Tennessee

5-year-old in Tennessee earns Mensa membership after testing for high IQ

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2023

5-year-old in Tennessee earns Mensa membership after testing for high IQ

HILLSBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — 5-year-old Connor Samples earned his Mensa membership in February for testing above a 132 IQ — when the common IQ for teenagers his age is between 5 and 20.

Mensa is the oldest and largest IQ society on the earth with members in 90 international locations. Connor is one in all solely three kids aged 5 and underneath within the state of Tennessee to earn the membership.

“It is a corporation that basically offers us these sources, offers us with hyperlinks, sources that oldsters can grow to be extra educated on how you can help and assist develop these little gifted minds that they’ve,” defined Connor’s mom Marjorie Samples.

His dad and mom realized their son was transferring sooner than his friends earlier than he was 2 years previous.

“He was one and a half and he began recognizing all his alphabet actually simply,” recounted Marjorie. “He began doing his sight phrases and issues like that at two. After which come two and a half he was studying.”

Claire Kopsky

At solely 5 years previous, Connor Samples is already studying algebra.

“I might come residence from work and there he’s studying subtitles throughout the TV display screen, at simply such a younger age,” stated Connor’s father Phil. “I used to be all the time so shocked.”

However it was not simply studying Connor was excelling at, it was additionally math.

“We had some household over and so they had been sort of teasing. They’re like, ‘what’s one plus two plus three plus 4 plus 5?’ And, you already know, he was like, ’15.’ And all of us on the desk had been like [nodding yes] after which they might be like [pulling out calculators to check him],” defined Phil. “‘OK, what’s one plus two plus…’ after which they’d go on and he’d get them.”

Connor began kindergarten in the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester.

“When he began faculty, I noticed regression taking place. He got here in he wished to do phonics and I am like, ‘OK, we might do phonics, buddy, however you already comprehend it,’” defined Marjorie. “We mentioned, you already know, is retaining him at school one thing that is good for him? And we determined to attend to see what the college system would come again and advocate for us.”

After some persuasion, the college agreed to permit Connor to take a check.

“He examined rather well, means above his degree. And you already know, right here I used to be considering, ‘OK, there’s received to be some sort of gifted program, what are you able to do?’ Proper? So that they solely supplied about 40 minutes a day, retaining him in kindergarten,” defined Marjorie.

She knew that will not be sufficient for her son primarily based on what they knew he might achieve this she and her husband talked to the college once more.

“They supplied that they might push him to first grade. And I used to be like, ‘Whereas that’s good, he’s surpassing first-grade materials.’ I imply, he is studying at a third-grade degree, he is doing math at a second-grade degree or extra, you already know, it is identical to, I do not assume that is sufficient,” she stated. “And since these had been our solely choices, and there was nothing else they will do. We determined to tug him from the faculties from, from the general public faculty and homeschool him.”

Connor’s dad and mom Marjorie and Phil Samples

The couple altered their work schedules and began homeschooling Connor in January.

“My mother does studying and spelling and language arts and my dad does math, social research and science,” defined Connor.

As of the start of March, he was already 75% via a math e-book for the 12 months.

In February, the household additionally acquired information Connor examined excessive sufficient on the IQ check to qualify for Mensa—they stated that was additional affirmation they made the precise resolution to take him out of conventional faculty.

“We’d have misplaced three years of his life on one thing he would have already recognized. So, be an advocate. Proceed, you already know, nurturing what they’ve, and should you see it at a younger age, even at kindergarten, you already know, push to your scholar or your youngster to essentially be examined and have these packages out there,” implored Marjorie.

Connor Samples’ dad and mom cut up the topics they train at their homeschool in Hillsboro, Tennessee.

Connor’s dad and mom stated they’re working laborious to verify he’ll proceed to socialize with youngsters his personal age in addition to those that share his IQ.

So far as what he needs to be when he “grows up,” Connor instructed his mother, “I don’t know, I need to be perhaps the president, however perhaps a Spiderman, however you already know I sort of like The Wiggles however then I believe I need to be a fireman. I don’t know. There’s a lot I might do. Perhaps I need to be all of them.”

With the assistance of sources from Mensa, the couple hopes he can obtain any dream he has.

Phil stated,” [We want him] to verify he is aware of all of the completely different pathways and he can do no matter one he chooses that he needs to do with what he’s been given.”

Marjorie and Phil Samples say one of many advantages of homeschooling their son is that he can speed up in every topic as rapidly as he needs to.

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Tennessee

Tennessee Titans 2025 opponents set with fourth-place AFC South schedule

Published

5 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee Titans 2025 opponents set with fourth-place AFC South schedule

The Tennessee Titans’ full list of 2025 opponents is set as the fourth-place team in the AFC South.

