So, here it is...I've finally come back to my blog and here's the reason why. I'm going to France for the first time in my life, and I'm doing it through The BYU, my undergraduate alma mater. I will be posting hyperlinks to websites should there need to be further explanation or if you would like to learn more about the things I blog about here. Enjoy!
For those of you unaware, The BYU is the home of the Cougars and the quintessential Mormon University. There are a few others, BYU-Idaho and BYU-Hawaii, but here in Provo, I'm at the original, so I call it The BYU. For those unaware, there is a clear and structured Honor Code that must be followed while attending The BYU. Some of you may balk at the idea of having to sign such a thing to attend college, others may say that you would never do such a thing. I personally have made the sacrifice to shave my face every day in order to receive 9 graduate credit hours and go to France for a month all under $2000.
Another good BYU-ism has to do with the housing. The Honor Code clearly sets rules which students must follow with living situations. All housing must be approved by BYU (on- or off-campus). All of the apartments approved by BYU for student living (as long as they are not living with family) must have separate bathroom and bedroom space that can be closed off to kitchens and living areas, and no student is allowed in those areas if they are in the apt of a student of the opposite sex. For example, when I lived in the French house (on-campus), the females had to go back to their apartments in order to use the bathroom.
If you look at the floor plan, there is a door before you enter the bathroom or any of the three bedrooms. Not all housing had a door at this point, so an imaginary line was created that the opposite sex was not allowed to pass.
There was also a curfew one had to obey. I’ll simply let this large poster explain the rule. It was posted several places on campus, and I couldn’t resist taking a photo.
Finally, the best part about BYU will always be the Daily Universe. This is the daily newspaper put out by undergrad communications/journalism majors. It contains several student-written articles as well as Associated Press articles to fill up 8-12 pages of a regular-sized newspaper. There is often an editorials section where students are allowed to write in their opinions of things that have happened on campus. Here is a list of the pressing topics I’ve found therein:
• The large statue of a scantily clad Native American outside the BYU library – why doesn’t he have to follow the Honor Code?
• YouTube finally allowed on campus (it was previously blocked by BYU network access on campus)
• Sarah Palin quits! (literally at least one article a day for two weeks)
• Where to sleep on campus (there are snoozers everywhere!)
• The name of the “No Shhh! Zone” in the library (it’s a place in the library where you don’t have to be quiet)
• The “No snowball throwing” law (among other strange laws) in Provo (considered a misdemeanor if the intent is to throw it at someone, to hinder movement or to scare someone)
• Whether or not to join the boycott of Pepsi because of its support of the LGBT community
You can also see a plethora of ads for diamond rings, BYU housing and various food establishments. There are also ads for salesmen seeing as how all return missionaries are generally very good at going door to door. Bringing the BYU experience full circle, I will end my blog about The BYU with the following:
Please note the promises of these ads. One will help you find your spouse (Marriage Guarantee), the other will give you a new start so that your honeymoon never ends. Gotta love it!
Wait!! I can’t forget the Police Beat!! BYU Campus police allow the newspaper to publish all incidents reported to or otherwise handled by the BYU Police. Here are some of the gems (followed by commentary in parenthesis):
June 25: Graffiti was found at the bus stop next to the law library. The phrase “There are angels among us” was written in black permanent marker. (In NYC, graffiti has become an art…in Utah, it has become prophetic)
June 14: Two bikes were reported stolen on campus. The victims saw the stolen bikes in a photo on Facebook. The person in the photo was arrested because he had “control” of the bikes. (Wow, can you be any more blatant? I wish I could find my stolen bike on Facebook, but NYC thieves have an entire system of CHANGING the way the bike looks.)
June 24: A backpack was reported stolen from a women’s restroom in the library. A female was taking a nap with her backpack next to her and when she woke up it was gone. No arrests have been made. (I hate to say it serves her right, but…it serves her right! Use the backpack as a pillow, