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

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.

Faced with the sudden transition to remote learning and social distancing, Curation in Context students used digital platforms to address the meaning of art during a time of separation and hardship.

Rhodes students enrolled in the course Environment and Society in the spring of 2020 used innovation and creativity to make a real-world contribution within the field of environmental studies and sciences. Collaborating with five local environmental nonprofits—Memphis City Beautiful, Memphis Tilth, Project Green Fork/Clean Memphis, The Compost Fairy, and Wolf River Conservancy—they co-created infographics that will be used to promote the programmatic activities of each environmental nonprofit in Memphis and Western Tennessee. The course was taught by Dr. Kimberly Kasper, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology.

As part of the Rhodes College experience, students learn how to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities. Several Rhodes alumni who are now medical students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis are giving back to the community as volunteers at local drive-thru testing sites for COVID-19.

Ethan Ferguson ’22, a tech entrepreneur, and Sherrie Lemons ’14, communications director at Planned Parenthood, are among the Memphis Flyer’s newly released “20 Under 30” list of individuals helping to shape Memphis’ future.

While spending the summer at the London School of Economics, Jacob Fontaine '21 connected with The Big Issue, London's street newspaper. Now, as editor in chief of The Bridge, he's working to incorporate the lessons learned there to make Rhodes' street paper more meaningful to Memphians.