Winter 2023

CAMPUS

Kristopher Horne ‘24, Brandon Nicholson ’24, Palmer Harris ’24 , Makhi Shaw ’24, Jackson Ransom ’24, and Clarence Chapman ’23 gather around the fire for warmth during a Civic Service Organization Food Distribution.

Photo By Wendy Adams.

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.

INSIGHT

36 Counselor Candy Harris says, "Oh, Boy!"

DUL DUL WINS TERRY N. SHELTON SPELLING BEE

Seventh grader Saber Dul Dul won the Terry N. Shelton Spelling Bee on Friday, December 9, and will represent Memphis University School at the Shelby County Spelling Bee.

The other four finalists were eighth graders Ike Emmert and Kaanit Valiani and seventh graders Will Perkins and Mustafa Rehan. Perkins came in third place while Dul Dul and Valiani battled it out for the top spot in the contest. Dul Dul spelling “gaels” and “hurdy-gurdy” back-toback brought him the win.

When Dul Dul finished his final word, the seventh-grade crowd went wild! The final two contestants shook hands in a show of sportsmanship, then Instructor in English Dax Torrey lifted Dul Dul’s arm in victory.  Torrey and fellow English instructor Anna Hedgepeth officiated the weeks-long championship in Dunavant Lecture Hall. Torrey organizes the event, which is named for the late Mr. Shelton who served as the spelling bee advisor for many years.

THREE OWLS WIN AT MOCK TRIAL

Adental model lost control of her scooter after skidding on sand that had spilled from a “party wagon.” The model suffered numerous injuries including the loss of her two front teeth, and she sued the driver for damages. The MUS Mock Trial team took on the case during the Mock Trial District 14 Competition.

Three Owls won awards for their work. Junior Tyler Dang was one of three attorneys to be honored with the Best Attorney award. Seniors Aryaan Ahmed and Kyan Ramsay were two of the six witnesses to earn Best Witness honor. The two MUS squads, advised by French Instructor Rebecca Keel, scored the most cumulative points of any of the 16 teams at the competition.

The case – a fake scenario set in a fictional location – was tried four times during the competition, with the Owls switching from prosecution to defense. Three judges scored each round and provided immediate feedback to the participants.

Thanks to our coaches, Mr. Jason Hood and Mr. Erim Sarinoglu ’07, and to Mrs. Erin Raccah, Mr. Mathew Jehl ’09, Mr. Juni Ganguli, and Mr. Will Perry for additional help preparing the Owls for competition.

Red Team

Jack Blackwell ’23

Amar Kanakamedala ’23

Parth Mishra ’23

Kyan Ramsay ’23

Liam Shepherd ’23

Grayson Skipper ’24

Wills Frazer ’25

BLUE Team

Aryaan Ahmed ’23

George Flinn ’23

Tyler Dang ’24

Sohan Ganguli ’25

Palmer Howie ’25

Elston Liles ’25

Henry Phan ’26

English Instructor and Spelling Bee Proctor Dax Torrey ’94 lifts Saber Dul Dul’s arm in victory after he spelled “gaels” and “hurdy-gurdy” consecutively.

Front, French Instructor Rebecca Keel, Henry Phan, Sohan Ganguli, Elston Liles, Palmer Howie, Tyler Dang, George Flinn, Kyan Ramsay, Amar Kanakamedala, Parth Mishra, Mr. Erim Sarinoglu ’07; back, Aryaan Ahmed, Grayson Skipper, Wills Frazer, Jack Blackwell, and Liam Shepherd

Owl writers HOnOred in natiOn, regiOn

Nine Owls from the Class of 2023 have received regional honors for their writing in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, including Kyan Ramsay, who also won a national Gold Medal.

Ramsay’s critical essay examining themes in Toni Morrison’s novel “The Bluest Eye” was written as part of an independent study course, Perspectives in Women’s Literature, with English Department Chair Elizabeth Crosby last semester.

More than 100,000 students submitted more than 260,000 works of art and writing to the 2023 Scholastic Awards. Ramsay’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision. Fewer than 2,000 works received a national medal, which placed Ramsay’s essay within the top 1% of all submissions.

Ramsay also won a regional Gold Key for his critical essay and two other regional awards: a Gold Key in the Personal Essay & Memoir category and a Silver Key for his Writing Portfolio.

English Instructor Nat Akin submitted Ramsay’s works along with essays, short stories, and memoirs from all 12 students in his Nonfiction Writing class. Nine received regional writing awards – three Gold Keys, three Silver Keys, and four Honorable Mentions. Gold Key works were automatically entered in the national contest.

Regional Writing Awards

Abdullah Elahi: Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir

Jeffrey Liu: Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir

Kyan Ramsay: Gold Key, Critical Essay; Gold Key Personal Essay & Memoir; Silver Key, Writing Portfolio

Frederick Huang: Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir; Honorable Mention, Short Story

Kevin Ma: Honorable Mention, Short Story

Mohid Saeed: Silver Key, Personal Essay & Memoir

Jack Knighton: Honorable Mention, Personal Essay & Memoir

Ismael Qureshi: Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir

Alyaan Salman: Gold Key, Personal Essay & Memoir

Five Owls win Mid-sOutH scHOlastic art awards

Five Owls earned honors in the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards for work they produced during the first semester.

Andrew Xu ’23 entered an illustration titled “Poli Sci,” which earned a Gold Key. Xu’s art was displayed at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and was sent to New York for national judging. Abdullah Elahi ’23 earned a Silver Key for “Unknown Reptilian on Newly Discovered Planet.”

Oscar Liu ’25 won two awards in the Scholastic contest, a Silver Key for “Wai Gong and Me” and an Honorable Mention for “Summer Snack.”

Evan Wu ’24 was the only Owl to win an award for photography with his photo named “Unwavering Passion,” earning him a Silver Key. Will Hess ’24 picked up an Honorable Mention in the Drawing and Illustration category for his “Assorted Fruits” piece.

Assorted Fruits

Wai Gong and Me

Summer Snack

Poli Sci

Unwavering Passion

Unknown Reptilian on Newly Discovered Planet

DEAN'S HONOR ROLLS

First Semester 2022-23 School Year

Dean's Scholars Students who have earned 90 or above in every regular honors course and 80 or above in every honors accelerated and AP course are designated Dean's Scholars.

Grade 12

Aryaan Ahmed

Jack Blackwell

Lewis Butler

Clarence Chapman

Braden Chubb

Abdullah Elahi

Charlie Gamble

Nathaniel Greenfield

Johnny Heinz

Frederick Huang

Andrew Jones

Amar

Kanakamedala

Joseph Keeler

Jack Knighton

Varun

Krishnamurthi

Jeffrey Liu

Kevin Ma

Max Mascolino

Nickolas Mathews

Ian McGehee

Parth Mishra

Brown Nickey

Spencer Norris

Taylor Patteson

Clyde Patton

Ismael Qureshi

Kyan Ramsay

Alyaan Salman

Andrew Schell

Wyatt Solberg

Morgan Temme

Rhodes Temme

Demar Wells

Charlie West

Edward Wilson

Andrew Xu

Henry Yu

Jack Zaptin

Lou Zhou

Grade 11

Zain Al-Shallah

Mac Barcroft

Kai Barnes

Parker Blackwell

Griffin Brown

Samuel Callan

Samuel Callan

Gabe Chen

Lee Couloubaritsis

Tyler Dang

Bryan Ding

Henry Duncan

Harrison Goetze

Will Gramm

Will Hess

Andrew Kuhlo

Caleb Latkovic

Joel Lim

Tucker Lowery

Gates Luton

William Mallory

Zander Mathes

John McAllister

Ihsan Omer

Bennett Owen

Parth Patel

Hays Prather

Jackson Ransom

Owen Sharp

Will Skinner

Jeremiah Tisdell

Charlie Treadwell

Worrick Uhlhorn

Marley White

Evan Wu

Jerry Xiao

Seth Yarbrough

Alan Zhou

Grade 10 Hall Akin

Amrik Chakravarty

Joephen Chen

Alan Cheng

Hyde Crabtree

Tucker Davis

Houston Donato

Hunter Fair

Wills Frazer

Ethan Friday

Wilkes Gowen

Cort Jones

Rushil Komeravelli

Mac Ladd

Oscar Liu

Michael Liu

Leo Meske

Levi Miller

Sujay Mukatira

Stephen Nash

Kushal Patel

Joey Paul

Davis Rudd

Paxton Silver

Kip Stalls

Whitt Stockburger

Jacob Wade

Luke Walters

Samuel West

Ethan Zaptin

Grade 9

Bill Chiang

Reese Deupree

Albert Ding

Brady Ehrhart

Witt Ezzell

Will Fortas

Joshua Gramm

Jackson Hood

Advay Iyer

Nicholas Lee

Reid LeMay

Rohan Manne

Miles McCarroll

Wilson Pace

Glover Patton

Henry Phan

Daxton Saunders

Porter Spiceland

Will Stinson

Ashwin

Subramaniam

Luke Tjiong

Henry West

Carter Wildrick

Ethan Zhao

Grade 8

Carson Alexander

Will Brezina

Liam Curran

Adams Feild

Foster Fogelman

Arqish Heerani

Abdullah Khawaja

Becket Liles

Benjamin Nichol

Henry Sproles

Grade 7

Palmer Albertine

Andrew Anand

Benji Berry

Mac Canale

Isaac Cowens

Yigael Diaz

Saber Dul Dul

Ethan Ferdinand

William Frazee

Mack Gober

Nat Harris

Peo Hughes

Raahim Kashmiri

Russell Lindeman

Robb McDonald

Mustafa Mirza

Will Perkins

Benjamin Sims

Bruce Stockburger

Gus Williams

Kemmons Wilson

Joseph Zhao

Dean's List

Students who have earned a weighted semester GPA of at least 3.25 with no semester grade below 80 are placed on the Dean's List.

Grade 12

Van Abbay

James Alexander

Aaron Barawid

Carter Campbell

Thomas Cates

Nathan Chambers

Reid Chauhan

Wilson Ezzell

Tate Farmer

Roberto Ferrer

Guimaraes

George Flinn

Jack Fortas

Charlie Gallop

Charles Hamlett

Jacob Harrington

Harrison Hayden

John Lee

Wilson LeMay

Eli Lewis

Ben McBride

Jackson Moore

Eliot Morris

Max Painter

Bauer Patton

DeWitt Shy

David Simpson

Hill Smith

Barrett Summers

Nicholas Tam

Byars Tayloe

James

Van Der Jagt

William Watkins

Heiskell

Weatherford

Benjamin Zague

Jack Zaptin

Grade 11

Qasim Akbar

Parks Applegate

Steve Blen

Pritchard

Brooksbank

Knox Brown

Ron Byrnes

Casey Cooper

Dannie Dong

Oliver Doughtie

Luke Early

William Eubank

Harry Feild

Jorge Garcia

Hayes Graham

Walker Griesbeck

Nathaniel Griffin

Jack Haddad

Palmer Harris

Gavin Helton

Kristopher Horne

Jack Jarratt

Ross Kaye

Martin Kerlan

Jordan Kirshbaum

Clayton Kuhlo

Henry Lindeman

Sai Madasu

Wyatt McAllister

Michael

McDonnell

Catcher Miller

Sims Miller

Trevor Moore

Mason Morris

Max Myers

Brandon Nicholson

Eshaan Patnaik

Grayson Pollan

Bryson Robinson

Hank Sayle

Everett Sego

Cooper Shannon

Makhi Shaw

Andrew Tancredi

Wilson Thakkar

Tol Thomas

Walker Webb

Joseph Weller

Henry White

Sam Wilson

Ben Wunderlich

Jerry Xiao

Grade 10

Luke Akers

Charlie Bragg

Andrew Bruce

Louis Brundick

Patrick Burke

Thomas Byrnes

Thomas Davis

Tyler Edmundson

Charlie Engelberg

Connor Ford

Bennett Frazer

Abe Friedman

Sohan Ganguli

Charlie Gerhart

Palmer Halliday

Palmer Hinote

Brady Hughes

Coleman

Kimmel

Chrishton King

Sudeep

Kundavajjala

Aidan Lightman

Elston Liles

Declan Lonergan

Palmer Lowery

Jacob McCabe

Stanton Miller

Henry Mills

Wils Moore

Andrew Ogbeide

Noah Porter

Michael Ray

John Redd

William Renovich

Baker Schell

Samuel

Schroerlucke

Bradley Snider

Cooper Solberg

George Steffens

Hall Thompson

Gabe Ungab

Samuel West

Dennis White

Michael Yarbro

Grade 9

Harry Alexander

Charles Doughtie

Bo Echols

Maddox Giel

Miller Griesbeck

Charlie Harris

Jacob Hindman

Dawson Hopping

Charlie Hottinger

Bennett Jones

Wallace Keeler

Dallas Keras

Trey McDonald

Reid McKnett

Tucker Melcher

John Norfleet

Preston Norris

Eyitayo Okoya

Aadil Omer

Carlos Orbegoso

Feild Owen

Max Park

Jacob Ray

Whit Sansom

Hunter Smith

Aidan Stacey

Joe Sweeney

McEwen Taylor

Fletcher Taylor

Cannon Thakkar

Ari Thiyagarajaa

Henry Thompson

Joseph Weiss

Devin Wells

George Willmott

Joshua Wittber

Lucas Zhang

Grade 8

Walker Atkinson

Richie Cacioppo

Hamilton Eggers

Ike Emmert

Chase Frazer

Allen Halliday

Luke Henry

Jacob Hill

Drew Knighton

Dhilan Madasu

Hudson Mattern

Sebastian Oh

Clay Patterson

Coleman Russell

Jack Shanker

Cannon Sherman

Walker Shirley

Gray Stakem

Doug Suddarth

William Warmath

Grade 7

Paul Duffee

Thomas Higginbotham

Earl Houston

Ari Madasu

William Morris

Mustafa Rehan

Price Renovich

Charlie Savage

John Mark

Selecman

Knox Sims

Ross Sorin

Drew Tayloe

Garrett Thompson

Will Walk

Kenny Wertheimer

Cobb Whipple

An archive of Honor Rolls can be found on the Honor Rolls Resource Board of the website behind your login.

Jack Zaptin ’23 Presidential Semifinalist

The United States Presidential Scholars Program named Jack Zaptin '23 a semifinalist. Candidates are selected based on demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, artistic and technical pursuits, personal conduct, and selfless service to others. From the 3.6 million students anticipated to graduate this year, about 630 advanced to the semifinalist stage, and only about 161 students will become U.S. Presidential Scholars.

NINE STUDENTS COMPETE IN AIME

Nine Owls competed in the prestigious American Invitational Math Exam Tuesday, February 7.

The students scored well enough on their American Math Competition exams to qualify for the three-hour, 15 question AIME.

Senior Jeffrey Liu and juniors Gabe Chen, Bryan Ding, Dannie Dong, Eshaan Patnaik, and Jerry Xiao took the AMC12 – a test meant for upper classmen that is also open to lower classmen looking for a greater challenge. Sophomores Alan Cheng, Michael Liu, and freshman Albert Ding participated in the AMC10.

problems

Bryan Ding, Eshaan Patnaik, Alan Cheng, Dannie Dong, Jerry Xiao, Albert Ding, Jeffrey Liu, and Gabe Chen

Top, Albert Ding, Jeffrey Liu, and Bryan Ding break down math problems following the conclusion of the American Math Competition exam.

Bottom, Dannie Dong and Dr. Steve Gadbois discuss the AMC12 exam.

CUM LAUDE SOCIETY INDUCTS 26 OWLS

The Memphis University School chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 26 new members from the Classes of 2023 and 2024 during a ceremony February 24. Membership in the Cum Laude Society is the highest academic honor students in a secondary school can receive. The MUS chapter, which was modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, was chartered on December 14, 1967. The society encourages scholarship under the motto, “Excellence, Justice, Honor.”

Seniors Aryaan Ahmed, Lewis Butler, Nathaniel Greenfield, Johnny Heinz, Amar Kanakamedala, Joseph Keeler, Nickolas Mathews, Parth Mishra, Thomas Preston, Ismael Qureshi, Kyan Ramsay, Alyaan Salman, Andrew Schell, and Charlie West joined the society, as they represented the top 20% of their class in grade point average.

Juniors Parker Blackwell, Samuel Callan, Gabe Chen, Tyler Dang, Bryan Ding, Dannie Dong, Henry Duncan, Will Gramm, Parth Patel, Charlie Treadwell, Evan Wu, and Alan Zhou, representing the top 10% of their class in GPA, were also inducted into Cum Laude.

They join the Class of 2023 honorees from last year: Jack Blackwell, Abdullah Elahi, Charlie Gamble, Frederick Huang, Andrew Jones, Varun Krishnamurthi, Jeffrey Liu, Kevin Ma, Max Mascolino, Jack Zaptin, and Lou Zhou

Headmaster Pete Sanders introduced Assistant Upper School Principal Mark Counce, who called on the audience to cultivate godly wisdom regardless of our academic gifts.

