Vol. 22, No. 2 | 2020

THE MUS MISSION: Memphis University School is a college-preparatory school dedicated to academic excellence, cultivation of service and leadership, and the development of wellrounded young men of strong moral character, consistent with the school’s Christian tradition.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Gerald

Gallik Photography

The football team had a strong season, advancing to the state semifinals.

Two Win at YMCA Big

Two Owls traveled to Murfreesboro in early November to compete in the YMCA High School Model United Nations conference, bringing back honors and two new titles. The dynamic duo of juniors Harmon Colvett and Fawwaz Omer were among 1,050 attendees participating in General Assembly, drafting and debating resolutions, and contributing to actions taken in the International Court of Justice or other governmental areas.

Colvett and Omer prepared written and oral arguments for a lawsuit brought by Romania regarding the maritime boundaries in the Black Sea. Their written work, a whopping 76 pages long, won Best Written Argument in the Advanced Division and was used as an example presentation for other students. Their victories didn’t stop in court, as both Owls ran for offices. The competition was

stiff this year with about 70 lawyers in total, 15 competing for top positions.

Participants voted Omer International Court of Justice president, and Colvett vice president. Next fall they will attend an officer training camp and preside, much like Supreme Court justices, over the 2020 ICJ.

Colvett was appreciative of all the support he received before and during the event.

“I am grateful to the YMCA and MUS for allowing us to [represent the school]. The staff members [at Model UN] are extremely kind and helpful,” he said. “It was easily one of my favorite conferences because of all of the laughs mixed with fun competition alongside some of my best friends.”

Omer counts the sleepless nights – and competing while sick – as well worth the effort.

“Even though it was a lot of work, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I was able to meet new people, reunite with old friends, and understand international law better than ever before,” he said.

“Being elected president of the ICJ gives me the ability to give new lawyers just as amazing an experience, and I cannot wait!”

Fawwaz Omer, left, and Harmon Colvett congratulate each other after an exhausting but rewarding trip to the YMCA High School Model United Nations conference in Murfreesboro in November.

Parliament of Owls Competes in Lower School Model UN Competition

by Mr. Caleb Suggs

Lower School students got a crash course in parliamentary procedure as they prepared for their Model UN academic competition December 6.

Advisor Whit Tenent ’00 said that while Model UN is a competition, he focuses more on what the boys learn about the world around them and how it affects them. According to Tenent, any Lower School boy with an interest in Model UN or government can participate in the organization and have a lot of fun doing so.

“It’s great for them to learn how to really debate, to think critically on what is out there,” Tenent said. “They learn about what’s going on in the world around them, the world that they’re growing up in.”

Eighth grader Harrison Goetze has been winning Model UN competitions since the sixth grade. He said practicing with the group has helped him sharpen his skills in public speaking and preparation.

“I’ve gotten a lot of instruction on proper procedure, proper formatting, and research techniques,” Goetze said. “This is my third year now, and I’m really confident.”

To help prepare them for such an academically challenging competition, Upper School Government Club members frequently lend their time and experience in debate. Junior Harmon Colvett, chair of the Middle School conference, said he loved seeing the boys in action and helping them develop their skills.

“I make a consistent effort to help

out Lower School students because I was once in their shoes,” he said. “I enjoy it because I love seeing the passion in these young kids who have never been in committee or written a resolution before – they have a fire inside to learn and be the best they can be.”

Goetze said the involvement of Upper School mentors really makes a difference for him and his peers.

“Honestly, we probably wouldn’t be as good without them,” Goetze said. “They’re influencing our ideas.”

The group participated in the 21st Annual YMCA Middle School Model United Nations Conference in early December at City Hall Chambers in Downtown Memphis. Four eighthgrade groups were selected for the General Assembly, and the delegations from Ethiopia (Goetze), Samoa (Gabe Chen, Sai Madasu, and Anthony Yakoub), Australia (Lee Couloubaritsis, Tyler Dang, and William Levy), and South Sudan (Ihsan Omer and Charlie Treadwell) made the final docket. Goetze and Levy received honors as Outstanding Delegates, and the groups from Australia and South Sudan earned Outstanding Delegation honors.

1. Harrison Goetze, foreground, and classmates prepare for the YMCA Middle School Model UN

2. Gabe Chen, Anthony Yakoub, and Sai Madasu

3. Joey Paul, Rushil Komeravelli, and Kushal Patel

4. YMCA Middle School Model UN Owls

students earned 75 AP Scholar Awards

College Board Honors 68

Owls for AP Achievement

With 22 Advanced Placement courses available at MUS in 2018-19, Owls could choose from a wide range of options for advanced study. Students at MUS have been among the nation's top Advanced Placement performers since the school began participating in the program in 1963, and this year was no exception.

Since its inception in 1955, the AP program has been based on the premise that qualified juniors and seniors are capable of college-level work, and that such achievement should be rewarded by advanced placement and/or college credit.

In May 2019 MUS administered 328 AP exams to 157 students. Ninety

percent of tests taken by MUS students resulted in a score of 3 or higher. Students earned the highest mark of 5 – designating them as “extremely well qualified” in the subject – on 38 percent of the tests. The average score of all tests taken by Owls was 4.01. The national average was 2.89.

A committee of readers representing colleges and secondary schools graded the exams this summer. Once the results were tallied, 25 Owls from the Class of 2019 and 11 Owls from the Class of 2020 qualified for AP Scholar with Distinction recognition, with seven of those Owls achieving the highest honor of National AP Scholar.

The AP courses MUS offered in 2018-19 were Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry,

Computer Science, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, French Language and Culture, Latin, Music Theory, Physics 1, Physics 2, Physics

C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics

C: Mechanics, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, Statistics, United States Government and Politics, and United States History.

The school also offered 20 Honors Accelerated courses, designed to be equivalent in rigor to AP courses, including Advanced Topics with Multivariate Calculus, Chemistry II: Materials Science, Biology II: Molecular Biology, and Great American Essayists.

