MUS | News Archive

StuCo Car Wash: Aug. 10

8/8/2022

Come out and get your ride shiny while supporting Student Council! StuCo and MUS cheerleaders will be scrubbing cars for cash Wednesday, August 10, from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. in the Stokes Stadium parking lot.

Lower School Golf Tryouts: Aug. 23-24

7/21/2022

Tryouts for the Lower School golf team will be August 23-24, 9 holes each day, at Irene Golf & Country Club.

Lower School Tennis Tryouts: Aug. 12, 15

7/21/2022

Tryouts for the Lower School tennis team will be August 12, 15 at the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center.

Friday, August 12, 1-4 p.m.
Monday, August 15, 3:30-5:30 p.m. (NOTE: This is a change to the original schedule.)

The first match of the season will be Monday, August 22.

Book Rental, Spirit Wear, Blazer Sale

7/14/2022

We are pleased to announce that we will offer a book-rental program for the 2022-23 school year. At Book Sale in Ross Lynn Arena, we will provide each student with one set of their required books for the year.

Convocation Day, Dress

7/14/2022

The first day of school is Monday, August 15. In keeping with tradition, the day will start with Convocation in Hyde Chapel at 8:30 a.m. (Students should report to their homerooms by 8:10 a.m.)

Decals, Driving, Drop-off Locations

7/14/2022

All family members who plan to drive on campus should display U decals in the lower left (driver's side) corner of their windshields. We have a new gray-and-red decal design this year, and all families will receive them at Book Sale.

Digital Resources

7/14/2022

OwlHub (upper right corner of our website) is where you access school resources. This Navigating OwlHub document provides an overview of the most important areas. Pay special attention to the New Parent Info Resource Board under your Resources tab.

If you have any problems logging in, click on the “Forgot your login?” link and follow the prompts. Content is student- and parent-specific, so it is important for students and parents to use their own logins. If you encounter technical difficulties, email help@musowls.org.

Dining Hall Food Service

7/14/2022

Sodexo, our food-service provider, will again offer breakfast and lunch service. Fall semester lunch meal plans are available for purchase through the Dining Hall Resource Board link on OwlHub.

Freshman Orientation, Aug. 11

7/14/2022

All freshmen attend Freshman Forum, our required ninth-grade orientation program, Thursday, August 11, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., followed by Book Sale for freshmen from 1-3 p.m.

Parents’ Association

7/14/2022

Volunteers will be on site during Book Sale to answer questions about joining this organization and accept membership forms and payments.

School Supplies, Tax-Free Period

7/14/2022

Find our school supply lists HERE (stored on parent Resource Boards in OwlHub). The State of Tennessee back-to-school tax-free period is the weekend of July 29-31.

Senior Off-Campus Lunch Privileges

7/14/2022

One of the privileges for seniors is the possibility of eating lunch off-campus. In order for them to enjoy this privilege, we need signed parent permission.

Summer Reading and Math Assignments

7/14/2022

Has your son completed his summer reading and math assignments? Summer work helps the student begin the school year on the right foot - and reading test results have a significant impact on first quarter grades!

U Book

7/14/2022

Each family will receive a printed version of the U Book at Book Sale. It contains very important information regarding school policies and contact information. It is essential that parents and students familiarize themselves with school policies.

U Cards

7/14/2022

Every student must have a U Card (student photo ID card) that he uses throughout the year as a debit card for lunches, a library book checkout card, and an admission card for free regular-season home athletic contests.

Happy July 4!

6/30/2022

MUS will be closed Monday-Tuesday, July 4-5, in observance of Independence Day. Have a wonderful holiday!

Senior Portraits

6/30/2022

It is time for rising seniors to have their senior portraits made. Please call Holland Studio now to set up the appointment because they began shooting portraits in June. We want all seniors to have their pictures taken before September.

Latin Scriptores Win Awards

6/15/2022

Three Owls won awards for their original Latin compositions in the Latin SCRIBO Composition Contest.

Junior Kevin Ma wrote a Level 4 short story that won the Cum Laude Award for a fourth-place finish. Senior Forest Rudd’s AP Level short story also won a Cum Laude Award. Junior Frederick Huang won a Maxima Cum Laude – a second-place award – for his Level 4 short story.

