2025

News Archive

  • 2025-26 Wingman Deadline: May 23

    The Counseling Department is accepting Upper School students for next year’s Wingman mentoring program. Returning Wingmen need only inform Senior Counselor Candy Harris of their planned return via email. New volunteers can sign up here before Friday, May 23.
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  • “Shrek the Musical” Auditions: May 5, 7, 8

    The 2025-26 fall musical will be “Shrek the Musical” with auditions in Hyde Chapel on May 5, 7, 8. Actors and actresses should come ready to sing and read script excerpts provided – no need to prepare.
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  • CSO Dinner, Games at BCA: May 12

    Join us as we lead games and serve dinner for the students living in dorms at Binghampton Christian Academy on Monday, May 12, 5-6 p.m.
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  • CSO Food Distribution Event: May 19

    Volunteers are needed for the next Mid-South Food Bank Distribution on Monday, May 19, 8:30-11 a.m. in the Lower School parking lot.
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  • CSO Grilling at Purdue Center: May 11

    Civic Service Organization will cook hamburgers and hot dogs and serve Mother’s Day lunch Sunday, May 11, 10 a.m. to noon for The Salvation Army Purdue Center of Hope (696 Jackson Avenue) residents.
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  • Latin Honor Society Inducts 22

    Twenty-two Owls were inducted into the National Junior Classical League Latin Honor Society May 6.
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  • Study Sessions, Half Days, Holidays

    May is jumping with exams, half-day dismissals, and holidays. See the study calendar Upper School Owls have been given for optimal exam preparation. Bookmark the Academic Calendar for a quick reference to exams, study sessions, half days, and holidays!
     
    Evening Study Sessions are also available in Hyde Library to help students prepare in a quiet, supervised environment.
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  • Chi Alpha Mu Inducts 19

    Chi Alpha Mu, the national junior mathematics club for middle and junior high school students, inducted 19 new members. The club, named for Creative Adventures in Mathematics, was founded in 1967 and reactivated by the high school math society, Mu Alpha Theta, in 2008 to promote enjoyment and understanding of mathematics by middle school students.

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  • CSO Dinner at Room in the Inn: May 17

    Volunteers will cook and serve a brisket dinner for the guests at Calvary Episcopal Church Room in the Inn on Saturday, May 17, 4:30-7 p.m.
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  • Patel Awarded Coke Scholarship

    The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has designated Memphis University School senior Kushal Patel as a Coke Scholar-Select. As one of 150 high school students chosen from among 105,000 applicants nationwide, he receives a $20,000 merit-based scholarship and joins over 7,000 distinguished alumni recipients. The process involves several selection rounds, essay composition, and personal interviews.
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  • Trigon Takes Over Amphitheater

    Students and faculty flocked to Thomas Amphitheater to watch as three Lower School contenders took to the arena for the trigon finals May 5.
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  • Eight Named Springfield Scholars

    Faculty and families celebrated eight eighth-grade Springfield Scholars inductees during a banquet May 1. These students 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.
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  • AP Exam Information

    Exam season is here! The College Counseling Department has sent an important email reminder for AP exams. Read it HERE or find it on the Email Archive Resource Board in OwlHub.
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  • Musicians Top Competition

    Band and orchestra students traveled to St. Louis to compete in the Music in the Parks Festival at Six Flags April 25. The Owls performed first and ended up with the highest score of any instrumental group in the competition.
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  • Cardozo Urges Students to Follow Interests

    Alan Chung ’25 experienced Massachusetts Institute of Technology Instructor Christian Cardozo’s teaching at the Beaver Works Summer Institute at MIT and thought he would make a great chapel speaker. Fellow AI and Ethics Club members Patrick Burke ’25 and Paxton Silver ’25 agreed, and with the help of Student Council funds, they brought him from Boston to the Hyde Chapel stage April 25.
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  • Two Owls Advance in DECA Competition

    Juniors Albert Ding and Ari Thiyagarajaa advanced to the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, April 26-29 after their performance at the state-level competition.
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  • Blazer Consignment: May 14, 16, 21