AP National Scholars

Seven students earned this top honor, which is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

James Blatchford ’19

Jackson Hescock ’19

Jonathan Huang ’20

Ethan Hurst ’19

Ethan Lam ’19

Arjun Puri ’20

Zuhair Somjee ’19

AP Scholar with Distinction

Thirty-six students received this honor, indicating they earned an average

score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Churchill Akhigbe ’20

Tareq Alyousef ’19

James Blatchford ’19

Reid Chandler ’20

Sonny Charbonnet ’19

Ben Cramer ’20

Arnab Das ’20

Jonathan Douglass ’19

Eddie Feild ’19

Trey Fussell ’19

Kyle Gan ’19

Ben Gilliland ’19

Gregory Guo ’20

Jackson Hescock ’19

Jonathan Huang ’20

Ethan Hurst ’19

Kyle Koester ’20

Ethan Lam ’19

Emerson Manley ’19

John Mann ’19

Seven Owls achieved the highest honor of AP National Scholar.

Rob McFadden ’20

Duncan McLean ’20

Jory Meyers ’19

Ev Nichol ’19

Houston Pate ’19

Will Portera ’20

Arjun Puri ’20

William Quinlen ’19

Brandan Roachell ’19

Sidney Selvidge ’19

Sellers Shy ’19

Zuhair Somjee ’19

Jet Tan ’19

Loyd Templeton ’19

Tyran Williams ’19

Grant Young ’19

AP Scholar with Honor

Twenty students received this designation, indicating they earned an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams

taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

Louis Allen ’19

Joshua Blackburn ’19

David Byrd ’19

Jacob Curlin ’20

Jack Dabov ’19

Parth Dahima ’20

Jack Fernandez ’20

Vijdan Gill ’20

Reagan Griffin ’19

Lukas Jakstas ’19

Yusuf Kazi ’20

Bailey Keel ’19

Hudson Miller ’19

Kayhan Mirza ’19

Caleb Riggs ’19

Jeffrey Shulkin ’20

Loi Vuong ’20

Jack Wellford ’20

Henry Wood ’19

Philip Wunderlich ’19

AP Scholar

Twelve students received this designation, indicating they earned scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.

Robert Ayotte ’20

Vaught Benge ’20

Stephen Christenbury ’19

Charlie Eason ’20

Cameron Evans ’20

David Holmes ’19

J.D. Huber ’20

Nicholas Hurley ’19

Drew Rakers ’20

Max Sabin ’20

James Smythe ’20

Will Woodmansee ’20

resulted in a score of

National merit scholarship Honors National Merit Owls 15

Eight students from the Class of 2020 were named National Merit Semifinalists this year by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Churchill Akhigbe, Reid Chandler, Parth Dahima, Gregory Guo, Kyle Koester, Rob McFadden, Seth Richey, and Arjun Puri are among 305 Semifinalists in Tennessee and 16,000 Semifinalists across the nation. Semifinalists usually rate in the top 1 percent of scorers.

They now compete for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring. About 90 percent of Semifinalists attain Finalist standing, and about half of those will win Merit Scholar titles and financial awards.

In addition to the Semifinalists, seniors Ben Cramer, Jacob Curlin, Charlie Eason, John Henley, Jonathan Huang, Drew Rakers, and Jack Wellford were designated National Merit Commended Students. This means they placed in the top 3-4 percent of scorers when they took the PSAT as juniors.

Established in 1955, the NMSC conducts the annual scholarship program to honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.

National Merit Semifinalists, from left, Gregory Guo, Reid Chandler, Parth Dahima, Rob McFadden, Churchill Akhigbe, Arjun Puri, Seth Richey, and Kyle Koester

The Battle of the Bees

Seventh grader Alan Cheng advances to Shelby County spelling competition

by Mr. Caleb Suggs

Preliminaries for the Lower School Terry N. Shelton Spelling Bee got off to an intense start this semester as several participants went head to head to determine who would represent MUS at the Shelby County Spelling Bee. Tensions grew high in late October as Mr. Dax Torrey ’94 and Mrs. Michelle Crews officiated the first of three competitions, watching the 12 competitors reduce one by one, until there were three: seventh graders Oscar Liu, Kushal Patel, and Joey Paul.

Patel came in third after missing a challenging word, and it came down to Liu and Paul (the younger brother of former national competitor Samy Paul, now a junior). When Liu misspelled aspersions, Paul seized the opportunity by spelling it and misdemeanor, thus claiming his spot to advance along with Patel and Liu.

The second school bee in mid-November saw eighth grader Martin Kerlan and seventh graders Cole Alleyne, Alan Cheng, Ammar Duldul, Michael Liu, Oscar Liu, Patel, Paul, and Michael Yarbro compete to another final trio. Paul once again emerged victorious, spelling Columbia and levees correctly to end the battle. Yarbro took second place, and Cheng, third.

The finals in early December included Cheng, Paul, Patel, Yarbro, and Oscar Liu. Cheng and Paul battled to the final two positions. Cheng emerged victorious by spelling luscious and salvageable. He will advance to the 2020 Shelby County Spelling Bee in the spring, a precursor to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Math Owls Make the Grades

Mathematics competitions began with a bang this year with Owls competing on the national and state levels during first-quarter competitions.

Team Scramble:

With a score of 74, MUS mathletes placed ninth nationally on this 30-minute, 100-problem exam.

Math Startup National Placements: Owls competed nationally against over 1,000 students in the Math Fall Startup, and MUS mathletes earned top placements. Three notable eighth graders, Dannie Dong, Bryan Ding, and Jerry Xiao, ranked third, sixth, and ninth nationally for their grade. For the third consecutive year, senior Arjun Puri had a strong performance, ranking 13th nationally for his grade level.

TMTA Recognizes Five Owls

Five Owls placed highly in the TMTA High School Math Contest based on the results of the April 2019 math exam.

In Statistics Ben Gilliland ’19 took first place, and senior Arjun Puri took sixth place in Calculus and Advanced Topics. In Geometry eighth grader Bryan Ding took fifth place and freshman Varun Krishnamurthi placed seventh. In Algebra I eighth graders Jax Newman and Evan Wu placed fourth and Gabe Chen placed eighth.

The banquet ceremony was November 23, and Dr. Steve Gadbois and Mrs. Shelli Henry attended.

Round two Spelling Bee competitors, from left, Cole Alleyne, Michael Liu, Kushal Patel, Ammar Duldul, Joey Paul, Martin Kerlan, Alan Cheng, and Michael Yarbro

Festivus Victorious

LA iatin Owls collected 23 accolades while competing against Houston, Germantown, St. Mary’s, White Station, Westminster Academy, St. Benedict at Auburndale, and The Collegiate School of Memphis during the 12th Annual Latin Fall Festivus Saturday, November 2, at Houston High School.

A delegation of 57 dedicated Upper and Lower School students resisted the siren song of ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Beale Street to perform in a wide variety of competitive events:

TOpen Certamen, Upper Level: Team of juniors Cooper Grinspun, Fawwaz Omer, and Max Shackelford (1st place); Team of junior Ryan Peng and Sophomores Noah Emmert and Kerry Zhao (2nd place); Team of sophomores Collin Craft and Forest Rudd (3rd place)

Open Certamen, Lower Level: Team of freshman Alyaan Salman and eighth grader Qasim Akbar (1st place); Team of freshmen Varun Krishnamurthi and Kevin Ma (3rd place)

Vocabulary Test, Level 1: Eighth graders Parth Patel (1st place) and Bryan Ding (3rd place)

Vocabulary Test, Level 2: Freshmen

Varun Krishnamurthi (1st place) and Charles Hamlett (3rd place)

Vocabulary Test, Level 3-4-5: Sophomore Mark Hieatt (2nd place); junior Fawwaz Omer (3rd place)

Mythology Test, Level 1: Eighth grader Parth Patel (1st place)

Mythology Test, Level 2: Freshman Alyaan Salman (2nd place)

Mythology Test, Level 3-4-5: Junior Will Schuessler (1st place); sophomore Kerry Zhao (2nd place)

Mythology Spelling Bee: Freshman Alyaan Salman (1st place); sophomore Forest Rudd (3rd place)

Trigon: Freshman Jack Knighton (2nd place); junior Max Shackelford (3rd place)

Catapult Large: Team of sophomores Turner Bishop, Matthew Mellone, and Talal Siddiq (1st place)

Catapult Medium: Eighth grader Aidan Glover (3rd place)

Catapult Small: Eighth grader Alan Zhou (3rd place)

Aeneid Meme Contest: Freshman Jack Zaptin (1st place)

Amid the various Festivus competitions, junior Akbar Latif, Tennessee Junior Classical League first vice-president, spent the morning organizing a successful book drive to benefit the Little Free Library organization.

Latin Club members at the 12th Annual Latin Fall Festivus in early November.

Latin Exam Accolades

Advanced Placement Latin students recently participated in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages exam called ALIRA. The exam ranks Latin proficiency - and out of 16 students in the class, 13 juniors placed in the top two rankings.

Cooper Grinspun, Jacob Rickels, and Will Schuessler earned the Advanced Rating, the highest possible exam score. This ranking means that the recipient understands main ideas and supporting details on familiar and new concrete topics from a variety of more complex texts.

Walker Burks, Doug Curtis, Hart Gowen, Jack Jabbour, Cullen Lonergan, Fawwaz Omer, Samy Paul, Ryan Peng, Max Shackelford, and Edwin Shy earned an Intermediate 5 Rating, the next-highest score possible.

From left, Cooper Grinspun, Will Schuessler, and Jacob Rickels

Veterani Revelry

Students in AP Latin and Advanced Readings in Latin recently attended the Latin Veterani Dinner, an annual event designed to recognize students in Memphis-area high school Latin programs who have matriculated to the most advanced levels of study. About 60 students and teachers attended this year’s dinner, which was held at Pete and Sam’s Italian Restaurant, an iconic Memphis institution. The featured speaker was Dr. Geoff

professor of Greek and Roman Studies at Rhodes College.

Front row, from left, Ryan Peng, Jack Jabbour, Max Shackelford, Hart Gowen; back row, Samy Paul, Fawwaz Omer, Cullen Lonergan, Doug Curtis, and Edwin Shy

Bakewell,

Owl Veterani diners at Pete and Sam’s Elvis Room, front row, from left, juniors Ryan Peng, Cullen Lonergan, Hart Gowen, Akbar Latif, Matthew Phillips, Samy Paul; back row, Fawwaz Omer, senior Arjun Puri, juniors Cooper Grinspun, Will Schuessler, Doug Curtis, Max Shackelford, Edwin Shy, Henry Nickey, and Walker Burks

Taking a Shot at Fiction Forensics

Sear and eye gear, students shoot a blank-firing stage revolver, aiming at paper targets placed at three distances.

Using the data they record about the resulting powder stippling, they write forensic reports about the crime scenes and deductions described in Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Reigate Squire. Were Hammett and Doyle dealing in scientific facts or writer whimsy as they crafted their scenes? You’ll have to take the class to find out!

1. Senior Michael Gayoso blasts a target. 2.To remind students that even prop guns and blanks can do damage if misused, Greer describes a handful of the worst movie-set accidents and demonstrates the power of a blank round.

3. Students inspect the damaged soda can from Greer’s safety demonstration.

Honor Above All

From its earliest days, MUS has valued honor and integrity as key virtues of our community. Faculty and students participate in the Oath of Honor at the beginning of school each year:

“We, the students and faculty at Memphis University School, hereby pledge our full support to the Honor System. I pledge to be honest myself, and in order that the spirit and integrity of the Honor System may endure, I pledge that I will make known to the Honor Council any case of dishonesty which I may observe at MUS.”

Honor Council members, elected by their peers in both Lower and Upper School, are tasked with hearing cases about Honor Code violations and recommending to administration what actions, if any, should be taken in the

best interests of the Honor System and the people involved.

Serving on the Honor Council since Grade 8, Honor Council President Ben Spiegelman, a senior, has observed how his fellow Owls understand and revere the Honor System.

“They know the Honor Council is not a police force. It is here to uphold the spirit of honor and integrity in a community of honorable men,” Spiegelman said. “I would like to stress the importance of staying on top of schoolwork to avoid any temptation of breaking the Honor Code. Most violations can be avoided if students communicate with their teachers [about problems they encounter]. It is important to remember that a failing grade does not compromise your character and credibility.”