Wishing Our Retirees Well

5/27/2022

We say farewell to three longtime members of the MUS family this May. Faculty, staff, friends, and family gathered at Dixon Gallery and Gardens May 26 to celebrate them.

Happy Memorial Day!

5/26/2022

MUS will be closed Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.

National French Exam Medalists

5/26/2022

Seven Owls earned medals for their performance on the National French Exam this spring. Twenty-one received honorable mentions for their showing on the exam.

Three Owls Honored for Latin Writing

5/26/2022

Senior Forest Rudd and juniors Frederick Huang and Kevin Ma received honorable mentions for short stories submitted to the Bernice L. Fox Classics Writing Contest 2022.

The theme given to the students was “Nostos,” meaning return or homecoming. They were tasked with writing a tale centered on the return – after some form of separation – of characters throughout literature, mythology, or history. The writers also could come up with their own new characters set between the 8th century BC and 6th century AD.

YIG Owls Earn Honors

5/26/2022

An 11-man Lower School delegation participated at the Youth in Government competition in early May with eighth graders bringing home honors. Stephen Jones won Best Delegate, and the team of Addy Ramakrishnan, Fletcher Taylor, Carter Wildrick, and Lucas Zhang earned Best Bill for An Amendment to Reincentivize Public School Teachers.

Fowlkes Receives Jean Barbee Hale Award

5/25/2022

Business Operations Director Rankin Fowlkes was named the recipient of the 2022 Jean Barbee Hale Award for Outstanding Service during a luncheon Wednesday, May 25. The award is given each year to one staff member who exhibits the same qualities and spirit of Jean Barbee Hale - outstanding loyalty, responsibility, dedication, and commitment to excellence in service to the school.

Celebrating Order of the Owl, Latin Honor Society

5/18/2022

Lower School students and families gathered in Dunavant Lecture Hall of Hull Lower School to celebrate the Order of the Owl and Latin Honor Society inductions May 13.

Order of the Owl inductees must achieve at least a 90 weighted average, computed from their grades for the first semester and third quarter, excluding physical education. Eighth graders must have achieved at least a 93 weighted average, computed the same way. They must also have demonstrated character consistent with the high standards of the school’s Honor Code and Community Creed. Forty-nine students received Order of the Owl recognition.

Seventeen eighth graders joined the National Junior Classical League Latin Honor Society. To be considered, students must hold membership in the MUS Latin Club, must have an A average in Latin class for the first three quarters of the year, must have approval of their Latin teacher, and must attend the local Latin Fall Festivus or Tennessee Junior Classical League State Convention.

MUS Salutes Rudd, Craft

5/18/2022

The MUS Class of 2022 valedictorian and salutatorian were announced at Commencement on Sunday, May 15. Forest Rudd and Collin Craft earned valedictorian and salutatorian honors respectively. In addition to impressive academic careers, both Owls have rich resumes in service and extracurricular activities, both graduated summa cum laude, and both will attend Duke University in the fall.

Sellers Wins Grant for Latin Podcast

5/18/2022

Ryan Sellers, chair of the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, received a Bridge Initiative Grant from the Committee for the Promotion of Latin and Greek.

The funding will support Sellers’ podcast, Quintilian: The Latin Teacher Podcast, where he takes a deep dive into the classical language, culture, and the challenges of teaching the subject. Sellers seeks to connect teachers of classical studies so the profession can continue to advance.

Latin Perfection in Triplicate

5/17/2022

Junior Varun Krishnamurthi achieved three perfect scores on the National Latin Exam – a feat only 26 students in the entire world can claim.

Large Receives Distinguished Teaching Award

5/13/2022

Headmaster Pete Sanders presented the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award to Mr. Jonathan Large at chapel May 13. An MUS instructor in history since 2008, Mr. Large teaches AP U.S. History, History of the American South, British History, and – his students will tell you – gentlemanly behavior. He holds the Ross McCain Lynn Chair of History and serves as advisor to the Civic Service Organization and an assistant trapshooting coach.

Springfield Society Inducts 10

5/13/2022

Faculty and families celebrated 10 eighth-grade Springfield Society inductees during a banquet May 12. These scholars are in the top 10% of their class and demonstrate character consistent with the high standards of the school’s Honor Code and Community Creed.