    It’s time to consign those outgrown blazers for the Parents’ Association Blazer Consignment Sale. Blazers must be on hangers in good, gently used condition (no rips, stains, or snags) with all buttons attached.
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  • Patel Named Presidential Semifinalist

    The United States Presidential Scholars Program has named senior Kushal Patel a semifinalist.
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  • Special Olympics Volunteers: April 26

    CSO is holding a Special Olympics Festival on campus Saturday, April 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will host and officiate games of spikeball, cornhole, soccer, kickball, and relay races for the athletes.
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  • Class of 2026 Portraits

    It is time for the Class of 2026 to schedule senior portraits. These photos are used for The Owl yearbook, the class composite that will hang permanently in the halls of MUS, and many other news and social media posts. Families can also order portrait copies.
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  • Seniors Honored with Awards

    Class of 2025 family members joined students and faculty in Hyde Chapel on April 23 for the Senior Academic Awards program.
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  • Frazer Studies Interplay of Art and Math

    Wills Frazer ’25 took the Hyde Chapel stage to present his work through an independent study titled “Math and Art: Parametric Cycloids, Polar Rose Curves, ​and Tessellations.”
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  • Special Awards and Honors Announced

    At the Special Awards and Honor Societies Induction ceremony in Hyde Chapel April 16, seven Owls received college book awards, and 38 students received the President’s Volunteer Service Award. In addition, Upper School scholars were inducted into the Department of Classical and Modern Languages honor societies, International Thespian Society, the Quill and Scroll Society (for high school journalists), Mu Alpha Theta (for math scholars), and Societas Caritas (for community service).
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  • Beg To Differ Garners Gold

    Beg To Differ traveled to New York to participate in the WorldStrides Heritage Festival, coming away with a Gold Medal for the second year in a row.
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  • Ding Helps Launch State Math Coalition

    Why would high school students form a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation to organize Tennessee students for math competitions? Why would they select student officers, solicit donations, develop a website, and plan and run the first Tennessee Math Tournament?
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  • Nineteen Owls Earn Biliteracy Seal

    Nineteen Owls earned the Seal of Biliteracy, a program recognizing students who have achieved proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.
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  • College T-Shirt Photo: May 9

    We will take a group picture of seniors with their college T-shirts Friday, May 9, in Thomas Amphitheater immediately following the headmaster’s lunch, which begins at 11:30 a.m.
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  • Sly Tate ’13 Speaks on Leadership

    Sylvester “Sly” Tate ’13 returned to his alma mater as the 22nd Rogers Leadership Forum guest to speak about lessons he has learned along his path.

    “Today I get the awesome opportunity to talk to a school built on leadership about leadership,” he said.

     
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  • Mock Interviews with Alumni: June 9-10

    Rising seniors can practice their interviewing skills with alumni this summer. The sessions will be virtual, so students can participate even if they are out of town. Each student will need to commit an hour, completing two 20-minute interviews and receiving feedback from each interviewer.
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  • Bubones Lauded for Latin Translation

    Owls achieved recognition in three Latin translation contests.
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  • College Counseling Meeting for Seniors

    Now that all college admission decisions are released, seniors will receive a calendar invite for meetings with their college counselors to discuss their options and next steps.
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  • Latin Students TJCL Champs

    For the 16th consecutive year, the Bubones secured the Tennessee Junior Classical League championship. A total of 43 Upper School and Lower School Latin students traveled to the state convention at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville March 28 and 29 and amassed a combined score of 1,802 total points to top the competition.
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  • 2025-26 Cheerleaders Announced

    Cheer advisor Mrs. Jennifer McCracken has announced the 2025-26 cheerleading squads! Congratulations to these Owl cheerleaders.
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  • Thompson Speaks at Manhood Breakfast