Lower School Honor Council representatives, from left, eighth graders Bennett Owen and Griffin Brown and seventh graders Tucker Davis and Bennett Frazer

Upper School Honor Council members, seated from left, freshman Carter Campbell, seniors Ben Merriman, President Ben Spiegelman, and Vaught Benge; standing, freshman Lewis Butler, sophomores McRae Dickinson and William Shell, and juniors Drew Burnett and Hart Gowen

C S O Kicks Off Incredible Year

The Civic Service Organization held one of its biggest-ever service days during Parents Backto-School Day in September. With a record number of 128 volunteers (according to CSO Co-President and senior Duncan McLean, students gathered at the Happy Mexican meeting spot early September 11 and headed out to locations throughout the city.

The year has been packed with service activities – from distributing candy to the autism and Down syndrome communities during the Pink Palace Museum Spooky Science Night to providing food for the underserved at meal kitchens.

1. Repairing a greenhouse at Carpenter Art Garden 2. Supporting the Forrest Spence 5K 3. Working at Spooky Science Night for the Down syndrome and autism communities at the Pink Palace 4. Delivering meals for MIFA Meals on Wheels 5. Ready for assignments on CSO Service Day 6. Making sandwiches for the homeless

7. Gardening at St. Jude/Memphis Tilth Garden 8. CSO Service Day Lower School volunteers 9. Serving food at Grace-St. Luke’s More Than a Meal 10. Volunteering at Cornerstone Prep

11. Operation Christmas Basket at MIFA

12. Cleaning and organizing at Perea Preschool 13. Surveying the volunteers prior to CSO Service Day

in Action at Oak Ridge National Lab

Science Department Chair Analice Sowell led her Materials Science students to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Nissan’s North American assembly plant in November. This was Sowell’s fifth annual trip to ORNL – one of her very favorite places to visit. Lower School Principal Loyal Murphy ’86 and History Department Chair Jonathan Jones accompanied Sowell and the 21 students. They kicked off the trip with a tour of the American Museum of Science & Energy, also in Oak Ridge, before heading on to ORNL and finally to Nissan in Smyrna.

The boys experienced firsthand how electrostatic charge transfers via contact with the Van de Graaff generator, examined a drivable 3-D printed Shelby Cobra and other objects created through advanced additive manufacturing, and saw Summit, the world’s fastest supercomputer. Sowell

noted that their visit coincided with the 76th anniversary of the ORNL graphite reactor first producing a self-sustaining chemical reaction.

Witnessing high-level research applications of the concepts they are studying provided students an invaluable opportunity to envision what science makes possible, she said.

“A visit to Oak Ridge is not really work in my book,” Sowell said. “If you have heard how much I ‘nerd out’ while we are there, believe every word. I really enjoy sharing these places with our students. From the rich history in nuclear science that started ORNL to the redirection of research into materials examination and characterization post World War II, as well as the real-time manufacturing that we saw at Nissan, it was an amazing and memorable trip.”

Materials Science students stop for a quick picture at the American Museum of Science & Energy at Oak Ridge in November.

Students view a “hot cell” where radioactive materials are tested at the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center.

W

While both classes compared the classroom product with store-bought versions, the AP Stats students recorded the results. Root beer was brewed successfully, but most students preferred the brand-name product!

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Justice League Saves the Day - One Debate at a Time

by Mr. Caleb Suggs

In a world divided by political beliefs, one school club seeks unity through open discussion. Despite its name, the Justice League isn’t a comic book club centered on superhero fantasy but a politically charged club focused on real-life issues and points of debate.

“The purpose of the group is really to foster an environment of open conversation where everyone can share their ideas,” Justice League President Devin Malone, a senior, said. “I think it’s very important because our world is very polarized,

and some people don’t feel that they can say what they believe.”

The Justice League uses group discussion and debate to encourage members to develop opinions and examine their own beliefs. Malone and Vice President J.D. Huber, a senior, lead conversations on predetermined topics making sure to give each attendee a chance to speak his mind. Recent topics have included immigration and the death penalty. According to Malone, discussion is also the only way to bring about change.

“I don’t want the Justice League to be a bunch of patting on the back,” Malone said. “If there’s no debate, then there’s no change. If there is no change, if nobody learned anything, then what was the point of the conversation?”

Malone said another priority of the Justice League is to help students build more confidence in selfexpression. He said he remembers how Bailey Keel ’19 grew while sharing his ideas with the group, often offering a counterpoint to prevailing views.

Justice League members, from left, seniors Alan Applewhite, Tra Warren, and Devin Malone, junior Griffin Hood, and senior J.D. Huber

“He was always there, giving his opinion,” Malone said. “I applaud him because that can be hard. To stand in there and say, ‘this is what I believe,’ and have people disagree with you –and still come back to the meetings. I think after that, he found it easier to voice his opinion in other areas, not just in Justice League meetings.”

Malone believes education is another great club benefit.

“People say ignorance is bad, but ignorance is just the lack of knowledge,” Malone said. “Even if you don’t leave a Justice League meeting agreeing with the other side, you know what they believe, and you can respect it after they’ve explained it.”

As president of the Justice League, Malone is tasked with researching each topic in depth, so he can properly moderate each discussion from a neutral standpoint. The hardest part about being president, he said, is abstaining from the debates.

“Debating is fun for me, so that’s a big change from last year,” Malone said. “I want to be a friend to all in the room – because if the person who is in charge is arguing directly with you, to some people that can be very damning.”

Malone said he believes the Justice League discussions can be a force for change.

“If I could get the whole school in a Justice League meeting, I would love it. … We wouldn’t get through the questions though, so they’d have to come back the next week.”

Author Andrew Maraniss Shares his Story

Nashville high school basketball standout and valedictorian Mr. Perry Wallace enrolled at newly desegregated Vanderbilt University in 1966 and became the first African-American player in the Southeastern Conference. The New York Times-bestselling author, Mr. Andrew Maraniss, told his story in a richly detailed narrative non-fiction work titled Strong Inside, which he discussed during a visit to campus in October.