Book Sale, Book Rental Program

5/12/2022

We are pleased to announce that we will once again offer a book rental program for the 2022-23 school year. At Book Sale in Ross Lynn Arena, we will provide each student with one set of his required books for the year. Families will be charged $75 for the year, billed in August.

Class of 2022 is College-Bound!

5/11/2022

When seniors walk across the stage at Commencement May 15, each young man will already have his next academic destination in sight. All 92 seniors were admitted to four-year colleges or universities, and they will enroll at 49 institutions across 25 states.

Go to musowls.org/graduation for viewing Baccalaureate and Commencement.

Sign Up for Fall College Tour

5/11/2022

Classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025 are invited to join the College Counseling team during Fall Break, October 4-8, to visit eight colleges: Baylor University, LSU, Rice University, SMU, Texas A&M, TCU, Trinity University, and University of Texas at Austin. Space is limited, so register today! The deadline has been extended to Monday, May 23!

2022-23 Ambassadors Announced

5/9/2022

The Ambassador Selection Committee announced new ambassadors during chapel Monday, May 9. As the face of the school to prospective families, ambassadors shoulder a tremendous level of responsibility. Earning this role is one of the highest honors a student can achieve. This year the committee received over 53 applications and spent three weeks in interviews and deliberations.

May the 4th Winners

5/4/2022

Art and Star Wars clubs hosted a Star Wars themed art contest last month. The winners, announced in assembly Wednesday, May 4, were junior Charlie Gallop and seventh grader Clay Patterson.

MUS Celebrates Athletes

5/2/2022

Teams and families celebrated 2021-22 accomplishments at the Jake Rudolph All-Sports Banquet on April 25. Sixty-three seniors were presented varsity-letter plaques celebrating their careers at MUS, and 193 underclassmen received newly earned letters.

10 Owls Earn Biliteracy Seals

4/28/2022

Ten seniors recently earned the Seal of Biliteracy, a program recognizing seniors who have achieved proficiency in more than one language. Chair of Classical and Modern Languages Ryan Sellers presented the certificates during a recent chapel.

Owls Honored for Service

4/28/2022

The Salvation Army recently recognized five Owls for their service. Seniors Turner Bishop, Collin Craft, Matthew Mellone, Forest Rudd, and Witt Smith were inducted into the Order of the Bells and were given the Doing the Most Good Award during a ceremony April 27 hosted by The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. The Owls also received Bibles signed by the children who live at Purdue Center of Hope.

2022 TJCL Champions

4/27/2022

MUS Latin students finished in first place overall in the 66th Tennessee Junior Classical League State Convention held April 22-23 at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. This marks the Bubones’ 13th consecutive victory in the competition (excluding 2020 and 2021 when in-person conventions were canceled).

Signing Day Celebration

4/22/2022

Families and friends celebrated Wednesday, April 20, as six seniors announced their intent to play sports for colleges this fall.

Honor Society Inductees

4/21/2022

At the recent honor societies and Book Awards event, a parliament of Owls earned their membership into six prestigious honor societies.

Owls Honored with Book Awards

4/21/2022

Eight students received book awards this month at the annual Special Awards and Honor Society Induction.

Senior Academic Award Recipients

4/20/2022

Seniors and their families gathered in Hyde Chapel for the Senior Academic Awards program Friday, April 20. Faculty members presented awards to 16 outstanding seniors. See more photos in our Photo Gallery.

Talking Through the Challenges

4/20/2022

Our adolescents have experienced unusual stresses in recent times, including the sudden loss of friends and loved ones and the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adults have their own responses to these events and may not always feel equipped to counsel teens through challenging moments. Sometimes it helps to come together with other parents and talk.

Chess Club Victory

4/19/2022

The Chess Club hosted a blitz chess tournament sponsored by Mid-South Chess at the Collierville Public Library on April 3. The 16 participants played in either unrated or rated sections. Eighth grader Rohan Manne, a member of the Chess Club, won first place in the unrated section. Medals were awarded to the top three players of each section, and prizes were distributed to all participants. Club members used the entry fees to purchase a dozen chess sets for donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Magnus Health Records Reminders

4/19/2022

Returning families will begin seeing Magnus reminder emails Thursday, April 21. Magnus, the provider that manages our student health records, can be accessed on the Health Records Resource Board under Resources on OwlHub.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

4/18/2022

We celebrate our amazing volunteers this week and every week! See our message of appreciation HERE.

