I didn’t put on my blue suede shoes, but just a few weeks ago I boarded a plane and touched down in the land of the Delta Blues.
Oh yeah, I was walking in Memphis…Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale. I’m not sure what you think of when you hear Memphis, TN, mentioned, but for many who aren’t intimately familiar with the second largest city in Tennessee, the first two things that come to mind might be Marc Cohn’s iconic song “Walking in Memphis” and barbecue. Music is a big deal in Memphis, and barbecue is so tasty and popular that it seems like its own food group for many Memphians. Musically speaking, the blues reign supreme in Memphis, but the city boasts a broader and deeper music history than initially meets the eye. It’s a city of bona fide music royalty – the kings of rock ‘n roll (Elvis Presley) and Blues (B.B. King) and the queen of soul (Aretha Franklin) trace their musical roots to Memphis, and so do other hall of famers like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.
There’s far more to Memphis than music and ‘cue, though, and as a college counselor the main attraction that brought me to Memphis was a visit to Rhodes College. This small, residential liberal arts college is one of the country’s most beautiful campuses and it’s situated in the heart of Memphis, an economic, political and cultural center, making Rhodes one of only a handful of prominent liberal arts colleges located in a major metropolitan area. I had known about Rhodes for decades, but to be honest, I didn’t know as much as I should have. My trip to Rhodes provided another opportunity for me to practice what I preach because I frequently tell my students to step outside their comfort zones, to do their own research, to be open and versatile with their thinking, and to consider their college search as the greatest adventure of their young lives.
For me, seeing was believing. When I arrived in Memphis it all started to come together – the city – the history – the music – and of course, the college. The Rhodes campus is spectacular, and it comfortably lives up to its billing as one of the most beautiful in America.The Gothic architecture is breathtaking, reminiscent of a traditional scholarly enclave, but what was more impressive to me was the students and faculty I was able to meet. Rhodes values the kind of engaging dialogue that arises when students and professors work together to investigate questions and problems they care about. Students are expected to formulate and articulate big ideas, and contribute in major ways to the critical discussions and debates that take place in their classrooms and laboratories. Evidence of this kind of dynamic exchange was littered across the campus and there was a certain kind of intellectual ethos that I found refreshing.
Rhodes has all the trappings of a traditional residential liberal arts college and students can explore fields in a wide array of disciplines, but one thing that truly stands out is the breadth and depth of their footprint in the sciences. The on campus teaching and laboratory facilities are amazing, and they send more graduates to medical school than virtually all other colleges their size (nearly 10% of each graduating class). This is no doubt enhanced through the remarkable partnership and affiliation Rhodes enjoys with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a global leader in treating and defeating childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. I was able to tour the hospital, which is really a rather elaborate campus, and met three Rhodes students who are currently interning and engaged in cutting-edge scientific research on topics like rare blood disorders, immunotherapy, and acute myeloid leukemia.
My tour of Rhodes and Memphis allowed me to realize Rhodes students are engaged in research and collaboration with organizations in greater Memphis as a rule, not an exception. Opportunity abounds at Rhodes and Memphis is a vibrant and diverse city with a unique and colorful history. Follow my lead. Board a plane and touch down in the land of the Delta Blues. Rhodes and Memphis are both deserving of a closer look.