Maraniss shared insight into his own evolution as a writer in describing what inspired him to write the biography of the trailblazing athlete. On a sportswriting scholarship at Vanderbilt, Maraniss majored in history and served as sports editor of the school paper. The first time he wrote about Wallace was as an assignment for a Black History class. But Wallace’s compelling story stuck with him, and years later it would become his first book.

Maraniss spoke in chapel, signed books, and stayed for a special Q&A session with the basketball team. His newest work, published in November, is Games of Deception, the story of the first U.S. Olympic basketball team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler’s Germany.

Justice League participants, from left, freshmen Liam Shepherd, Jordan Bond, Stryker Aitken, and Jack Zaptin, senior Devin Malone, freshmen George Flinn and Adrish Biswas, senior Tra Warren, and juniors Watts Miller and Tamaz Young

Author Andrew Maraniss signed books and met with students during this visit to campus in October.

Sardines and Slapstick Take the Stage

Michael Frayn’s madcap comedy Noises Off, performed on the Hyde Chapel stage in November, follows an eclectic group of actors as they tour the country performing a bawdy farce titled Nothing On. Inflated egos, backstage romances, and technical difficulties quickly turn the play-within-the-play into a door-slamming, ax-wielding farce – complete with stair tumbles, falling trousers, and, of course, plenty of sardines.

CAST:

Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clackett..................Callie Oehmler

Lloyd Caine........................................Ben Cramer ’20

Garry LeJeune/ Roger Tramplemain....................James Smythe ’20

Brooke Ashton/Vicki........................Claire Schneider

Frederick Fellowes/Phillip Brent.....Jim Thomas ’20

Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent..................Lillian Barcroft

Poppy Norton-Taylor..........................Molly Brennan

Selsdon Mowbray/Burglar..................Vijdan Gill ’20

Tim Allgood..........................................Akbar Latif ’21

Director: Mr. Ted Fockler ’10, Producer: Mr. Tim Greer, Technical Director: Mr. Robert Fudge, Costumer: Ms. Alexandria Perel-Sams, Actor Coach: Mrs. Kim J. Eikner, Program Artists: Sean-Marc Taylor ’20 - Nothing On, Mr. Greg Cravens - Noises Off

1. Roger and Brooke’s weekend getaway goes awry. 2. Tim and Dotty attempt to keep the show going. 3. Freddy has too much backstage help from Belinda and Dotty. 4. Phillip’s hopes fall at the sight of his income tax bill. 5. The backstage war gets fishy. 6. Selsdon waxes nostalgic with Poppy. 7. Cast and crew of Noises Off 8. Disastrous final scene of Nothing On before the act break

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CREW:

Shift Crew

Cameron Evans ’20

Jack Fernandez ’20

Yousef Husein ’20

Lucio Rosa ’20

Sean-Marc Taylor ’20

Cooper Grinspun ’21

Harrison Goetze ’24

Props

Riane Bayne

Max Shackelford ’21

Lighting Designer

Cooper Grinspun ’21

Light Programmer

Paige Fernandez

Sound Designer/

Mic Wrangler

Ryan Peng ’21

Audio Engineer

Carson Lakin ’20

Costume/

Makeup Tech

Sarah-Gayle Pratt

Videographer

Callie Oehmler

Stage Manager

Reid Chandler ’20

House Manager

Jack Fernandez ’20

4 5 8

Theater Production Classes

Wasif Abdullah ’20

Keithran Hopson ’20

Harry White ’20

John Parker Hogan ’21

Ayman McGowan ’21

Nash Stewart ’21

Jon Van Hoozer ’21

Design and Technology

Ryan Peng ’21

Cooper Grinspun ’21

Max Shackelford ’21

Afterschool

Stage Crew

6

Andrew Bragorgos ’20

Reid Chandler ’20

Arnab Das ’20

Cameron Evans ’20

Jack Fernandez ’20

Yousef Husein ’20

Jonathan Johnson ’20

Carson Lakin ’20

Ryan Peng ’21

Lucio Rosa ’20

Sean-Marc Taylor ’20

Cooper Grinspun ’21

Paul Marr ’21

Dempsey Terhune ’21

Lou Zhou ’23

Noah Davis ’24

Harrison Goetze ’24

Alan Howell Photography

Creativity Blooms on Campus for Ninth

Artist-in-Residence

In October Memphis painter Beth Edwards joined us as the school’s ninth Artist-in-Residence. The Artist-in-Residence program, created by Acting Arts Department Chair Grant Burke, brings a local artist to campus every fall to work and share his or her expertise with students. Burke founded the program to support local artists and to offer students a firsthand glimpse of how different styles of art are created.

Edwards is known for contemporary still-life paintings of plants and flowers imbued with a metaphorical realism. The saturated palette and confrontational scale of her paintings lend the flowers and plants a heightened immediacy, adding to their significance and complexity.

Students and faculty were encouraged to stop by to watch Edwards at work during her time on campus; students could also ask questions and draw and paint alongside her in the studio classroom of Art Instructor

Laura Beck

As part of their residency, artists complete a work that becomes part of the growing permanent collection displayed in the campus gallery. The school’s previous resident artists are Hamlett Dobbins, Tad Lauritzen Wright, Michael Roy (aka Birdcap), Pinkney Herbert, Jared Small, Nancy Cheairs, George Hunt, and David Lynch.

Represented by David Lusk Gallery in Memphis, Edwards has been an instructor at the University of Memphis since 2000 and the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and commissions during her 30-year career. She received her BFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA, and her MFA from Indiana University. Her work is in numerous public and private collections including the Howard and Judith Tullman Collection in Chicago, the Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, and the Tennessee Arts Commission in Nashville. In 2016 she was the recipient of the Emmett O’Ryan Award for Artistic Inspiration given by ArtsMemphis.

Principles and Portraits

Mrs. Laura Beck’s Lower School art classes have learned color theory and mixing techniques. They have experimented with drawing self-portraits, using grids to enlarge a photo, and suggesting depth with values. From Prismacolor pencils to charcoal and acrylic, the boys have practiced layering, blending, and burnishing techniques. Far left, a student works with acrylics. Left, seventh grader Oscar Liu’s self-portrait in colored pencils.

Seniors Land Phillips and Council Rowland watch Artist-in-Residence Beth Edwards as she creates “Clover XVI” during her week on campus.