    L. Edwin Eleazer III Chair of Excellence in Teaching and Honor Council Advisor Norman Thompson spoke to Lower School boys about the value of the Honor System at the March 28 Manhood Breakfast. Upper School Director of Student Life Stephond Allmond ’10 organizes these monthly events to highlight the values of the Community Creed. Mr. Thompson focused upon the first two tenets: Truth and Honor.
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  • CSO Sports Festival: March 29

    CSO will host a sports festival and cookout at Emmanuel Center (604 Saint Paul Avenue) on Saturday, March 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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  • Math Modelers are Semifinalists

    The team of seniors Alan Cheng (captain), Joephen Chen, Rushil Komeravelli, Michael Liu, and junior Albert Ding finished as semifinalists in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge.
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  • NHS Inducts 71 Owls

    The Memphis University School chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 71 members from the junior and senior classes in a ceremony March 26.
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  • 2025 Cross Country Information

    The Upper School cross-country team is open to all rising Grade 9-12 students. Over the past several years, we have built a strong program that competes with top teams across the state - and we are excited about maintaining that tradition in the new school year.
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  • 2025-26 Freshman Football Team Invitation

    Rising Grade 9 students, please consider this your official invitation to join next year’s freshman football team.
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  • Examining Historical Objectivity

    Recounting various theories on documenting history, senior Rushil Komeravelli examined the quest for historical objectivity. Speaking of the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, he described the tale of the Reconstruction-era South that glorifies the KKK and its mission to protect white citizens.
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  • Free US Physicals Night, May 12

    Mark your calendars for the Free Upper School Physicals Night on Monday, May 12, at Zupmed in the Laurelwood Shopping Center. Available for all rising MUS Upper School students, physicals will be conducted in this order: rising seniors will begin at 5:30 p.m.; rising juniors, 5:45 p.m.; rising sophomores, 6 p.m.; rising freshmen, 6:15 p.m.
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  • Graduation Supplies Arrive: April 3

    Graduation supplies are arriving!  A Jostens representative will be in Morgan Foyer to deliver graduation orders (announcements and accessories) Thursday, April 3, 10:20 a.m. Families who have placed orders should also receive an email from Jostens about their orders and instructions. Payment in full is required to pick up your order - CASH ONLY. To pay by credit card, call them or go to jostens.com by April 2.
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  • JV, Varsity Golf Tryouts: July 14-15

    Tryouts for the 2025-26 varsity and JV golf teams will be held July 14-15 at The Links at Audubon. Tee times for tryouts begin at 11 a.m. both days.
     
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  • Twenty Owls Inducted into Cum Laude

    The Memphis University School chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 20 members from the classes of 2025 and 2026 during a ceremony March 21. Membership in the Cum Laude Society is the highest academic honor students in a secondary school can receive. The MUS chapter, modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, was chartered on December 14, 1967.
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  • Students Elect Wells Honor Council President

    The student body elected junior Devin Wells to be the 2025-26 Honor Council president following the Upper School nomination and voting process.
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  • Campbell Named Golf Coach

    Memphis University School Athletic Director Thad McCracken announced the appointment of Mr. Chip Campbell ’99 as the school’s varsity golf coach. He assumes the role immediately, following the retirement of Coach Cliff Frisby this winter.
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  • LS Manhood Breakfast: March 28

    Mr. Norman Thompson is the guest speaker at the next Lower School Manhood Breakfast on Friday, March 28. Upper School English instructor and Honor Council and The Owl’s Hoot advisor, Thompson will speak on Truth and Honor.
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  • Robotics Competes in State Tournament

    Two Owls robotics squads competed in the 2025 Tennessee VEX Robotics State Championship at Austin Peay State University where the middle school team, Team 99331S, was awarded the Judges’ Award for their dedication and perseverance.
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  • Bubones Excel in Latin League

    In the National Junior Classical League’s Latin League competition, the team of seniors Joephen Chen, Kushal Patel, Rushil Komeravelli, Michael Liu, and Kip Stalls won the South One regional bracket with an undefeated regular season and finished the competition tied for 13th place out of 159 varsity teams nationwide.
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  • King Reports on Black Experience