Celebrate Owls With Dedicated Books

4/13/2022

Celebrate your student's birthday, graduation, or other accomplishments by dedicating a book to the Hyde Library! Dedicated books are displayed during the year and include a special book plate honoring your Owl’s birthday or achievement.

CSO President Announced

4/13/2022

Congratulations to junior Joseph Keeler. He has been selected to lead the Civic Service Organization as president in 2022-23.

Latin Owls Collect Lauds

4/13/2022

Four students participated in the recent 2022 University of Memphis Virtual Language Fair and earned the following honors:

Level IV Latin Translation Contest
First Place: Senior Forest Rudd
Second Place: Junior Kevin Ma
Third Place: Junior Frederick Huang

Level IV Latin Video Contest
First Place: Team of senior Forest Rudd, and juniors Clarence Chapman, Frederick Huang, Kevin Ma

Summer Fun Starts Here!

4/13/2022

MUS offers a wide variety of summer opportunities for boys entering kindergarten through grade 12. Be sure to check out our co-ed offerings and the Camp U themes for younger guys!

Admission Deans Visit

4/8/2022

Many thanks to the seven deans of college admission who visited campus April 6 and 7 to meet with parents and students. Colleges represented were Elon University, Florida State University, New York University, Rhodes College, Rice University, and University of Richmond.

Dr. Justin Dyer, Metcalf Symposium

4/8/2022

The 2022 Metcalf Symposium featured Dr. Justin Dyer, director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri. Dyer spoke in chapel about C.S. Lewis, natural law, and the common good. After chapel he met students and grandparents and held a forum in Wunderlich Auditorium.

Owls Elect 2022-23 StuCo

4/8/2022

Owls have chosen their Student Council executives and commissioners. Congratulations to 2022-23 Student Council President Tanner Williams and his officers and commissioners. And thanks to everyone who participated in the elections!

Honor Council Representatives

4/7/2022

Students elected their representatives for the 2022-23 Honor Council. Congratulations to the following Upper School students:

Temme Senior Class President

4/7/2022

Congratulations to junior Rhodes Temme, who was elected senior class president for 2022-23!

Owls Earn YIG Tristar Honors

4/6/2022

Twenty-five Owls participated in the 2022 Youth in Government Tristar Conference in Nashville March 31-April 3, coming away with impressive awards and leadership positions. Junior Parth Mishra was chosen out of 550 students for the role of governor of Tennessee, and he will lead the 2023 conference. The last governor elected from MUS was in 2009.

USA Biolympiad Honors Wu and Yu

4/6/2022

Eight Memphis University School students took the open USA Biolympiad, and two received honors from USABO. Sophomore Evan Wu earned an honorable mention – just one point short of the semifinal cutoff – and junior Henry Yu earned recognition for scoring in the top 30% among 3,800 students who took the 50-minute online exam.

Writers Dash Out Success

4/5/2022

Eleven Owls exercised their writing skills in the 2022 WordSmith competition, and five came away with honors. The competition, sponsored by the University of Memphis English Department in February, draws middle and high school students from 30 area schools to compete in quick writing exercises known as dashes.

DAR Honors Owls

4/4/2022

The Daughters of the American Revolution Watauga Chapter recognized Owl patriotism at its recent awards luncheon.

Star Wars Art Showdown: April 27

4/4/2022

Calling all Star Wars fans! In celebration of May the 4th, the Art and Star Wars clubs invite you to create your best Star Wars fan art. Artwork must be ORIGINAL.

Cheerleaders Announced!

4/1/2022

Congratulations to the 2022-23 MUS cheerleaders. The following students have earned a place on the upcoming football and basketball cheer squads:

Families of Juniors: Surveys and Junior Meetings

4/1/2022

A friendly reminder that the Junior Questionnaire and Parent Questionnaire, both found in Maia Learning (log-in instructions), are due as soon as possible. Peer recommendations are also due and can be emailed to the student’s college counselor.

Campbell Elected Honor Council President

3/28/2022

The Memphis University School student body elected junior Carter Campbell to be the 2022-23 Honor Council president.

In his speech in a special Tuesday assembly, Campbell stated that the goal of the Honor Council is to teach. He told a story from his childhood when he didn’t listen to his father and ended up getting hurt because of it. “I learned that my actions did more harm to myself than good, and I never made the same mistake again,” he said.