Lower School Monster Art

Students in Art Instructor Raina Burditt’s digital design classes have explored design software by creating fantasy landscapes, designing personal logos, and redesigning restaurant menus. Here is an example from a recent project called “Unlikely Monsters.” Next up in class, students will move on to video production and special effects.

Wills Frazer Wins Cooper Young Art Contest

Seventh grader Wills Frazer won first place and $250 in his division at the Cooper-Young Festival's Young Artist Contest. The theme was 200 years of Memphis. The reception was in early November at Peabody Elementary. Art Instructor Laura Beck, who entered Frazer into the contest, attended the reception with Frazer and his family.

Football Team Advances to State

One of the premier programs in the area, varsity football continued its outstanding run of success, going 10-2, winning the Division II-AAA West Region, and advancing to the state semifinals.

This season saw a change to the two regions of Division II-AAA as Montgomery Bell Academy and Pope John Paul II from Middle Tennessee moved into the West Region, and to balance out the league, Knoxville Catholic filled out the Mideast Region.

The Owls opened against neighborhood rival Ridgeway, besting the Roadrunners handily, 35-3. The dominant defense continued against Raleigh-Egypt in game two as they shut out the Pharaohs, 38-0. Those wins set up the region opener as rival Christian Brothers came to Stokes Stadium. After the Purple Wave opened the game with a 15-play drive that resulted in a field goal, the Owls scored the next 23 points and remained strong for a 37-24 win to begin region play at 1-0.

After a win against Melrose, the team suffered its first loss, falling to Montgomery Bell Academy, 17-14. But the Owls rebounded, defeating Fairley, 45-0, and St. Benedict, 44-7, before Fall Break.

Coming off the bye, the players traveled to battle new region opponent

to force overtime. After the teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, the Owls forced a field goal and proceeded to score a touchdown on their first play of the second period, securing the win, 36-33, and moving to 3-1 in the league.

Following a tough, 21-13 win over White Station, the Owls ended the regular season at Briarcrest. The defense played a great game, limiting the potent Saints to only 16 points; and the offense was efficient, picking up three rushing touchdowns. The 22-16 win marked the Owls’ seventh regional title in the last nine years.

In the quarterfinal playoffs, a very talented Knoxville Catholic visited Stokes Stadium for the first time, but the Owls played one of their best games of the year. Building a 27-7 halftime lead, the team held on and ultimately won, 35-28. Montgomery Bell Academy ended the Owls’ year with a 20-3 loss in the semifinals.

Head Coach Bobby Alston looked back fondly on this year. “Anytime you see your season end earlier than you wish, it is hard, but the players became an outstanding team and represented the school well,” Alston said. “I am very proud of the boys and the coaches for a job well done.”

Several Owls earned postseason honors. Senior lineman Marcus Henderson was named an Under

He will play in the Under Armour AllAmerica game in January. He also was named the Most Valuable Player in the Division II-AAA West Region as voted on by the West Region coaches.

Also named to the Division II-AAA West Coaches All-Region Team were seniors Charlie Gilbert, Cody Hopkins, Keithran Hopson, Hunter Kendall, DeVonte Nelson, Ben Skahan; and juniors DJ Brown, Roderic Lewis, and Gavin McKay. Honorable Mention went to seniors Vaught Benge, Robert Dickinson, Devin Malone, and junior Edwin Shy

MUS annually hosts the Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game, and this year, six Owls were chosen to play: Hopkins, Hopson, Kendall, Malone, Nelson, and Skahan.

And at the end-of-season banquet, more awards were given. The school honored team captains Dickinson, Gilbert, Henderson, Hopson, and Kendall. Brown picked up the Steve Minken Headhunter Award for most tackles during the season, and the team voted to give the W.S. Roberts MVP Award to Kendall (offense) and Brown and Hopkins (defense), the Holiday Ham – Trey Jordan “Do Right” Award to Dickinson, and the Dan Griffin Spirit Award to Henderson and Hopson.

JUNIOR VARSITY

Coach: Varsity Staff l Record: 5-0

Roster: Juniors Drew Burnett, Alex Coffman, Peter Dailey, Austin Dowdle, Christopher Goodwin, John Parker Hogan, Will Jarratt, Ke’Juan Jones, Mac Magness, Watts Miller, Charlie Nichols, Chris Parks, Vincent Perkins, Jacob Rickels, Jack Rogers, TR Santos, Dan Shell, Cason Triplett, Tamaz Young, Tylyn Young; sophomores James Allen, Hunter Barnes, Chris Bird, Will Camp, Brooks Croone, Evans Culpepper, McRae

Dickinson, George Hamsley, Will Jenks, Clayton Nearn, Mac Owen, Daniel Peoples, Hamza Ranjha, Jack Ryan, Fred Schaeffer, William Shell, Clarkson Shoaf, Porter Webber, Henry Weeks, Hayes Wilkinson, Christopher Yarbro

FRESHMAN

Coach: Varsity Staff l Record: 3-1

Roster: Freshmen Van Abbay, Stryker Aitken, Jack Blackwell, Lewis Butler, Carter Campbell, Braden Chubb, Drew Clift, Jacob Cole, Shane Faulkner, Jack Fortas, Nicholas Galler, Phoenix Hernandez, John Lee, Wilson LeMay, Griffin Marshall, Nickolas

Mathews, Ben McBride, Will McDaniel, Ian McGehee, Jackson

Moore, Alex Nail, Brown Nickey, Max Painter, Nigel Pruitt, Dylan Robinson, Malcolm Shaw, Liam Shepherd, DeWitt Shy, Wyatt Solberg, Barrett Summers, Morgan Temme, Rhodes

Temme, William Watkins, Heiskell Weatherford, Demar Wells, Edward Wilson, Benjamin Zague

LOWER SCHOOL RED

Coach: Derek Clenin ’03 l Record: 9-0

Roster: Eighth graders Davidson Alexander, Casey Cooper, Walker Griesbeck, Nathaniel Griffin, Jack Jarratt, Barton Johnson, Clayton Kuhlo, Catcher Miller, Sims Miller, Brandon Nicholson, Parks Painter, Tyler Perry, Grayson Pollan, Everett Sego, Makhi Shaw, Andrew Tancredi, Van Thompson; seventh graders Louis Brundick, Charlie Gerhart, Cameron Jones, Michael Ray, William Renovich, Michael Yarbro