Quoting English 19th century preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, he said, “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool, so great a fool, as a knowing fool.”

Drawing a distinction between worldly and heavenly wisdom, Counce said that false wisdom can be tested. “Does it produce envy, bitterness, selfish ambition, or strife? The Bible says that the wisdom that comes from heaven is ‘first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, without partiality and without hypocrisy.’ (James 3:14-17) Let us work to be so familiar with heavenly wisdom that the worldly kind is easily detected and avoided.”

“Nothing is more needed today than godly wisdom,” Sue Hightower Hyde Chair of English Lin Askew said as he took the podium. “Heavenly wisdom resides in the virtues extolled in the Cum Laude Society,” he said, citing the principles of Excellence, Justice, and Honor. “The ideals conveyed by these terms provide the goals that members of Cum Laude should seek within themselves and should encourage in society at large.”

Academic Dean Flip Eikner ’77 announced the names of the new members, who stood in front of the stage as Mr. Sanders, president of the chapter, presented the charge.

Families then joined the honorees for a reception in the Dining Hall.

Senior Amar Kanakamedala and his parents, Dr. Bhanu Kanakamedala and Sue Kanakamedala

Senior Abdullah Elahi with juniors Parker Blackwell and Dannie Dong

The Memphis University School chapter of the Cum Laude Society inducted 26 members from the Classes of 2023 and 2024 during a ceremony February 24.

Seniors Jack Zaptin and Alyaan Salman enjoy the reception after the Cum Laude Society induction.

Owls Advance in Computational Linguistics

Thirteen Owls competed in the North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition January 25, and seniors Varun Krishnamurthi and Ismael Qureshi and junior Gabe Chen qualified for the invitational round March 16. In Tennessee only six students advanced, and three are Owls.

Also competing in the four-hour exam were senior Jeffrey Liu; juniors Bryan Ding, Will Gramm, Eshaan Patnaik, Alan Zhou; sophomore Amrik Chakravarty; freshmen Albert Ding, Joshua Gramm, Ari Thiyagarajaa, and Ethan Zhao Mathematics Instructor Steve Gadbois served as coordinator and proctor for the group.

NACLO is a contest in which high school students solve linguistic problems in a variety of languages as they learn about the diversity and consistency of language while exercising logic skills. The 2022 contest featured Avoiuli, Bislama, Turkish, Kaktovik Iñupiaq, Ik, Ende, Tseltal, and Cornish.

Chen spearheaded the competition, which has grown from three participants in 2022 to 13 this year. He and Krishnamurthi qualified for the invitational round last year.

“What really attracted us to this competition was how the problems were approachable yet challenging,” Chen said, “and the variety of different languages also made it fun.”

Three Owls Honored for DAR Essay Contest

Three eighth-grade Owls received honors in the Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest, and Liam Curran took first place in the chapter, state, and district.

Curran, writing as a delegate to the second Continental Congress, impressed the judges with his opening, “June 15, 1775, John Hancock strikes his gavel, and myself, a delegate from Virginia, along with my fellow delegates take our seats in the Pennsylvania State House. I and the other delegates are some of the most accomplished men of our time. And so, I began to discuss my ideas to those men.”

His essay, which focuses on protecting Virginia’s tobacco exports and possibly extending an “olive branch” to England, was one of 50 sent to Washington D.C. for judging nationally. Former MUS Math Instructor Maria Burke, representing the DAR Watauga Chapter, awarded him a cash prize, DAR medal, and a certificate.

Ike Emmert and Abdullah Khawaja received certificates for their participation in the essay contest. Emmert wrote as a delegate from Rhode Island trying to improve the state’s standing despite land size while Khawaja spoke about the importance of the Boston Harbor to his state of Massachusetts.

Essays were judged on historical accuracy, adherence to the subject, organization of the material, originality, interest, and spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The contest, which included 28,000 entrants nationwide, asked the participants to imagine they were delegates to the second Continental Congress and to describe what they would like to accomplish during this nationshaping meeting.

Joshua Gramm, Ari Thiyagarajaa, Bryan Ding, Jeffrey Liu, Will Gramm, Albert Ding, Ismael Qureshi, Amrik Chakravarty, Alan Zhou, Gabe Chen, Varun Krishnamurthi, Ethan Zhao, and Eshaan Patnaik

Albert Ding, Gabe Chen, Varun Krishnamurthi, and Ethan Zhao discuss computational linguistic problems.

Mrs. Maria Burke, a representative of the DAR Watauga Chapter, presents awards to Abdullah Khawaja, Liam Curran, and Ike Emmert alongside Headmaster Pete Sanders.

Latin Festivus

The Hull Lower School was abuzz with activity November 19 as MUS hosted 11 other schools and nearly 200 students for the 2022 Latin Fall Festivus.

The event kicked off with an assembly in the Dunavant Lecture Hall where Mr. Ryan Sellers, chair of the Classical and Modern Languages Department, gave the gathered students a rundown of the rules and schedule for the event.  Throughout the day, teams headed into Lower School classrooms to play the Latin trivia game Certamen. The quiz-bowl style competition pits teams of four in Latin I, Latin II, and Latin III, IV, and V divisions against one another.

Other activities included a Costume Contest where students dressed as Latin characters and an Academic Decathlon that tested knowledge in 10 categories related to ancient Roman language and culture. A game of Trigon took place in the Thomas Amphitheater, and students aired grievances in the Lower School.

Small and Large Catapult competitions took place in the field north of the Lower School as students competed to see which machine could launch a tennis ball the farthest. Later in the day, some students elected to test their strength with a Discus Toss while others showed off their wits in the Escape Room.

First-place winners received Latin bobbleheads and ribbons while second- and third-place competitors received ribbons. Every student left Festivus with a cup commemorating the event.

“Coming out of the pandemic-related disruptions of the past couple of years, many of our students had never participated in this sort of competition,” Sellers said. “We’re proud of our students for performing so well and for continuing the tradition of excellence for which the MUS Latin program is known.”

Award Winners

Costume Contest: Brady Ehrhart ’26, third place.

Classical Meme: Wills Frazer ’25, third place.

Large Catapult: Andersen Henry ’25 and Luke Henry ’27, second place.

Feats of Strength: Ethan Zaptin ’25, second place.

Mythology Spelling Bee: Alyaan Salman ’23, first place.

Certamen, Latin I: Class of 2027 - Liam Curran, Drew Knighton, Clay Patterson, and Coleman Russell, first place.

Certamen, Latin II: Class of 2026 - Wilson Pace, Luke Tjiong, Henry Phan, and Joshua Gramm, first place; and Lucas Zhang, Ari Thiyagarajaa, Albert Ding, and Carter Wildrick, third place.

Certamen, Latin III-IV-V: Class of 2025 - Joephen Chen, Kushal Patel, Michael Liu, and Rushil Komeravelli, first place. Class of 2024 - Will Gramm, Parth Patel, Alan Zhou, and Bryan Ding, second place. Will Hess ’24, Everett Sego ’24, Caroline Hunt (St. Mary’s), and Varun Krishnamurthi ’23, third place.

Academic Decathlon Latin I: Adams Feild ’27, second place and Soren Johnson ’27, third place.

Academic Decathlon Latin II: Joshua Gramm ’26, second place.

Academic Decathlon Latin III: Class of 2025 - Rushil Komeravelli, first place; Michael Liu, second place; and Kushal Patel, third place.

Academic Decathlon Latin IV and V: Bryan Ding ’24, first place; Will Gramm ’24, second place; and Varun Krishnamurthi ’23, third place.

Juniors Bryan Ding, Will Gramm, Parth Patel, and Alan Zhou show off their second-place ribbons.

Becket Liles ’27 and Brady Ehrhart ’26

Tucker Melcher ’26 competes in the Large Catapult contest.

With semester exams looming and seniors preparing for graduation, Chrishton King ’25 thought he and his classmates needed a break.

That’s where the idea for bringing goat yoga to the MUS campus was born. King, who is a member of the Mental Health Club, approached Upper School Counselor Candy Harris for help, and they scheduled 901Goats to come to the Ceremonial Lawn in front of Hyde Chapel April 13.

“I’ve always been a proponent of mental health, but there’s a sort of gloomy stigma surrounding the topic,” King said. “So, I wanted to do something that painted it in a more positive light while offering a much-needed break from classes.”

Goat yoga aims to create a calming environment where patrons can have fun while stretching. The theory is that the presence of the animals can help ease tension and encourage feelings of relaxation.

“Once announced, the idea seemed to be welcomed by most, but some were a bit skeptical,” Harris said. “However, when the baby goats arrived on campus, every student who came in contact with them beamed with complete boy joy.”

Both Upper School and Lower School students flocked to the fenced area on the lawn. Even boys who didn’t originally sign up for the event found themselves playing with the goats.

As the instructor led the yoga practice, some Owls performed poses with goats on their backs while others just sat and got to know the kids.

“Our objective was to provide a relaxing space that would bring joy to all as we tackled the stresses of the last quarter,” Harris said. “From the feedback that we have received, I am confident in saying mission accomplished.”

Goats Bring Relaxation to MUS

Top, Darrian Williams ’27 provides a perch for an interested goat during the yoga activities.

Lewis Sewell ’28 cradles his favorite goat despite two arms in casts.

Cole Evans ’28 rests with a goat during the Lower School physical education period.

Memphis Day 2023 – dubbed Memphis Day Mayhem –showcased the best of the city with a little wrestling on the side!

Memphis Day January 9 kicked off in Hyde Chapel with Studio Band playing Memphis tunes and Headmaster Pete Sanders framing the school’s vital connection to the city. He cited the 572 alumni who hold seats on nonprofit boards, the 486 Owls who are high-ranking corporate officers, and the alumni behind 20 of the top private companies in Memphis.

“All of you have an inside track to leadership in the city, and that’s why we have Memphis Day, to give you a closeup view of the city.”

Keynote speaker Mr. Darrell Cobbins ’91 set the tone for the day. “I encourage all of you with the time that you have here to be leaders, to be courageous, to gather your intellect – which you do at this fine institution – and, most importantly, to take action,” said Cobbins, a community leader and president of Universal Commercial Real Estate. “Because being brave, being smart … sitting in the living room doesn’t accomplish anything. You have to take action.”

Cobbins thanked his mother, Mrs. Shirley Peace Cobbins, watching from the front row, for taking action 37 years ago to get his brother, Mr. Donnell Cobbins ’89, into MUS. “She had a vision for what she wanted her sons to accomplish with their lives,” he said. Some in her circle criticized her decision.

“Mama, I thank you for your bravery and courage,” he said, as the students broke into applause.

After Donnell passed away in 2020, alumni and friends established the Cobbins Family Endowment, and its resources provide for the annual Memphis Day keynote speaker, among other school initiatives.

Seniors celebrate Lacrosse Coach Joe Cummings pinning History Instructor Jason Peters ’88. Jeremiah Tisdell ’24 and Jacob Wade ’25 watch the Memphis Day Mayhem wrestling match.

COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS

Then the students – wearing Memphis Day Mayhem T-shirts donated by the headmaster – divided into three groups to hear speakers from the worlds of medicine, Downtown development, and sports.

Dr. Regan Williams, medical director of trauma services at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital discussed critical care in the city and the programs offered by Le Bonheur throughout the Mid-South.

Mr. Paul Young, president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission addressed the importance of our Downtown “living room” and the area’s $5 billion in development, which will continue to attract new residents and tourists.

Mr. Dustin Starr, owner and host of Championship Wrestling from Memphis spoke about the history of wrestling in the city and its current renaissance.

OUTREACH PRESENTATIONS

Classes broke into smaller groups to meet with a host of community outreach speakers who walked students through what they can do now and later in their lives to better the 901.

Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association Chief Development Officer Anna Kathryn Word spoke about MIFA’s mission to support the independence of vulnerable seniors and families in crisis. MIFA expects to deliver over 600,000 meals this year.

Salvation Army Lt. Crystal Radi discussed how the organization aided her family throughout her young life. She now assists with Salvation Army fundraising and educates the public about its programs assisting veterans, victims of human and sexual trafficking, youth,

and the homeless population.

Senior Director of Community Engagement at Catholic Charities of West Tennessee Kiki Hall told how the organization works to support people on the path from poverty to selfsufficiency through emergency services and housing and outreach programs.

Calvary Episcopal Church Community Liaison Darius (Mak) Clayton and MUS English Department Chair Elizabeth Crosby, who volunteers with Calvary’s Community Ministries, told the boys how to help people in need.

Room in the Inn Volunteer Coordinator Terri Dulaney described a typical day in the life of the inn and the ways in which their guests become homeless.

MEMPHIS DAY WRESTLE MAYHEM

History Instructor Jason Peters ’88 and Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Cummings took to the wrestling ring in Ross Lynn Arena to battle over who would get Mr. Peters’ office for the rest of the year. It was a tag-team bout for the ages with their partners, pro wrestlers Colton Cage and “Big Swole” Justin Cole. With Dustin Starr providing commentary, Cage and Peters were eventually pinned in front of the roaring student section.

The morning ended with games on Hull-Dobbs Field, inflatables in Todd-Snowden Gym, and video game trucks outside Stokes Stadium. Then many Owls headed to FedExForum to watch the varsity basketball team take on FACS, followed by tours of the National Civil Rights Museum, and later, a Grizzlies game where our a cappella group Beg To Differ sang the national anthem.

As for the controversy over who would inhabit the office in question, the Commissioner ruled that Mr. Peters’ shoulders never touched the mat for the three-count, and the wrestling match was ruled a no-contest. Therefore, the office would continue to be shared by the two combatants!

Michael Robbins ’28 plays Spikeball during the Memphis Day free period. Dustin Starr interviews Jason Peters and his tag-team partner, Colton Cage. Eighth graders Khalid Al Yousef, Julian Boswell, Carson Alexander, Braylon Jones, and Chase Frazer play video games in the gaming station during Memphis Day.

Seventh Graders Put Senses to the Test

Science Instructor Nick Blackwell’s seventh grade class grouped up and tested their senses in Life Science class.

The goal of the lab, which started with tongue twisters to assess speech and hearing, was to learn about the different nerves that control the five senses. Blackwell wanted to teach which parts of the brain were being affected in each experiment and why.

The Owls tested their reaction time using a meter stick and special conversion formula. As one boy dropped the meter stick, another tried to grab it as quickly as possible. They performed the task completely focused and another time distracted, achieving better results while distracted by their peers.

Another station in the lab put the seventh graders’ noses and ears to the test. First, they sniffed mystery substances in five plastic cups and found that vinegar and toothpaste were the easiest to identify while coffee and root beer eluded some students. Blackwell told them the sense of smell triggers memory more than the other senses.

After using their sniffers, the seventh graders shook four cans filled with secret materials and tried to guess the contents by the sound. The boys easily identified the can with a collection of change but were left stumped by the other items.

The last station focused on depth perception. Students reached their arms out as far as they could with a straw in one hand and a pipe cleaner in the other. With one eye closed, they attempted to fit the pipe cleaner into the straw – something most students were able to accomplish.

"During our study of the nervous system, Life Science students learned about the different types of nerves that run throughout our body,” Blackwell said. “We explored this by doing a lab where each boy got to test multiple different nerves using a series of tasks.  Overall, the boys really enjoyed the opportunity to test out their nervous system!"

Memphis Zoo Visits Owls

Memphis Zoo Animal Interpreters Becca Fort and Chelsea Rim showed off their animal ambassadors and answered questions from students during chapel February 17.

The two ambassadors walked each animal up and down the aisles of Hyde Chapel so the students could get a good view of the creatures. Owls also joined them on stage to inspect Madagascar hissing cockroaches and a lizard while an overhead camera broadcast to the crowd.

The interactive experience allowed students to learn more about the animals and what the Memphis Zoo can offer. Fort and Rim went on to answer questions from the audience and give guidance on a possible career in zoology.

Interested Owls stayed after chapel concluded to learn more from the two animal experts.

Top, Benji Berry ’28 tests his sense of smell by taking a whiff of vinegar.

Bottom, Lewis Sewell ’28 checks his depth perception by inserting a pipe cleaner into a straw.

Tanner Williams ’23 gets up close and personal with Madagascar hissing cockroaches alongside Memphis Zoo Animal Interpreter Becca Fort.

CiviC ServiCe OrganizatiOn aCtivitieS

WEEKLY VOLUNTEER EVENTS

Tutoring at Balmoral Ridgeway Elementary Schoool Meals on Wheels

More than a Meal at Grace-St. Luke’s

ONE-TIME OR SEASONAL EVENTS

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

Salvation Army Angel Tree Warehouse

Purdue Center hamburger and hotdog cookout and games

December MUS Food Distribution

Idlewild Food Distribution

February MUS Food Distribution

TEDX

Cooking and serving venison spaghetti at Room in the Inn

Cooking and serving venison tacos at the Salvation Army

Purdue Center

Cooking duck gumbo for St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen

March MUS Food Distribution

Cooking and serving venison sandwiches at the Purdue Center

Cooking and serving venison shepherd's pie for Room in the Inn

April and May MUS Food Distributions

Owls Cook Duck Gumbo for Soup Kitchen

The Owls cooked duck gumbo March 3 to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen. The project was in association with the Hunters for the Hungry Challenge, in which clubs raise money and donate game meat for families in need. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation hosts the challenge every year to provide at-risk families with a healthier meat selection.

