My Favorite One-Liner So Far

by Vincent W. Durnan, director

Wise words were spoken after a Middle School volleyball game.
It happened without any fanfare, just tumbling out after a Middle School volleyball b-team game. Words of wisdom from an unlikely source, and I’m excited to share:
 
Picture one of those first athletic events of the year, happening beyond the notice of most everyone, over in the Sperling Gym, with the High School players away, After-School programs in full swing, and a smattering of support from loving family members in the bleachers. As it turns out, we were playing the good youngsters of Poplar Grove (or “Popular Grove” as the friend-focused Middle Schoolers often presume, in a kind of Freudian way). And as it turns out, we lost.
 
The undeniable truth about MS volleyball, and maybe about Olympic volleyball for that matter, is getting your serve over the net and in play really helps you score points. We made valiant efforts with modest results, but scrap on we did, ultimately coming up short on the scoreboard. I waded into a postgame conversation with a few of our girls as they made plans to carry on for the rest of their busy day.
 
Aiming to provide some solace without confirming any was actually needed, I commended their efforts and asked quite innocently if they were disappointed. After all, a loss is a loss. And here’s where it gets good. They turn to me and respond in precisely these words, “No… we are so much better than yesterday.” And then they said something about getting to play again tomorrow and away they went.
 
Would that we all saw things that way. Instead of worrying about far distant consequences over which we have little control and less certain knowledge, what if we lived right in the middle of each day? As school routines settle into place, bedtimes get back to normal, and good intentions convert to consistent action, what if we made a point of measuring our days one at a time? My sense is that such an approach offers more than symbolic importance. It can be a big practical help.
 
There’s the almost surely apocryphal story about Einstein saying something about the most powerful force in the universe being compound interest, but the concept still bears consideration. The compound effect of a series of days that each brought some improvement can be more powerful than we might imagine. With the weeks and months stretching forward toward May, or some other discrete and distant milestone, it’s hard not to lose the magic of the time at hand. But I’d say it’s still better on all fronts—academic, social, health—to double down on the present.
 
One quote we can verify comes from Michael Puett’s (’82) recent and accessible bestseller “The Path.” He invoked Confucius’ “fundamental and deceptively profound question: How are you living your life on a daily basis? …a question about the tiniest things.” It’s unlikely our courageous and upbeat volleyball novices have ever seen the book, but they clearly get the concept.
 
Putting these words in print is as much of a reminder to myself as a message to anyone else. It would be no stretch to connect the anxiety endemic in our pop culture with an inability to remember the beauty of the little things. Happily, we’re in good company here at USN, and the days are pretty compelling one by one. We’ll get where we’re going, soon enough.
 
Thanks for reading,
Vince
 
P.S. Remember our commitment to being good to one another? Can we make a point of keeping that promise when behind the wheel on campus? May we never be so busy, frazzled, or convinced we are in some kind of chariot race that we miss a chance to be considerate with and of one another.
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School News

List of 3 news stories.

  • University School of Nashville students Eleanor Mixon '27 and Dylan Omary '27 voted first the first time on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at the Scarritt Bennett.

    Seniors take field trip to cast first ballot

    All 40 eligible University School of Nashville students in the Class of 2037 registered to vote ahead of the voter registration deadline, and Eleanor Mixon '27 and Dylan Omary '27 walked across the street from USN to the Scarritt Bennett Center to cast their first ballots on the final day of early voting.
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  • The ballot box and beyond: USN Seniors civically engaged

    Students in High School History Teacher Cameron Parsons' Advanced Topics: American Government and Politics Class have been working diligently on civic engagement projects that required them to participate in the democratic process.
    Read More

  • An evening of erudition: 22 seniors enter Cum Laude Society

    Congratulations to the Class of 2027 inductees of the USN Cum Laude Society: Jack Barrett, Charlie Blau, Alder Brandon, Olivia Brown, Elisabeth Crane, Alexandra Drewry, Lucia Gellert, Melis Kurtulus, Abigail Manoukian, Lily Margalit, Eleanor Mixon, Louisa Nordberg, Mia Orefice, Karsen Puzniak, Ruchika Ramachandran, Jacqueline Seale, Elliott Spiller, Laine Theobald, Alexander Truss, Yifan Wang, Madeleine Wiseman, and Julia Young.
    Read More
Archive

Athletics News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Mountain Bike Team Takes on “Electric" State Champs Trails, Dehner Snags Overall Podium Medal

    Steve Smail & MTB Team Coaches
    With trail names like Megawatt, Electric Avenue, High Voltage and Livewire, the mountain bike team knew it was time to pedal out some extra watts for their NICA/TICL State Championships at Raccoon Mountain, and survive the technical trails above Chattanooga full of boulder gardens, rock drops and sandy rubble.
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  • Mountain Bike Team Takes on Winged Deer Trails, HS Makes Podium Appearance

    Steve Smail
    Winged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and speed which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
     
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  • 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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Contact

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

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

River Campus
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.