LOWER SCHOOL BLUE

Coach: Bobby Wade ’84 l Record: 7-0

Roster: Eighth graders Griffin Allen, Mac Barcroft, Jack Fowler, Aidan Glover, CJ Johnson, William Mallory, Davis Nevels, Ihsan Omer, Dion Stutts, Stephen Tolbert, Sam Wilson, Ben Wunderlich; seventh graders Bryan Billups, Joey Dodson, Caleb Ellis, Jackson Ford, Wilkes Gowen, Owen Parker, John Redd, George Steffens

Action shots by Gerald Gallik Photography

1. Clarkson Shoaf shakes off a tackle. 2. The team celebrates another Hunter Kendall touchdown. 3. Drew Burnett barrels through for a first down. 4. Ben Skahan looks for another touchback on a kickoff. 5. Roderic Lewis eludes tacklers.

Two Golfers Compete at State Individuals

While most MUS students were enjoying the last few days of summer, a small group of golfers put on the “U” to represent their school on the golf course. From August until early October, the varsity golf team played several times each week, battling the heat and good competition as they prepared for the postseason tournaments. Once the postseason arrived, the team competed hard at the region tournament, finishing third. While the team did not qualify for state, two freshmen, James Alexander and Clarence Chapman, did qualify for the individual tournament, held in Manchester September 30 and October 1.

The 2019 Owls had a good balance of seasoned and newer talent. Seniors Cannon Hurdle, Charles Long, Daniel Meskin, and Spence Wilson all brought a wealth of experience to the season. Junior Daniel Russell and freshmen Alexander, Chapman, Eliot Morris, Taylor Patteson, and Clyde Patton rounded out the team.

The season started at The Preview at GreyStone Golf Club in Dickson in August where the Owls got to compete against some of the best teams in the state. During the year, they played in several local tournaments, including the Ronnie Wenzler Memorial Tournament and the FCA Tournament, both at Windyke Country Club. They also had many dual matches, competing against public schools Houston and White Station and private schools Briarcrest, Christian Brothers, St. Benedict, and St. George’s. The Owls were able to win five of these dual matches, including taking their last two, one-stroke victories over Christian Brothers and St. George’s.

At the Division II-AA West Region Tournament at Windyke, the team of Alexander, Chapman, Hurdle, Long, and Wilson battled region rivals Briarcrest, Christian Brothers, and St. Benedict. With only the top-two teams advancing, the Owls just missed out on state competition, finishing third. Alexander and Chapman advanced to the individuals.

At the state event at Willowbrook Golf Course in Manchester, both freshmen started well, parring the first several holes. Chapman finished round one with a 78 and Alexander a 79 on the par-72 course. On day two, Chapman had a great round, shooting 1-under 71 to finish tied for 16th overall. Alexander shot 81 on day two to finish 27th. Both players got invaluable experience at the event and look forward to next year.

“It was good to see this course for a second time [after having played there at state last season],” Chapman said. “I think that’s really what helped me the most this year. I’m feeling good about next year and hope that we can make it to state.”

Alexander also valued the experience.

“It was great to be part of the varsity team during my freshman year. I cannot wait for next year.”

Coach Cliff Frisby is proud of how the team improved as the season went along, and though he will miss the four seniors, he is excited because of the youth on this team.

“We had a challenging season this year and came up just short of reaching state,” Frisby said. I look forward to next year and hopefully returning to the state championship with our young squad.”

Clyde Patton

LOWER SCHOOL

Coach: Jason Peters ’88

Record: 17-0, capturing the Shelby 7/8 League title. Every player on the team finished in the Top 10 in the junior and senior division championships.

Roster: Eighth graders Austin Bibb, Owen Grow, Gates Luton, Wyatt McAllister, RJ Neal, Hank Sayle; seventh graders Milling Chapman, Wils Moore, Jackson Peters, Cooper Solberg

JUNIOR VARSITY

Coach: Jason Peters ’88

Record: 11-7

Roster: Senior Cole Saenz, junior Warren Johnston, sophomore Nelson Saenz, freshmen Barrett Sexton, Sutton Thomas

From left, Nelson Saenz, Cole Saenz, Warren Johnston, Sutton Thomas, Barrett Sexton

From left, RJ Neal, Cooper Solberg, Milling Chapman, Jackson Peters, Gates Luton, Coach Jason Peters, Hank Sayle, Owen Grow, Wyatt McAllister, Wils Moore, Austin Bibb

Taylor Patteson Daniel Meskin

State individual qualifiers, from left, Clarence Chapman and James Alexander

Daniel Russell Cannon Hurdle

2 1

Cross Country Runners Improve Mile After Mile

For the first time in almost two decades, the varsity cross-country program had new leadership as Coach Jonas Holdeman assumed the head coach role before the 2019 campaign. Holdeman had served as an assistant coach since his arrival at MUS in 2013. Coach Joe Tyler, who moved to coaching the freshman basketball team, turned the program over to Holdeman, a seasoned cross-country coach who has brought vast knowledge and experience to the team.

An avid participant in the sport, Holdeman said he enjoys the impartiality of cross-country competition: “No coach or spectator gets to say they think one guy is better than another since it’s almost entirely objective: you against other people, you against a clock.”

His first squad at MUS was an experienced group of dedicated runners, many of whom improved greatly throughout the season. Seniors Rob McFadden, Duncan McLean, Alex Warr, and McKee Whittemore; juniors

Joseph Barnes, Elijah Graham, Miller Pisahl, Max White, and J.P. Wood; sophomores Nash Kaye and Witt Smith; and freshman Charlie Gallop all endured very hot weather but remained consistent, putting in many miles to improve.

