Stanford Moore Prize Awarded

Every year, the last award given out at the high school's awards assembly is its most prestigious, the Stanford Moore Prize.
The prize was established by his classmates in honor of Stanford Moore '31, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1972. His PDS classmates wanted to recognize the graduating senior in each class who most nearly approached his talents as a student and thinker.

From Vince Durnan's remarks as he gave the prize to Jessie Baskauf this year:

We gather as a community of learners, maybe humbled by his example but conscious that Stanford Moore proved anything is possible from here. In that spirit, we tap a senior to carry that hope on behalf of each class. Think of the last four, still in college, and their habits of mind: Dylan Young, Coco Coyle, Mark Arildsen, and Kuan Peng.  Now for their successor.
 
Maybe hardest at this point would be to identify this honoree’s strongest strength. A Governor’s School student, a Language Exam medalist, a Mathfax regular, a poet, and a committed musician. While no more fixated on grades than Stanford Moore was on prizes, our honoree garnered nearly two dozen A+ marks so far, indicative of teachers’ insistence solely on commending exemplary work, since they count no more than a regular, garden variety A in GPA terms. To be so good at everything keeps options open for later.
 
Soft spoken but always looking for the next challenge, our honoree combines life interest with school interests, honing skills and abilities that will make for a deeper appreciation of the beauty of sound and sight and intellect. At once self-aware and not self-conscious, our honoree demonstrates an Emersonian capacity to transcend and not to be different for different audiences. A penchant for languages reveals a wish to travel between fields and disciplines, whether in French and Spanish, visual arts media, science specialties, violin, voice, or piano. Only this mind could combine founding a creative math club with a culinary interest that made Mexican food a quantitative model of intersecting planes.
 
Join me in congratulating a self-starter, curious of mind and passionate of spirit, a citizen of all the academic countries that combine to make our curricular world, for academic achievement and dedication, our 2015 Stanford Moore prize recipient, Jessie Baskauf.
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Jessie will attend Carleton College.
 
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School News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Stokes earns Excellence in Auxiliary Award

    Director of Auxiliary Services Rebecca Stokes was given the Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative’s award for her work including students in the selection of a new playground, transitioning the school bookstore, refining registration systems and processes for summer camps & enrichment activities, and expanding the school’s cultural and holiday celebrations to be inclusive of USN’s diverse student body.
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  • Preview USN on November 14

    University School of Nashville welcomes prospective families to tour the Edgehill Campus, speak with students, faculty, and administrators, and learn about our K-12 school's academic, athletic, and arts offerings. Sessions will take place at 9:30 a.m. for Middle & High Schools and 1 p.m. for Lower School. Let us know you are coming at  usn.org/preview.
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  • Secure your tickets to Artclectic Patrons Party today

    For more than 30 years, Artclectic has been one of Nashville's premier juried art shows, welcoming nationally recognized artists and visitors from across the city to USN's Sperling Gym turned art gallery. The weekend features exceptional artwork, artist demonstrations, student experiences, family activities, and special events that celebrate creativity, with proceeds benefiting USN. Purchase your tickets today.
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Archive

Athletics News

List of 3 news stories.

  • HS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
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  • MS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.
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  • MTB Race #2 Report - Rockabilly Ridge Trails, Oakfield, TN

    Steve Smail
    The MTB team returned to the the twisty trails of tranquil Oakfield, TN on Sept 13th to take part in the second race of the season, as part of the 5-race series hosted by the NICA/TICL League.
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2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

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1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.