Convocation Kicks Off New Year

Faculty and students gathered in Hyde Chapel August 12 for Opening Convocation to launch the 2024-25 school year and celebrate the principles that distinguish Memphis University School. Headmaster Pete Sanders reaffirmed the Mission Statement, defining MUS as a school for boys that focuses on academic excellence, service, and character.
“MUS is a school of high academic standards; it is rigorous. We would not want it any other way. After all, if we ask for less, we will surely get it. MUS also asks more of you as a person.”

Following the traditional Convocation form, Student Council President Andrew Ogbeide ’25 led the student body in the Pledge of Allegiance and School Hymn, and Student Council Chaplain Hunter Fair ’25 provided the devotional.

Sanders welcomed 140 new students and 12 new faculty and staff members. He then introduced four seniors to speak on the Community Creed, longstanding school principles codified by students in 2001.

Kushal Patel ’25 spoke on scholarship and accountability, describing how the two tenets are essential to success. “These principles are not just guidelines but the very fabric of our character and together create a path to personal achievement. Scholarship drives us to seek the truth and to continuously grow, while accountability anchors us in integrity and responsibility.”

Speaking on service and involvement, Noah Brooks ’25 said he knows there is power in service and community involvement. He pointed to real-world opportunities to give back to the community through the Civic Service Organization, which can help enrich teamwork and leadership skills. “Real involvement is about committing to a cause greater than yourself and positively impacting others. Service is more than just a volunteer hour or community project; it’s about contributing time and energy to improve someone else’s life even when you’d rather be somewhere else. When you step up to serve, you’re not just performing a task, you’re demonstrating empathy, building connections, and being a force for good.”

Paxton Silver ’25 said respect and humility go hand in hand, and the two principles help build the brotherhood that permeates the halls of 6191 Park Avenue. “We lift each other up and push each other toward greatness. This respect toward our peers is not forced upon us but it is instead a genuine reaction to the culture created at MUS. One in which every person is valued and respected for who they are. Everyone in this room knows someone who is smarter than them, more athletic than them, more talented in some way. These gifted people are regarded highly because of their humility. Humility is not about belittling ourselves but about recognizing our limitations and being open to growth.”

Davis Rudd ’25, a Student Ambassador, said he sees the virtues of truth and honor being embraced by students and by prospective families. “The standard of truth and honor is what sets MUS apart. They are not just words that others use superficially to describe our school. They represent the core of our foundation. Truth and honor are written on the rotunda to inspire every student and faculty member. MUS focuses on teaching young men the importance of striving to do what is right and building men of strong moral character.”

Before administering the Honor Code Pledge, Sanders underscored its importance. “The Honor Code is the cultural glue that holds us together, and it is also that glue that will hold you together as you move forward in these hallways and beyond, after graduation.”

He encouraged students to abide by Honor Code principles by doing their own work and never lying, cheating, or stealing. He advised avoiding the temptation of drawing from digital sources of questionable veracity, including those incorporating artificial intelligence. “Instead, use the skills that are being inculcated into you at MUS: study, investigate, research.”

Following the pledge, Honor Council President Tucker Davis ’25 underscored the purpose of the Honor Code. “A part of the MUS mission is the development of well-rounded young men of strong moral character. The Honor System supports this goal by building honor and integrity in every student. These characteristics are foundations for the kind of man an MUS graduate will become.”

Davis then called a representative from each grade and the faculty to the stage to sign the Honor Book. The book will be distributed in homerooms for each student and faculty member to sign.

After some directions for the day from Upper School Head Zach Hansen, the 2024-25 school year began. See Convocation photos in our Photo Gallery.
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Memphis University School

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