The Owls ran in two league meets at Shelby Farms, winning both. They also traveled, beginning the year in Oakville, AL, at the Chickasaw Trail Invitational, finishing 19th out of 45 teams. They ran in the Tennessee Classic in Nashville (finishing 11th) and the Jesse Owens Invitational, also in Oakville (finishing 7th). These meets helped the team prepare for the region meet, held at Shelby Farms, as the Owls competed against division rivals Briarcrest, Christian Brothers, and St. Benedict. The team ran quite well at this meet and finished second. Kaye claimed second individually, less than a second behind the region champion. Other Owl finishers included White (5th), Graham (9th), McLean (10th), Barnes (15th), Warr (16th), and Wood (18th).

At the state meet, held in Nashville in

Photos by Jeff White and Doug Padluck

early November, the Owls ran hard and finished 9th as a team. Kaye was the team’s leading runner, claiming 30th overall, followed by McLean (48th), White (49th), Graham (50th), Warr (61st), Barnes (65th), and McFadden (90th).

Although the runners did not finish as high as they would have liked, Holdeman was pleased with their dedication and improvement.

“Cross country is one of those activities that people from the outside struggle to understand,” Holdeman said. “They say, ‘How can you stand just running?’ The guys on our team run because it is hard – they get a lot of satisfaction from the fact that they do what other people wouldn’t dream of doing, like starting practice at 6:30 a.m. six days a week all summer long, running for two hours at a time on Saturdays. But they do it, and they improve, and they see the direct link between effort and outcome. Our guys trained hard all year, improved all year. I’m proud of them all.”

LOWER SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Coach: Antony Eddy

Record: 5th at Shelby League Middle School Cross Country Championship

Roster: Eighth graders Will Gramm, Sai Madasu, Bennett Owen, Jack Webster, Jerry Xiao, Henry Zanone; seventh graders Cole Alleyne, Bennett Frazer, Evan Gilliland, John Logan Godwin, Jeremiah Johnson, Elston Liles, Palmer Lowery, Marcus McCullers. Stanton Miller, Baker Schell, Bradley Snider, Watson Spear, Hall Thompson, Zeon Wang, Rishi Yalamanchili,

1. Max White, 2. Alex Warr, 3. Joseph Barnes, 4. Rob McFadden, 5. Flock of Owl runners, 6. Nash Kaye

Alex Yong

Treadwell Condon Award

Head Golf Coach Cliff Frisby awarded freshman Clarence Chapman the Treadwell-Condon Award in chapel in mid-November. Chapman held the lowest stroke average during regular season play and tied for 16th in the state individual competition.

Russ Billings Award

Head Cross Country Coach Jonas Holdeman awarded senior Rob McFadden with the Russ Billings Award in chapel in mid-November. The award is given to a runner who demonstrates the qualities of Russ Billings ’80 – an exceptional team attitude, work ethic, and perseverance.

Football Homecoming Royalty

Football Homecoming court and senior escorts, from left, Katherine Harding, Jacob Messer, Sarah Harris, Harris Tennyson, Homecoming Queen Caroline Weakley, Jack Gorman, Anne Claire Sexton, Hewes Scull, Shade Webb, Will Woodmansee, Townes Wilkinson, and Blake Sexton

2019-20 Parents’ Association Board of Directors

Chairs Missy and Horace Carter ’89

Secretaries Whitney and James McDonald

Treasurers Gina and Jody Scott ’87

Admissions Coordinators Alison and Win Rawson

Arts Coordinators Alison and Scott Thomas

Blazer Consignment Coordinators Margaret and Hugh Fraser

Communication/ParentEducation Coordinators Stephan and Chris Rowland

Fundraising Coordinators Beth and Gavin Murrey ’86

Grandparent Coordinators Betsy and David Brown

Hospitality Coordinators Mary Coffman

Hospitality, Lower School Kathy-Gale and Gil Uhlhorn ’93

Hospitality, Upper School Lauren and Norris McGehee ’81

Membership Coordinators Angie and Zack Street

Phonathon Coordinators Jennifer and Keith Merriman

Spirit Coordinators Ellen and Miles Fortas ’89

Spirit Coordinator

Assistants Jenny and Ellis Haddad ’91

Grade 12 Representatives Ashley and Bert Robinson ’90

Grade 11 Representatives Tanya and Mark Hart

Grade 10 Representatives Lisanne and Tom Marshall ’77

Grade 9 Representatives Darby and Jason Farmer

Grade 8 Representatives Angela and Dan Applegate

Grade 7 Representatives Amanda and Jason Gowen

The 2019-20 Parents’ Association Board of Directors, chaired by Missy and Horace Carter ’89, in front

2019 WINTER CONCERTS

Peter D. Sanders

Headmaster

Barry Ray

Assistant Headmaster

Loyal Murphy

Lower School Principal

Bobby Alston

Director of Athletics

Bonnie Barnes

Director of Hyde Library

Flip Eikner

Academic Dean

Perry Dement

Director of Advancement

Claire Farmer

Director of Annual Fund

Rankin Fowlkes

Director of Business Operations

Joe Abrahams

Director of Counseling Services

Ann Laughlin Director of Alumni and Parent Programs

Zach Hansen Director of College Counseling

Buck Towner

Director of Admissions

Liz Copeland Director of Communications

Marci Woodmansee

Associate Director of Communications

Rebecca H. Greer

Managing Editor, Inside MUS

LeeAnn Christopherson

Creative Director

Caleb Suggs Intern

OATH OF

We, the students and faculty at Memphis University School, hereby pledge our full support to the Honor System. I pledge to be honest myself, and in order that the spirit and integrity of the Honor System may endure, I pledge that I will make known to the Honor Council any case of dishonesty which I may observe at MUS.

On the Cover

Civic Service Organization volunteers, from left, sophomore Turner Bishop, senior McKee Whittemore, CSO Advisor Jonathan Large, senior Duncan McLean, junior Judson Fair, senior Robert Ayotte, and junior Stephen Cates prepare to serve homeless and underserved guests at Grace-St. Luke’s More Than a Meal. McLean and Whittemore are CSO co-presidents.

See more on page 12.

HONOR

Jazz Band horns, from left, sophomore Ayo Adebiyi, junior Braxton Hart, and freshmen Joseph Keeler, Brandon Walker, and Charlie Dyson

Sophomore West Loden is featured as Beg To Differ sings The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Chamber Ensemble senior Jacob Curlin and junior Leo Campbell

Photo: Alan Howell Photography