News and relevant information about Rhodes students, faculty, and staff making the most of living in Memphis.

Dr. Trimiko Melancon, associate professor of English and Africana studies, and Karl Erickson, assistant professor of art and art history, will have their films featured at the annual Indie Memphis Film Festival to be held Oct. 21-29. In its new form, the film festival will feature virtual screenings and outdoor screenings.

Using classroom training to serve the Memphis community, Rhodes’ business course Taxation for Working Poor accomplishes the college’s vision of ​students translating academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities. Since starting the course in 2015, Rhodes has certified more than 275 student volunteers, who have helped Memphis taxpayers save approximately $10,186,000 in combined refunds and tax preparation fees.

In just two years, the Just Food: Race, Class, and Gender in the U.S. course has become one of the most unique and popular classes offered at Rhodes. The JustFood podcast highlights stories exploring the complexities of food production, consumption, and inequality across the city of Memphis. “As a collective, the podcast series reveals the role of storytelling to promote empowerment through awareness, equity, and autonomy,” explains Dr. Kimberly Kasper. “We hope that all who listen can come to recognize the value of those narratives and how they help to shape the dynamic foodscape of Memphis.”

September 22, President Marjorie Hass joined leaders in the Memphis community to honor the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Despite the pandemic putting a halt to hospital internships and fellowships this summer, Demi Shamsi-Basha ’22 remained committed to public health and to helping the Memphis community. Volunteering on the front lines of Church Health’s drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Crosstown Concourse, the neuroscience major has borne witness to the realities of the pandemic in Memphis and the vigorous citywide efforts to slow the spread.

Aaron Weist '21 spent the summer interning remotely for the lead organization for the Memphis Continuums of Care program, a national organization committed to ending homelessness by developing strategies in the specific communities in which it is based. Says Weist, “Rhodes has provided me with so much knowledge about the state of the U.S. and how far we are from achieving true equality. Memphis has not only given me the opportunity to see systemic differences on a large scale, but has so many wonderful nonprofits making a real difference that it’s easy to get involved with something you’re passionate about.”

The annual Ostrander Awards recognize the best in Memphis theater. Hissifit (by Knight/Brinegar), produced by Rhodes’ McCoy Theatre for the 2019-2020 season, garnered eight nominations in the collegiate division, including one for best production. An adaption of Medusa in Greek mythology tracking the rise and fall of a modern-day punk rock band, Hissifit was directed by Dr. Joy Brooke Fairfield, who is among the Ostrander Award nominees.

Justin Terrill’s Summer Service Fellowship at Just City took on new significance in response to concentrated COVID-19 outbreaks in jails and after the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that followed, putting him on the front lines in the battle for systemic changes to the criminal justice system.

Working remotely as a Summer Service fellow appointed to Memphis Area Legal Services’ Restoration of Rights program, Sydney Jones '21 assists clients in restoring their right to vote, getting their drivers licenses reinstated, expunging their criminal records, and much more.

Along with graduating cum laude from Rhodes this May with a B.A. in English, Scott Hale ’20 achieved a second milestone: the Nashville native helped launch a music label designed to promote the multifaceted talents of Rhodes and Memphis-area musicians. New Arboretum Records will operate through the Mike Curb Institute for Music.