Stories from the Ridge, The McCallie Podcast McCallie School

There’s excitement on the Ridge as several of the spring
athletic teams are aiming their sights at state championships. In this edition of Stories from the Ridge, Kenny Sholl, Executive Director of Athletics, sits down with head coaches of five of the spring teams to discuss their perspective
on the upcoming season. This podcast was recorded on March 20, 2024, just as the season was beginning. Here’s the timeline breakdown: Track and Field, Coach Rodney Stoker, 7:38; Baseball, Coach Tim Costo, 14:25; Tennis, Coach Jeff Clark, 21:53; Soccer, Chris Cushenbery, 31:47; Lacrosse, Coach Eamon Thornton, 41:58.

The Emmett Till Story Part II: Elder Parker Visits McCallie School

The Rev. Wheeler Parker, the last surviving member of the family of Emmett Till, who was with Emmett when he was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, visited McCallie School on March 13, 2024 to share his story as a first-hand witness to history. He came to campus as a guest speaker as part of the Mandela Fellow Endowed Fund, a fund established by alumni to enhance students’ understanding of what it means to be an agent of hope, reconciliation, and social justice. In this edition of Stories from the Ridge, the Rev. Parker – or Elder Parker as he is known – is joined by his relative, Jason Walker, class of 1991, and a member of McCallie’s Board of Trustees, as well as history teacher Casey Cook class of 2013, and student Max Hood, class of 2027.The earlier podcast about Emmett Till and McCallie School that is mentioned in this podcast can be found by searching for “The Emmett Till Story: American History and McCallie Connections” on McCallie’s web site: www.mccallie.org/podcast or on most major podcast platforms.

 The Michaels-Dickson Scholars Program, which has transformed McCallie School’s boarding programs into one of the top such programs in the nation, celebrated its 25th anniversary in late February, 2024. In this edition of Stories from the Ridge, Head of School Lee Burns ’87 is joined
by other top administrators – including two who were involved at the very beginning of the program -- and by a Trustee who was one of the two the first Michaels-Dickson Scholars. They reflect on the success and growth of the program over the past quarter century, and share their thoughts about the future.   A full story on the Michaels-Dickson Scholars program can be found on McCallie’s web
site: www.mccallie.org/news.

For the first time in 31 years, McCallie’s Wrestling team has
won both the traditional State of Tennessee title, plus the State duals. And on
top of that, the team under Head Coach Jake Yost beat cross-town rival and
defending State champion Baylor for the first time in 19 years. In this edition
of Stories from the Ridge, Head of School Lee Burns sits down with Coach Yost
and two of the senior wrestlers, Carson Gentle and James Cross to discuss the
exciting wins and the hard work and mental discipline behind them. And they
look forward to the upcoming National Preps to be held in Pennsylvania. The
full story of the team’s championship season can be found at: www.mccallie.org/news .

The college admissions process is in the midst of perhaps the most profound and impactful series of changes in several decades, and navigating these changes is becoming more challenging for students, parents, and counselors, according to Abbie Roberts, who in August assumed the role of Director of College Counseling at McCallie. In this episode of Stories from the Ridge, Ms. Roberts is joined by Head of School Lee Burns ’87, in discussing the changing and complicated college admissions landscape and how it affects McCallie students.

A dozen members of McCallie’s Men’s
Chorus will perform on what many consider to be the world’s most important stage – Carnegie Hall in New York on February 18, 2024. In this edition of Stories from the Ridge, Head of School Lee Burns ’87 talks with Dr. James Harr '92, Director of Choral Programs, about the upcoming concert, which will feature choral groups from several schools and universities in the U.S. and abroad (including from McCallie’s sister school, GPS). The two also discuss
McCallie’s choral music program as well as the whole fine arts program at McCallie.Tickets to the Feb. 18 concert can be purchased at  https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2024/02/18/dciny-and-bluegrass-0200pm