English Instructor Tim Greer aided in cutting the meat and putting together the gumbo. Religion Instructor Clay Smythe ’85 led the Owls through the cleanup process.

1 Tyler Dang ’24 and Parth Mishra ’23 distribute turkeys.

2 John Lee ’23 stirs sauce for venison spaghetti at Room in the Inn.

3 Joephen Chen ‘25, Alan Zhou ‘24, Parth Patel ’24, Bryan Ding ‘24, and Eshaan Patnaik ’24 at a Civic Service

Left, Wesley Caldwell ’23 and Watts Liebenow ’26 cut the duck meat before placing it in the pot.

Right, Michael Shallow ’25 and Colson Bragorgos ’24 stir the duck gumbo to maximize the cooking process.

OWLS CELEBRATE HOOPS HOMECOMING

Rejuvenated and renewed school spirit was on full display during Basketball Homecoming Week. On Tuesday, students looked ahead to the summer with beach attire and then threw it back to the 1950s Wednesday with a Grease theme. Thursday was reserved for Homecoming T-shirts, and Friday was a Grub Day, with seniors observing a U.S.A. theme.

Headmaster Pete Sanders led the customary 15 Snappy Rahs with the MUS cheerleaders during the pep rally. The seniors then put on humorous skits playing on the happenings of the school year thus far. The Homecoming Court and senior escorts gathered at halftime of the Owls’ 56-52 win over the Briarcrest Saints. Students voted for Juliet Tayloe, escorted by senior Hill Smith, as their queen. A dance with a casino theme followed the game.

1 Braden Chubb ’23 roars in approval alongside the crowd.

2 DeWitt Shy ’23 shows off his USA themed beard in anticipation of the upcoming Homecoming game against Briarcrest.

3 Reid Chauhan ’23, left, and Clarence Chapman ’23 take the stage during the Homecoming pep rally.

4 Headmaster Pete Sanders leads the customary 15 Snappy Rahs.

HOMECOMING COURT

GIRLS

Callie Hutton

Arden Miller

Juliet Tayloe

Eliza Hussey

Angela Jacobs

Grayson Finks

GUYS

Frazier Gardner ’23

Byars Tayloe ’23

Hill Smith ’23

William Tayloe ’23

Kemp Conrad ’23

DeWitt Shy ’23

Toolbox Tuesday Adds Money Sense

The uber-popular Toolbox Tuesday continued introducing eighth graders to life skills second semester, and a new layer focused on seventh graders.

Pam and George Sousoulas Chair of Economics Orlando McKay taught his How to Win with Money 101 course to Grade 7 boys in Dunavant Lecture Hall every other Tuesday. McKay offers the material in his Upper School Economics: Finance and Theory class and, over the summer, to Hutchison and MUS students in Grades 9-12.

“I wanted to teach financial literacy in the Lower School because I firmly believe you are never too young to start learning how to win with money,” McKay said.

He condensed his course into understandable bites for the seventh graders. He provided a crash course on how to invest money wisely while busting financial myths. Incorporating more visuals, such as burning fake money, helped McKay grab the attention of his younger audience.

Covering the role credit plays in our daily lives, McKay taught the young Owls what kind of a financial tool credit can be down the road. He also went into the nuances of compound interest and how to tell if it is working for you or against you.

“The lessons they learn from me are applicable anywhere in life,” McKay said. “When you learn how to win with money, it takes you into a victor mentality and out of the victim mindset. If you start showing a young person can win in one area, he will start to improve in other areas.”

William Frazee ’28 raises his hand during a “How to Win with Money” lesson.

Orlando McKay believes it’s never too early to teach the value of the dollar and how quickly money can go up in smoke. (Don’t worry, that’s not real money.)

OWLS CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Students planned events for Black History Month, resulting in a wide variety of engaging chapel presentations in February.

Kyan Ramsay’s chapel began with a video by fellow senior Cristian Arocho in which students and teachers chose between a favorite interest and Black History Month. When Madame Rebecca Keel was asked “French or Black History Month?” she responded, “French Black History Month!” The video was a humorous way to highlight the question Kyan had asked himself: Why Black History Month? Why is it important? He looked into his own ancestry for answers.

Sophomore Chrishton King highlighted how Black music has influenced most popular tunes filling the radio waves. Hip-hop, R&B, and even country have roots in Black music, he said, whether it be samples from soul music or the use of the banjo, which originated in Africa, in American Bluegrass music.

LeMoyne-Owen College Admissions Counselor Daebreon Leach stopped by along with representatives of the Greek community at the college to discuss Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Security Director Kevin Brown, who graduated from Lemoyne-Owen, offered his perspective on HBCUs.

Self-professed “Church Girl,” Upper School Counselor Candy Harris, spoke about the history and traditions of the Black church, which she described as a place of racial and individual self-affirmation, teaching and learning, psychological and spiritual sustenance, and hope and community. Describing the evolution of gospel music from Negro spirituals, she led the congregation in a call-and-response song before introducing her special guests: the Ridgeway High School Concert and Men’s Choirs, led by her college friend Ms. Rosalyn Lake.

Seniors Tanner Williams and Benjamin Zague hosted Black History Month Trivia. Two contestants from each Upper School grade answered questions with the seniors taking home the win.

1 Upper School Counselor Candy Harris stands with the Ridgeway High School Concert and Men’s Choirs after their stirring performance.

2 Christon King gives a presentation on the influence of Black music in Hyde Chapel.

3 Cristian Arocho, left, and Kyan Ramsay kicked off the Black History chapel series.

4 Security Director Kevin Brown speaks to the student body about HBCUs.

5 Tanner Williams, left, and Ben Zague host Black History Month trivia during chapel.

ROU N DUPRobotics

LOWER SCHOOL ENGINEERS EARN EXCELLENCE AWARD

The Lower School Robotics Club took home the highest honor, the Middle School Excellence Award, at the West Collierville Middle School VEX Robotics contest February 11. Eighth graders Ike Emmert, Walker Shirley, and seventh grader Mustafa Rehan qualified and later competed in the state tournament.

On January 28 three squads competed in the VEX Robotics Competition at St. Benedict. The alliance of Emmert, Shirley, and Rehan earned second place, while the team of eighth graders Hudson Mattern, Darrian Williams, and seventh grader Joseph Zhao placed third.

“They competed against high school teams and handled themselves brilliantly!” Science Instructor Garrett Smithson said.

UPPER SCHOOL ROBOTICS WINS THINK AWARD

The 14-man Upper School robotics team was hard at work throughout this school year preparing for the TN FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship at Middle Tennessee State University

February 18. After going 5-0 in qualifier matches and competing in the semifinals, they won the Think Award, given to the team that best reflects their journey through the engineering design process.

The team submitted a 34-page portfolio meticulously detailing their trial-and-error efforts during after-school work from September to February as they designed, built, programmed, and tested their robot in preparation for the competition.

“It is by far the most welldocumented notebook we have ever submitted,” said Lee Loden, Science Department chair and team advisor.

OWLS SUCCEED IN ROBOTICS CHALLENGE

Upper School engineers from the Class of 2023 put their skills to the test this semester as they built, programmed, and operated their creations to navigate a speed maze and clean up a trash pit in Science Department Chair Lee Loden’s Physics II: Robotics class.

The challenge pushed students to learn how center of mass, torque, and arm and gripper construction affected their robots.

1 Upper School robotics team members were builders Qasim Akbar ’24, Patrick Burke ’25, Alan Cheng ’25, Ahad Farooq ’23, Joel Lim ’24, Joey Paul ’25, Marley White ’24; programmers Ethan Friday ’25, Oscar Liu ’25, Mohid Saeed ’23; loggers Joephen Chen ’25, Antonio Leite ’24; engineer Logan McCandless ’24; and driver Alyaan Salman ’23.

2 Left, Mustafa Rehan, Walker Shirley, and Ike Emmert made up one Lower School robotics squad. Right, Joseph Zhao joined Hudson Mattern and Darrian Williams on another Lower School robotics team.

3 The winning team – seniors James Alexander, Nathan Chambers, and Mason Putnam (not pictured) – collected 14 items weighing over eight pounds in the Honors Physics II: Robotics competition.

