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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It is time to sign up for the Lower School 2022-23 football season! Separate seventh- and eighth- grade teams will see league action against municipal and independent schools. Practice will begin August 9 at 5:30 p.m. We are fortunate to have experienced alumni coaches for our Lower School teams!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Junior Jack Zaptin placed third in the state for Pharmacology at the HOSA – Future Health Professionals State Leadership Conference in Knoxville. He will now advance to the international competition in June. Junior Alyaan Salman also represented MUS, competing in Prepared Speaking. Science instructors Ms. Laura Landry and Dr. Kyle Summers are the faculty advisors for the MUS HOSA chapter.
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.
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!
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
The varsity hoopers, led by Head Coach David Willson ’99, completed a strong season with a 15-10 record, ending with a loss against a dominating Knoxville Catholic team in the state quarterfinals.
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.
All eight MUS National Merit Semifinalists advanced to Finalist status and will compete for some 7,500 scholarships offered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
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.
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.
Author and entrepreneur Michael Brody-Waite spoke in Hyde Chapel as the 2022 Rogers Leadership Forum special guest.
Brody-Waite is an Inc. 500 entrepreneur, award-winning CEO, leadership coach, and author of Great Leaders Live Like Drug Addicts: How to Lead Like Your Life Depends on It. He has provided leadership workshops and seminars to top companies including Dell and Google.
The RoboBuzzards finished their 2021-22 season with an in-house competition February 2. The game came down to the wire, but Team O, consisting of freshmen Diego Guerrero Viloria and Carson Smith, eighth-graders Tucker Melcher, Aadil Omer, and Ashwin Subramaniam, and seventh-grader Clay Patterson, bolted away with the win.
Mr. Ronnie Ramos, executive editor of the online news site Daily Memphian, spoke in chapel about the state of journalism and the vital role it plays in chronicling the day and holding people and organizations accountable.
Seven Owls qualified for February’s American Invitational Mathematics Examination with high scores from November’s American Mathematics Competition 10/12.
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.
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.
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.
All media requests, including campus photography, videos, or student, faculty, or staff interviews must be sent to the director of communications at (901) 260-1357. Photographers, videographers, and media personnel must be accompanied by a member of the Communications Office.