Tennessee will play six divisional games, plus games against teams from the AFC West and NFC West. The Titans also will also play the Browns, Saints and Patriots as fellow last-place teams from their respective divisions.

The Titans’ offseason became more interesting on Sunday when they earned the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft via the Week 18 loss to Houston and New England’s win over Buffalo.

Here’s the full list of the Titans regular-season opponents in 2025.

Titans 2025 opponents

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Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints

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Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Denver Broncos
Las Vegas Raiders
San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
Cleveland Browns

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Tennessee

John Calipari on rebounding deficit vs. Tennessee: ‘We’ve got to do some soul searching’

Published

13 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

John Calipari on rebounding deficit vs. Tennessee: ‘We’ve got to do some soul searching’

The Arkansas Razorbacks ran into a buzzsaw with the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday. Almost immediately, head coach John Calipari saw his team go down and struggle to come back from their early deficit.

Following the game, John Calipari immediately pointed to rebounding as the main issue in the game. It was that dominance on the boards that cost the Razorbacks and now means the Razorbacks are going to need some soul searching moving forward.

“They kind of manhandled us,” John Calipari said. “I can’t remember the last time I had a team get beat by 30 rebounds, and so we got to do some soul searching because this league, what they play like, everybody plays like. So we miss free throws, we miss threes and we get out-rebounded by 30, aren’t you like, how did you only get beat by 25? It could have been 50. But hats off to Tennessee. They’re the number one team for a reason and they did it to us.”

In the end, Tennessee won the game 76-52. That was on the back of a 51-29 rebounding gap between the two teams. Arkansas had just nine offensive rebounds compared to 24 offensive rebounds by the Volunteers. That, when combined with Tennessee outshooting Arkansas, made for a challenge that they weren’t able to overcome.

“Well, first of all, we only had one guy go to try to offensive rebound. They had more offensive rebounds than we had rebounds,” Calipari said. “I want you to hear what I just said. How did we — all I kept saying in the second half, let’s get it to single digits. If we do something good, they get an offensive rebound. We do something good, they get an offensive rebound. We make it 13, they get two offensive rebounds, two threes. And you look around, like, ‘Guys, it has nothing to do with anything but rebounding.’”

For the season, Arkansas has had its issues rebounding. The Razorbacks are 217th in the country in rebounds per game, averaging 35.71 rebounds per game.

“If I play a smaller team, guards have got to rebound defensively. I don’t need you to offensive rebound, but defensively you got to come up with the ball. So we could play a bigger team with Adou [Thiero] at the three,” Calipari said. “But like I said, he didn’t play well today. He’s probably had one of those this year. So in 14 games, he’s had one other dud. He had it here, couldn’t make a free throw, and then he shoots an air-ball three. That’s not who he is, but give them credit. They made him play that way.”

The schedule doesn’t get easier from here for Arkansas and John Calipari. Ole Miss comes to town on Wednesday before Florida will then make their presence felt on Saturday. Both of those teams are currently ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. So, fixing the rebounding issue is going to be vital right away.

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Tennessee

Tennessee college basketball is final undefeated team this season under coach Rick Barnes

Published

20 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee college basketball is final undefeated team this season under coach Rick Barnes

Tennessee basketball is the final undefeated team in Division I men’s college basketball this season.

The No. 1 Vols moved to 14-0 with a 76-52 win against Arkansas on Saturday, while Florida and Oklahoma lost in their SEC openers.

No. 5 Florida fell 106-100 to No. 11 Kentucky at Rupp Arena for its first loss after a 13-0 start. No. 10 Oklahoma tumbled 107-79 to No. 6 Alabama at Coleman Coliseum after the Sooners also started 13-0.

Drake (12-1), which entered 2025 without a loss, was beaten by UIC 74-70 on Jan. 1.

The Vols (14-0, 1-0 SEC) play at Florida (13-1, 0-1) on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPNU).

Tennessee’s start is tied for the best in program history. The 1922-23 Vols also opened 14-0 in a 17-game season.

UT has been ranked No. 1 for four straight weeks, which is tied for the longest streak in program history. It likely will hold the top spot Monday for a record fifth week. The Vols also were ranked No. 1 for four weeks in the 2018-19 season.

UT was ranked No. 12 in the preseason coaches poll, and moved up to No. 9 after starting the season 2-0 with wins against Gardner-Webb and at Louisville. It stayed No. 9 after going 4-0.

Tennessee rolled through the Baha Mar Championship with wins against Virginia and Baylor to reach 6-0 and rise to No. 6. It hopped to No. 3 after beating UT Martin before ascending to No. 1.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.