Student Life An advantage of attending the Southern College of Optometry is living in Memphis, Tennessee. With a metropolitan population of over one million, Memphis is home to such corporate giants as FedEx, Auto Zone and International Paper, along with one of the nation’s top medical treatment centers. The city has been nationally recognized for its beauty, cleanliness, culture and affordability. According to the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association, Memphis has one of the lowest costs of living among U.S. urban areas with central cities of more than 500,000 people. Situated on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi, the Bluff City celebrates annual events, including the International Barbecue Cooking Contest, Memphis in May International Festival and the FedEx St. Jude World Golf Classic Championship. Memphis is rich in musical heritage, as well. Elvis Presley, Justin Timberlake, W.C. Handy, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green and many others all began their careers here. Sight-seeing, recreational and cultural events are numerous in Memphis. SCO students will find Overton Park, the Memphis Zoo, Beale Street — Home of the Blues — and several professional theaters and art galleries nearby. Graceland, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Metal Museum, the Children’s Museum of Memphis and the National Civil Rights Museum are all within a short drive of the campus. The city is also home to an NBA franchise, the Memphis Grizzlies, who play their games in the FedEx Forum downtown arena. Several municipal parks offering golf, swimming, tennis, walking trails, bridle paths and picnic areas are open to the public, as are state parks and lakes within a short drive. Memphis also has one of the largest Green Lines in the country providing a popular venue for running, biking and walking Most of your time at SCO, however, will be spent in optometric studies enhanced by various student activities. The following is a list of organizations, including honorary societies, available to interested students.
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