Pitner Driving School Summer Classes

3/28/2022

Pitner Driving School offers summer classes on the MUS campus. Check out the options for getting road-worthy!

Wrestling Closes 11-5, McGehee State Champ

3/22/2022

Head Coach Chris Lewis and his team of grapplers ended their season at 11-5. Junior Ian McGehee (152) and sophomore Dion Stutts (285) each placed first in the region, qualifying for a state tournament run along with junior Isaac Palmer (160).

Mathletes Add Up Lauds

3/10/2022

Twelve Lower School mathletes competed in the Memphis Chapter MathCounts Competition in February under the instruction of Mr. Darin Clifft and Ms. Heather Davis, and three placed in the top 10.

Eighth graders Albert Ding, Henry Phan, Addy Ramakrishnan, Ari Thiyagarajaa, Sohum Valaulikar, Carter Wildrick, Lucas Zhang, and Andrew Zhou and seventh graders Abdullah Khawaja, Ryo Kimura, Becket Liles, and Hudson Mattern represented Memphis University School.

Sophomore Course Request Meetings

3/10/2022

College counselors continue meeting with sophomores after Spring Break to register them for next year’s classes. Students received their course request packets in Homeroom, and the form requires a parent signature.

Join the March Madness Buzzard Battle!

2/28/2022

March is almost here, which means that the second annual Buzzard Bracket Battle is right around the corner. This is a fun and unique NCAA Tournament bracket competition that is offered to MUS alumni, the current MUS senior class, and faculty. Players will win fun prizes along the way, and all participating alumni will be invited to an MUS Final Four Watch Party on April 2.

Your first step is to create your Buzzard Battle team, and we suggest that you begin recruiting now! Once you set up your team, please email your team nickname and captain's name to BuzzardBattle@musowls.org.

National Merit Finalists Announced

2/28/2022

All eight MUS National Merit Semifinalists advanced to Finalist status and will compete for some 7,500 scholarships offered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Cum Laude Inducts 20 Owls

2/25/2022

The MUS chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 20 new members from the Classes of 2022 and 2023 during a ceremony February 25.

Seniors J.D. Clorina, Noah Emmert, Edward Grinder, Dex Jack, Vincent Ores, Talal Siddiq, Coleman Whitehead, Christopher Yarbro, and Jacob Zamore, representing the top 20% of their class, joined the society.

Juniors Jack Blackwell, Abdullah Elahi, Charlie Gamble, Frederick Huang, Andrew Jones, Varun Krishnamurthi, Jeffrey Liu, Kevin Ma, Max Mascolino, Jack Zaptin, and Lou Zhou, representing the top 10% of their class, also gained membership.

Presentations From Teen Health Event

2/25/2022

MUS recently partnered with Cumberland Heights to provide families with substance-use education and prevention programs. See the parent PowerPoint presentation HERE and the student one HERE (they automatically download when clicked - so check your downloads folder) or find the links on the Counseling Services Resource Board when you're logged in to OwlHub.

2022-23 Calendar At-a-Glance

2/18/2022

Are you making plans for 2022-23? Check out our handy online calendar HERE.

Seven Students Qualify for AIME

2/7/2022

Seven Owls qualified for February’s American Invitational Mathematics Examination with high scores from November’s American Mathematics Competition 10/12.

Record 28 Owls Reach All-West Standing

1/21/2022

A record 28 musicians earned chairs in All-West Tennessee bands and orchestras, and another two received alternate status. This surpasses last year’s record of 25 musicians and three alternates. Additionally, eight students qualified for All-State honors.

Students Create Greeting Card Art

1/19/2022

Congratulations to the winners of the Admissions Department card art contest, freshman Oscar Liu and eighth grader Jeremy Burks.

LS Soccer Tryouts: Feb. 7-11

1/14/2022

Lower School soccer tryouts will be held beginning February 7. If weather permits, tryouts will be Monday and Tuesday, 3:40-5 p.m., and the team will be announced Wednesday.

3-2-1 Owls Place Third in Nation

1/13/2022

About 30 Upper School students participated in the fall 3-2-1 tournament Friday, November 19. This virtual quiz bowl offered two hours for competitors to complete 240 trivia questions. Owls earned 397 out of 480 total points, ranking them third in the nation and first overall in the state.