Orchestra Clinic in February.