Sunday's Commercial Appeal brought back great memories from my days as an MUS student. Edward Felsenthal, executive director of The Daily Beast, a popular on-line news magazine, served as editor-in-chief of The Owl's Hoot in the early 1980s. He ran a respected operation, clearly the class of local high school rags, and his celebrity among the students extended to the broader East Memphis youth culture as his efforts supported some thoughtful and comedic editorials and articles.
What I enjoyed most about Sunday's article was the tone in which Edward reminisced about his experience as a young person given his leadership role at school. He shouldered the mantle of the job admirably, intuitively sensing both the responsibility and the consequences of his words and deeds. Historically, most of our student leaders are capable of exhibiting similar qualities, and it is no surprise to hear of their future success. Edward is one in a long line of our exceptional student leaders, but he stands out in my mind, and I know many of us share a similar opinion.
While I could not fully express my appreciation of his abilities then, his work attracted me, and it is satisfying to hear his positive reflection on his time here as a student. As teachers, we want our students to exhibit the sensibilities and satisfaction whereby they can, too, one day reflect upon their lives and sense a continuity running through their studies and relationships first developed on our watch. The big picture is ever present for us, and I know that Edward's instructors are satisfied by his thoughtfulness both while here and as a graduate.
Little Edwards are all around us today, scurrying around these halls, seeking something meaningful to produce, to conquer, to explore. Within our various courses of instruction, our job is to help give birth to as well as to nurture the infantile longings within the hearts and minds of our charges as the boys continue to uncover life and negotiate how to live it. Our's is a noble pursuit, and Edward's gracious responses to the people and instruction here motivate me to encourage more of the same.