DECA MEMBERS WIN AWARDS AFTER SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The DECA Club had a busy and eventful year, highlighted by members receiving several awards during the Tennessee DECA State Career Development Conference March 8-11 in Chattanooga.

The club was elevated to Thrive Level, which allows up to six members to participate at Thrive Academy in the International Career Development Conference in Orlando in April. They also earned the Club 75 Achievement Award for membership.

Senior Jack Knighton placed first in the first round of the role-play portion of the Business Finance Series. He went on to place fourth overall in that series, qualifying for the International Career Development Conference.

Seniors Ahad Farooq and Alyaan Salman and junior Qasim Akbar were first in the state in the Sports Virtual Business Challenge. In this competition participants use actions, charts, and graphs to make strategic marketing decisions.

Sophomores Dennis White, Rishi Yalamanchili, and Alex Yong placed in the top eight in the Franchise Business Plan event, a competition that requires a comprehensive business plan proposal.

Mr. Rich Cacioppo, Mr. DeAndre Jones ’08, Mr. John Knighton, Mr. David Lee ’12, Mr. Joe Morrison ’78, Mr. Paul Stephens ’10, Mr. George Sousoulas ‘78, Mr. Scooter Taylor ‘11, and Mr. Bill Townsend ‘78 joined the group throughout the year during the lunch period to discuss business practices and their individual careers. They dispensed advice on a variety of possible career paths and more.

The group attended the Titans Learning Lab in Nashville November 15. This included a Q&A with Titans executives, including representatives from corporate sponsorships, finance, mascot/cheer/drumline, premium service, social media, marketing and community outreach, and retail. After learning about the inner workings of an NFL team, the Owls were given a tour of the visitors’ locker room and allowed to try on some Titans gear. The club also traveled to Orlando for the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Conference in February.

Rishi Yalamanchili ’25 asks a question during the Q&A portion of a DECA Lunch and Learn. John Knighton and his son Jack ’23, pose for a photo after John’s speech to the DECA Club. Two Owls square off in Titans gear after a tour of Nissan Stadium. David Lee ’12 speaks to DECA about international business relations and respecting international cultural norms.

Members of DECA, led by Headmaster Administrative Assistant Michele Cacioppo and Student Life Coordinator Stephond Allmond '10, visited Disney World during the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Conference.

LOWER SCHOOL HOLDS MANHOOD BREAKFAST SERIES

Coordinator of Student Life Stephond Allmond ’10 saw a need among seventh- and eighth-grade students for mentoring and advice on navigating middle school and entering high school. He came together with other faculty and staff members to create the Manhood Breakfast program in response to that need.

Faculty and alumni speakers joined students in Wunderlich Auditorium once a month to speak on topics that included the Community Creed, knowing oneself, building personal character, and relating to girls. The breakfasts were a smash hit with up to 40 Owls joining the speakers.

Allmond, who plans to continue the series in 2023-34, thanked the following speakers for sharing their time and wisdom with Lower School boys: Mr. Hunter Adams ’06; Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Cummings and his wife, Sarah; Mr. Mahad Jamil ’16; Mr. DeAndre Jones ’08; Mr. Keith McBride ’10; Assistant Headmaster Barry Ray; Religion Instructor Clay Smythe ’85; and Mr. Paul Stephens ’10

Webb Canale ’27 eats breakfast during a presentation.

Anthony Edwards ’28 listens intently during a Manhood Breakfast.

Owls throw up the “U” after a Manhood Breakfast presentation.

Zhou: Stats of the Last Shot

Senior Lou Zhou reported in chapel on his independent study in sports analytics with Math Instructor Darin Clifft. Using random forest decision making and statistical computing, he quantified NBA players’ ability to make the last shot in a game, calling it DAWG, for Daggers Adequately Winning Games. “Through a combination of a metric which measures the importance or pressure of each shot as well as a metric which defines the difficulty of the shot, we can describe using math a player’s ability to hit that last shot.” Among his Top-10 were DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, and Steph Curry, players “known pretty well for their clutch shooting ability.”

While introducing Zhou, Clifft said he originally thought the independent study would be easy for him. “We would delve into the topic of multivariate regression, of which I was familiar, in order to predict whatever Lou was looking into,” Clifft said. "But, STATS students of mine, Lou’s variable is a QUALITATIVE ONE and not a QUANTITATIVE ONE, and thus not appropriate for this type of analysis. So, Lou took it upon himself to find a new avenue of analysis called random forest decision making and, for those AP STATS students of mine, a new statistic besides sample proportion, mean, midrange, etc. to use as an evaluation tool. Statistical computing has come a long way since my college days.”

Compelling History Awaits on Civil Rights Journey

By Elizabeth Crosby, English Department Chair

Editor’s note: In February English Chair Elizabeth Crosby and History Chair Jonathan Jones led a group of students and faculty on an annual journey to important Black history sites in Memphis and Montgomery and Selma, Alabama.

“How did I not know that’s right here?” asked a student, sparking an hours-long conversation among students and faculty following our visit to the site, only a few miles from school, where Ell Persons was lynched in 1917 in front of approximately 5,000 Memphians, among them concessions vendors and high school students dismissed early for the occasion.

Before we navigated the muddy woods to get closer to the site at the old Wolf River Bridge, I asked the group to consider in silence what an ancestor, whether of African, European, or other descent, might think about the journey he was making that morning. Then we walked together to the site, where the group held a short ceremony that considered the legacy of pain, the telling of truth, the work necessary for healing, and the hope of reconciliation.

After connecting to the local history, we drove to Montgomery and toured The Legacy Museum, founded by the Equal Justice Initiative; the students’ only complaint about that experience was that we couldn’t spend more time.

We spent the rest of the day at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which searingly memorializes by county the more than 4,000 people lynched in 12 states between 1877 and 1950. We found Shelby County’s marker with the 21 names, including Ell Persons, engraved on it, and we tried to imagine his and the community’s trauma magnified by the overwhelming number of people memorialized on the 800 Corten steel monuments.

In Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, which I read with my AP English juniors, a mother explains to her daughter why she has spent so much energy protecting her from knowledge of the physical and psychological trauma she endured as an enslaved person. Though her words serve as a warning to her daughter, they are an invitation to us: “If you go there – you who never was there – if you go there and stand in the place where it was, it will happen again; it will be there for you, waiting for you.”

It’s there. My students wanted to know why they had not known. They also wanted to know much more. We drove home together via the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

Lou Zhou ’23

Seniors Kyan Ramsay, Parth Mishra, and Cristian Arocho pose for a photo on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Intramural Tournament Ends Buzzard League Season

Intramural Tournament Ends Buzzard League Season

The cheers and chants emanating from Todd-Snowden Gym February 24 were not a sign of the varsity Owls basketball squad taking the floor but the culmination of the Buzzard League basketball season.

Seventh- and eighth-grade Owls poured into the gymnasium to watch the finals of each grade’s intramural tournament.

Buzzard League is not limited to the walls of 6191 Park Avenue. From December to February, the boys play recreational games against other middle schools in the area as part of the Hoop City Jack Jones Winter League.

Fan enthusiasm was high for the February tournament. The red-versus-black seventh grade contest was close, but the red team took home the victory and the class championship.

Upper School Owls made their way into the gym for the eighth-grade championship, which pit the gray team against the white team. Bleachers shook as students cheered on their compatriots in a back-and-forth contest. The gray team athletes eventually came out on top and were crowned champions of the eighth-grade intramural league.

“Another successful year of Buzzard Basketball,” Lower School Athletic Director Matt Bakke said. “We had Upper School guys coach some teams, which was great. We had 80 boys participating, which was wonderful. The league is successful because our guys make it work.”

1 Lower School students cheer on their friends during the Buzzard League final.

2 Walter Sherman ’27 goes up to score over Coleman Russell ’27.

3 Jamarion Chapman ’28 slices through the defense on his way to scoring a basket.

4 Andrew Selecman ’28 attempts a half-court shot during a break in the Buzzard League action.

5 Brantley Moore ’27 controls the pace on his way to the middle of the defense.

GRADE ART

Self-Portraits

Students Advance in Shakespeare Competition

Freshman Miles McCarroll won the schoolwide EnglishSpeaking Union Shakespeare Competition January 27 by performing an excerpt from Henry IV, Part 2, Act 5, Scene 5. Sophomore Amrik Chakravarty placed second with a performance as Nick Bottom from Act 4, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Both advanced to regionals at the University Club February 16. The winner of that contest went on to the national competition.

AP Art Projects

APArt students worked on sustained investigation pieces for their 2D AP Art Portfolios. Sustained investigation is a question they examine and develop throughout the year with experimentation in different mediums, formats, and techniques. The portfolios were submitted to the College Board at the end of the year.