    Senior Christon King presented a chapel on The Black Experience at MUS, a report based on a survey he sent to roughly 200 Black alumni, for which he received 37 responses, and conducted 12 follow-up interviews.
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  • College Admission Fair: April 2

    Upper School students will attend a College Fair on Wednesday, April 2, 10:15 a.m., in Morrison Courtyard.
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  • Mu Alpha Theta Mathletes Three-peat

    Eighteen Owls traveled to Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport for the Mu Alpha Theta State Convention and came away the Overall Sweepstakes and Interschool Competition winners for the third straight year.
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  • WordSmith Owls Claim Hardware

    Ten students participated in the 2025 WordSmith Olympics February 16 at the University of Memphis, led by Instructor in English Eric Dalle ’93. The Owls earned a variety of individual awards and two second-place trophies.
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  • Marks Explores Mind-Body Problem and AI

    Dr. Robert J. Marks II, the director of the Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Discovery Institute and a distinguished professor of engineering at Baylor University, was the featured guest for the 26th annual Robert M. Metcalf Symposium. In chapel February 28, he explored the questions, “Is Your Mind the Same as Your Brain? Are You a Computer Made Out of Meat?” His talk was based on the book he authored with Angus Menuge and Brian Krouse, Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science (Discovery Press).
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  • Celebrating Class of 2025 on Insta

    Starting after Spring Break and running through May 1 (the National Candidate Reply Date), seniors can opt in to share their college decisions via the MUS Seniors Instagram account.
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  • Summer Programs are Heating Up!

    Summer Programs are published and ready for registration!
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  • Three Owls Receive DAR Essay Honors

    Three Owls received honors for their submissions to Daughters of the American Revolution essay contests. Representatives of the DAR Watauga Chapter, Mrs. Maria Burke (former MUS math teacher) and Mrs. Jean McSwain, came to campus to make the presentations.
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  • Chamberlain honored by U of M

    Congratulations to MUS Tennis Coach and Director of the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center Phil Chamberlain who was honored with the Billy J. Murphy Award at the University of Memphis M Club banquet Saturday. The award is presented to a former student-athlete who excelled in his/her profession since leaving the University of Memphis.
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  • Mock Trial Team Prevails

    For the first time in 17 years, the Mock Trial team won the District Championship, overcoming a St. Mary’s squad that had won four seasons in a row. 
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  • Author Wise Offers Writing Advice

    Henry Wise spoke in chapel about his winding path in becoming a successful author and lessons learned along the way. He came to MUS at the invitation of Director of Hyde Library Wendy Trenthem, and his visit included a book signing and lunch with students and faculty.
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  • Did U Get the Weather Closing Notification?

    Urgent notifications and weather closings are sent to families via an opt-in texting system. If you get text messages from 79041 already, you do not need to do anything.
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  • Frisby Retiring After Successful Career

    Coach Cliff Frisby, Memphis University School golf head coach, has announced his retirement after 16 years at the school.
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  • Support MUS Robotics Tourney: Feb. 22

    MUS is hosting the second annual MUS VRS Winter Tournament on Saturday, February 22. Thirty-six teams will compete to qualify for state. Check in for competitors opens at 7:30 a.m. in the Campus Center near No. 1 on our campus map.
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  • Owls Named to MBJ’s Next Gen

    The Memphis Business Journal named juniors Ari Thiyagarajaa and Ethan Zhao to their 2025 Next Gen list.
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  • Substance Abuse: A Cautionary Tale

    David Magee spoke in chapel about a subject he knows all too well: the pain and destruction caused by substance abuse and mental health issues but also the joy of recovery. An accidental overdose killed his older son and nearly took his second son. His daughter struggled with an eating disorder, and Magee battled alcohol and prescription drug addiction.
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  • Senior Parents, FAFSA Priority Date: March 3

    Parents of seniors, if your son applied to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, you must file the FAFSA by Friday, March 3, 2025, UT's priority filing date, to determine eligibility for aid and scholarships.
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  • Sophomores, Complete Your Scoir Survey

    Sophomores need to complete their Class of 2027 sophomore-year college surveys in Scoir.
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  • Drug, Alcohol Parent Workshop: March 5

    MUS and Hutchison parents are invited to a parent workshop with Mr. David Magee, Wednesday, March 5, 5:30 p.m., in the Wiener Theatre of Hutchison School.
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  • Racial Depictions in Media Explored

    Sophomore Carson Alexander spoke in chapel about whitewashing, blackwashing, and the representation of race in the media. He described whitewashing as an alteration of a character’s skin color from black/brown to white. As an example, he cited the decision in the movie Bullet Train to cast white actors instead of the Asian characters from the novel.
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  • Owls Earn Scholastic Writing Honors

    Ten Owls received honors for their writing in the regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Ike Emmert ’27 earned one Gold Key, one Silver Key, and two Honorable Mentions for his work across three categories.
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  • Robotics Owls Triumph

    The Owl robotics team (99331M) were tournament champions and earned the Sportsmanship Award at the 2025 Brighton High VEX High Stakes Robotics Tournament February 1 -- despite missing three of five members.
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  • Johnson Tells History of Statue of Liberty

    Jeremiah Johnson ’25 kicked off the Black History Month speaker series with a retrospective look at the Statue of Liberty.
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  • Junior Strengths Assessment

    We are excited to provide students with an opportunity to identify their strengths and learn how best to use them.
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  • Re-Enrollment Deadline: Feb. 7

    Thank you for entrusting us with the education of your sons. Your support of our teachers, coaches, and programs helps us uphold a liberal arts tradition designed to meet the needs of boys as they grow into young men of character, service, and leadership.

    As you previously signed a contract, you need only complete a few steps and pay the deposit by February 7, 2025, to reserve your spot(s) for next year.
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  • Owls Earn Scholastic Art Awards

    Seven Owls received Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards for their work in the Drawing and Illustration, Mixed Media, Painting, and Portfolio divisions.
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  • Sophomore Meetings Ahead

    It’s already time to start thinking about junior year. We look forward to getting to know the Class of 2027 better!
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  • Liebenow Discusses His Faith

    Watts Liebenow ’26 guided fellow students through his faith journey from the Hyde Chapel stage January 29. 

    Liebenow described his lack of faith during a period of personal struggle. A late-night moment of clarity where he “encountered God” pushed him toward belief and changed his life. “I cannot explain to you how God has impacted my life. He has helped me in so many ways. He gave me the power to help people and spread his word.”
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  • 27 Owls Earn All-West Honors

    Twenty-seven musicians earned chairs in All-West Tennessee Bands and Orchestras, and three received alternate status. In addition, five students qualified for All-State honors with three others reaching All-State alternate status.
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  • Smith Raises Awareness for Conservation

    Chuck Smith ’66, chairman of the board of Ducks Unlimited, returned to the Hyde Chapel stage for the first time since his graduation to teach Owls about Ducks Unlimited and their conservation efforts throughout the country.
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  • Willmott Examines Rehnquist Legacy

    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).
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  • Memphis Day Highlights Music

    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.
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  • Cawein Uplifts Memphis Musicians

    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.
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  • Juniors – Complete your Scoir Survey

    Juniors need to complete their Class of 2026 junior-year college surveys in Scoir.
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< 2025

Videos

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Communications Team:

List of 4 members.

  • Photo of Elizabeth Copeland

    Liz Copeland 

    Communications Dir.
    (901) 260-1357
    University of Memphis - BPS
    2012
  • Photo of Rebecca Greer

    Rebecca Greer 

    Communications Asst. Dir., Webmaster
    (901) 260-1348
    Union University - BA
    2010
  • Photo of Jonah Jordan

    Jonah Jordan 

    Communications Specialist
    (901) 260-1416
    University of Memphis - BA
    2022
  • Photo of Kaitlan Koehler

    Kaitlan Koehler 

    Graphic Designer, Fencing Asst. Coach
    (901) 260-1354
    Berry College - BA
    2021