Cristian Arocho ’23, Miles McCarroll ’26, and Amrik Chakravarty ’25 prepare to compete in the English-Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition.

“Boy in Times Square” by sophomore Oscar Liu

Comic strip by senior Andrew Xu Fantasy landscape by senior Abdullah Elahi

7TH

Joseph Zhao

Peo Hughes

Raahim Kashmiri

A Winter Concert! A Winter AConcert!

1 Beg To Differ performs during the Winter Concert.

2 Davis Edmonds ’25 rocks out on the drums with the Studio Band.

3 Michael Liu ’25 plays the violin during the Winter Concert.

4 Alan Zhou ’24 plays a flute while embracing the winter spirit.

5 The symphony orchestra receives applause from the Hyde Chapel crowd.

6 Beg To Differ members Russell Lindeman ’28 and Joseph Weller ’24 sing in their Christmas sweaters.

7 Rhodes Temme ’23 sings and plays guitar for the Studio Band.

8 The Studio Band performs a variety of rock songs during their concert.

Studio Band

Rhodes Temme ’23 – guitar

Ben Morrow ’25 – organ

Morgan Temme ’23 – bass

Davis Edmonds ’25 – drums

Beginning/ Jazz Band

Wesley Caldwell ’23 – bass

Muneeb Kazmi ’26 – guitar

Trey Urcavich ’26 – guitar

Jack Tavalin ’27 – guitar

Beg To Differ ®

Cristian Arocho ’23

Jacob Cole ’23

Turner Davis ’25

Hayes Graham ’24

Kris Johnson ’23

Henry Lindeman ’24

Russell Lindeman ’28

Jackson Ransom ’24

Luke Tjiong ’26

Joseph Weller ’24

Demar Wells ’23

Tanner Williams ’23

Orchestra

Violin

Will Brezina ’27

Gabe Chen ’24

Bill Chiang ’26

Frederick Huang ’23

Rushil Komeravelli ’25

Varun Krishnamurthi ’23

Sudeep Kundavajjala ’25

Michael Liu ’25

Henry Phan ’26

Viola

Arqish Heerani ’27

Evan Wu ’24

Cello

Nathan Chambers ’23

Soren Johnson ’27

Liam McCarver ’26

Upper School Wind Ensemble

Flute Jacob Ray ’26

Alan Zhou ’24

Oboe

Joel Lim ’24

Sohum Valaulikar ’26

Clarinet

Luke Akers ’25

Caleb Brapoh ’26

Bennett Jones ’26

Jeffrey Liu ’23

Parth Patel ’24

Eshaan Patnaik ’24

Joey Paul ’25

Henry Yu ’23

Lucas Zhang ’26

Bass Clarinet

Sai Madasu ’24

Bassoon

Carson Smith ’25

Alto Saxophone

Joshua Gramm ’26

Wilson Pace ’26

Alex Yong ’25

Tenor Saxophone

Fletcher Taylor ’26

Trumpet

AdeOlu Adebiyi ’26

Mark Boatright ’25

Derrion Harris-Larkin ’26

Wallace Keeler ’26

French Horn

Trey McDonald ’26

Trombone

Andrew Bruce ’25

Alan Cheng ’25

Henry Lindeman ’24

Advay Ramakrishnan ’26

Baritone

Diego Guerrero Viloria ’25

Tuba

Brady Ehrhart ’26

Percussion

Dannie Dong ’24

Ari Thiyagarajaa ’26

Sohum Verma ’26

Piano

Dannie Dong ’24

Harp

Henry Yu ’23

Lower School Wind Ensemble

Alto Saxophone

Folu Adebiyi ’28

Nat Harris ’28

William Hill ’28

Tenor Saxophone

Braylon Jones ’27

Trumpet

Webb Canale ’27

Vaughan Dow ’28

Coleman Russell ’27

Trombone

Samuel Chambers ’27

Bass

Henry Sproles ’27

Piano

Trey Trammel ’27

Percussion

Rex Levy ’27

Owls Earn All-West Band Honors

Twenty-seven musicians earned honors in the West Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association (WTSBOA) competition, and nine Owls qualified for All-State.

“The students performed difficult musical excerpts and scales, and they were required to sight-read in front of a judge who is a professional musician and/or teacher,” Director of Band and Orchestra Programs Chris Piecuch said. “The Owls outperformed many of the 2,000 students at the auditions.”

The following students earned All-West Band honors:

11-12 BLUE BAND

Senior Jeffrey Liu, 4th chair clarinet*

Junior Parth Patel, 23rd chair clarinet

Junior Eshaan Patnaik, 7th chair clarinet*

Junior Alan Zhou, 12th chair flute

11-12 RED BAND

Senior Henry Yu, 3rd chair clarinet

9-10 BLUE BAND

Sophomore Luke Akers, 18th chair clarinet

Sophomore Alan Cheng, 4th chair trombone

Sophomore Joey Paul, 16th chair clarinet

Freshman Joshua Gramm, 6th chair alto sax

Freshman Lucas Zhang, 2nd chair clarinet*

9-10 RED BAND

Sophomore Carson Smith, alternate bassoon

Freshman Wilson Pace, 3rd chair alto sax

Freshman Brady Ehrhart, alternate tuba

Freshman Sohum Valauliker, alternate oboe

11-12 SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Senior Frederick Huang, 6th chair, violin*

Junior Gabe Chen, 4th chair, violin*

Junior Dannie Dong, 1st chair, percussion*

Junior Joel Lim, 1st chair, oboe*

Junior Henry Lindeman, 2nd chair, trombone

Junior Sai Madasu, bass clarinet

Junior Evan Wu, 6th chair, viola

9-10 HONORS STRING ORCHESTRA

Sophomore Michael Liu, 2nd chair, violin*

Freshman Bill Chiang, 4th chair, violin*

Freshman Liam McCarver, alternate cello

Freshman Henry Phan, 36th chair, violin

MIDDLE SCHOOL STRING ORCHESTRA

Eighth grader Will Brezina, 27th chair, violin

Eighth grader Soren Johnson, 11th chair, cello

*All-State Honors

Twenty-seven Owl musicians earned All-West band honors.

All-State musicians, front, Alan Cheng, Jeffrey Liu, Joel Lim, and Bill Chiang; back, Eshaan Patnaik, Dannie Dong, Frederick Huang, Lucas Zhang, and Michael Liu

Residency Artist Makes TIME for TIME

Brandon “Nosey” Marshall, a self-proclaimed muralist for hire, focused on time as the “ultimate currency” during his week at MUS this winter. The 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence painted Spend Time Not Money and watched students spray-painting in Thomas Amphitheater as he discussed his work and the importance of making the most of every moment.

“I started analyzing my life and how all these guys are in high school right now so for them time is something they have a lot of,” Marshall said. “They feel like time is like water, that their time is the sea, and it will never run out. That’s not true.”

He has created popular works, including the “I Love Memphis” mural in Midtown Memphis; and his art can be found on walls and art galleries from Memphis to Australia.

Marshall started as a street artist in high school. “Back then my dreams were to find a way to do this every day,” Marshall said. “Now that I’ve found a way to do that, I would tell my younger self to dream even bigger because 15 years later, I’ve arrived. Now I’m in a place where I’m thinking about what else is possible and what I want for the rest of my life. I’m having to dream up newer and bigger dreams.”

As he pondered the subject of his residency artwork, thoughts drifted to how social media and technology have affected personal relationships. Through self-reflection, including through therapy and meditation, he has discovered that face-to-face time spent with friends and family is “more important than money, more important than my career.”

Marshall encouraged Owls to treasure their time as they grow and come into their own, and to “visualize their potential.”

“I would tell kids in high school to dream the biggest dream you can dream of even if it sounds completely ridiculous to other people.”

Spend Time Not Money is the 12th work in the MUS Artist-in-Residence program founded by Arts Department Chair Grant Burke in 2011. Marshall’s work now hangs in the Campus Center gallery.

Coaches: Trey Suddarth and Dave Ferebee

Record: 3-5

Roster: Seniors Andrew Jones, Doty Rawson; juniors Griffin Brown, Knox Brown, Lee Couloubaritsis, Nathaniel Griffin, Jack Haddad, Jordan Kirschbaum, Walker Webb, Sam Wilson, Ben Wunderlich; sophomores Gray Allen, Andersen Henry, Jeremiah Johnson, Ben Morrow, and Alex Yong

STRYKER AITKEN ’23 COMMITS TO MEMPHIS

Senior Stryker Aitken committed to continue his football career at the University of Memphis. He put pen to paper in front of friends and family in the lobby of the Sue H. Hyde Sports and Physical Education Center. The future is bright for this soon-to-be Tiger!

Top, Nathaniel Griffin ‘24 Middle, Ben Morrow ’25 Bottom, Gray Allen ‘25

Alex Yong ‘25

Basketball Basketball Basketball

Jackson Ransom ’24

Varsity Varsity

Coaches: David Willson '99, Robert O'Kelley, and Scott Rose '82

Student Manager: Bauer Patton '23

Record: 19-10

Roster: Seniors Clarence Chapman, Reid Chauhan, Max Painter, Barrett

Sexton, Wesley Street, Barrett

Summers; juniors Kai Barnes, Henry

Duncan, Myles Gill, Kristopher

Horne, Brandon Nicholson, Jackson

Ransom, Owen Sharp, and Makhi Shaw

Henry Duncan ’24

Barrett Summers ’23 rises for a three in the corner. Myles Gill ’24 dribbles around the opposing defender as he sets up the Owls offense. Makhi Shaw ’24 gets into the paint for an easy lay-in.

Coach: Scott Rose '82

Record: 12-5

Roster: Sophomores Milling Chapman, Turner Davis, Bennett Frazer, Townes Jones, Levi Miller, Andrew Ogbeide, Tony Jon Parks, Jackson Peters, Michael Ray, Jacob Wade, and Luke Walters

9th Grade 9th Grade

Coach: Joe Abrahams '96

Record: 10-7

Roster: Ehi Ataga, Reese Deupree, Bo Echols, Maddox Giel, Miller Griesbeck, Montgomery Griffin, Charlie Hottinger, Kendon Leakes, George Luton, Eyitayo Okoya, Glover Patton, Boyd Rhodes, Devin Wells

8th Grade 8th Grade

Coach: Matt Bakke

Record: 17-6

Roster: Adams Feild, Foster Flaherty, Chase Givens, Noah Glenn, Allen Halliday, Dhilan Madasu, Zack McKnight, John Painter, Matthew Ray, Brayden Santibanez, Tanner Sherman, Charles Snider, Holden Straub

7th Grade 7th Grade

Coach: Jason Peters '88

Record: 20-4

Roster: Palmer Albertine, William Frazee, James Hanlon, Thomas Heffner, Thomas Higginbotham, William Hill, Ari Madasu, Tommie Reed, Price Renovich, Michael Robbins, Drew Tayloe, Walker Wilhite

Fletcher Taylor ‘26

Jeremy Burks ’26

Pritchard Brooksbank ‘24

Henry Lindeman ’24

Swimming Swimming Swimming

Varsity

Coach: Bryan Parker

Record: Placed fifth in Tennessee Interscholastic

Swim Coaches Association state meet, won Shelby County Championship

Roster: Seniors Jordan Bond, Johnny Heinz, Frederick Huang, Jack Zaptin; juniors Wilson Bridgforth, Pritchard Brooksbank, Samuel Callan, Henry Lindeman, Hudson Shoaf; sophomores Abe Friedman, Coleman Kimmel, Josh Ungab, Alex Yong; freshmen Jeremy Burks, Tom Crosby, Gavin Gatere, Miles McCarroll, Porter Spiceland, Fletcher Taylor, and Luke Tjiong

Lower School

Coach: Patrick Thompson

Record: Won City Championship

Roster: Eighth graders Sam Cohen, Ike Emmert, Abdullah Khawaja, Drew Knighton, Hudson Mattern, Trey Trammell; seventh graders Beau Green, Russell Lindeman, Benjamin Sims, Emery Taylor, and Joseph Zhao

Frederick Huang, Johnny Heinz, and Jack Zaptin with the Shelby County Championship trophy.

Frederick Huang, Assistant Headmaster McKee Humphreys, and Johnny Heinz with the 5th place Tennessee State High School Swimming and Diving Championship trophy.

Coach: Chris Lewis

Record: 10-16

TSSAA Division II state results: Ian McGehee ’23 placed second, Dion Stutts ’24 placed fifth, and both competed at the National Prep Wrestling Championships.

Roster: Seniors Ian McGehee, Isaac Palmer; juniors Casey Cooper, Luke Early, Harry Feild, Catcher Miller, Dion Stutts; sophomores Charlie Bragg, Tyler Edmundson, Wilkes Gowen, Cort Jones; freshmen Brady Ehrhart, Kellett Giles, Oliver Leavitt, Trey McDonald, Cody Pratt, Cannon Thakkar, and Joseph Weiss

Brady Ehrhart ’26

Trey McDonald ’26

The 2022-23 Wrestling Team takes in a match.

Ian McGehee ’23

Catcher Miller ’24

Oh, Boy!

Oh, Boy! Oh, Boy!

BY CANDY E. HARRIS, UPPER SCHOOL COUNSELOR

In 15 years of education, I have always worked in a coed environment and honestly did not have a preference of gender. I simply loved teaching and building relationships with young people. It wasn’t until the spring of 2022 that the opportunity of counseling at MUS presented itself. Oh boy, was I excited, but I’d be lying if I did not say that I was a bit concerned about continuing my profession at an all-boy school. It was something that I had never done so I began to overwhelm myself with anxiety-inflicting questions:

1. Mr. Batey will be a tough act to follow. Can you do it?

2. Will the boys genuinely welcome and accept you?

3. How do you begin to build relationships?

4. Will they feel comfortable talking to you?

These questions and more continued to flood my inner thoughts as I walked into my new role as Upper School counselor. However, one day while I was struggling to make a lesson match what I thought MUS expectations were, Director of Counseling Joe Abrahams ’96 reminded me that I should teach in the same way I would anywhere else. He encouraged me to be myself. It was the perfect reminder. Because I was so nervous about my new role, I had convinced myself that to be successful or accepted, I would need to change who I am – and that was completely false. Once I took Joe’s advice, became comfortable in my new environment, and opened up to genuine support from my colleagues, I began to operate in the way that only Candy Harris can.

It was then that the relationship-building blossomed. One by one, boys began to come see me in my office voluntarily; then they would share more in our Owl Wise, U Strong groups; and now my office has become a new place to be during OP (Organizational Period) and free periods.

While hanging out, the boys would often express that they needed a snack, so I decided I would feed them if they answered a thoughtprovoking question from my counseling bucket. Oh boy, I opened a can of worms that cannot be shut. Send help! The statement is true, if you feed them, they will come. However, I welcome them with open arms, grateful that MUS boys genuinely accept me and trust me with their experiences, concerns, disappointments, and celebrations.

On top of that, the lesson I learned through this experience – to be true to myself – is a great one to pass along to the boys.

I welcome them with open arms, grateful that MUS boys genuinely accept me and trust me with their experiences, concerns, disappointments, and celebrations.

"

-Candy Harris

Candy Harris helped organize a presentation about Historically Black Colleges and Universities during Black History Month.

Upper School Counselor Candy Harris, left, and Math Instructor Antony Eddy dressed as members of the Marvel Universe for Halloween. Harris conjures a storm as Sue Storm while Eddy broke out his claws as Wolverine.

Peter D. Sanders

Headmaster

Barry Ray

Assistant Headmaster

McKee Humphreys '01

Assistant Headmaster

Loyal Murphy '86

Lower School Principal

Bobby Alston

Director of Athletics

Wendy Trenthem

Director of Hyde Library

Flip Eikner '77

Academic Dean

Perry Dement

Director of Advancement

Claire Farmer

Director of Annual Fund

Rankin Fowlkes

Director of Business Operations

Joe Abrahams '96

Director of Counseling Services

Ann Laughlin

Director of Alumni and Parent Programs

Zach Hansen

Director of College Counseling and Strategic Initiatives

Jenny Byers

Director of College Counseling and Student Programming

Buck Towner '07

Director of Admissions

Liz Copeland

Director of Communications

Rebecca H. Greer

Assistant Director of Communications

Jonah Jordan

Managing Editor, Inside MUS

Kaitlan Koehler

Graphic Designer

OATH OF HONOR

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.

THE MUS MISSION:

Memphis University School is a college-preparatory school dedicated to academic excellence, cultivation of service and leadership, and the development of well-rounded young men of strong moral character, consistent with the school's Christian tradition.

Eighth grade Owls joined the Bees on Hutchison's campus while seventh grade Owls hosted their counterparts at MUS for Co-Edge. The middle school students participated in team-building and service activities and also played games for fun.

Collin Kim ’28, left, and Mack Gober ’28 give a thumbs up while making sandwiches during the service portion of Co-Edge.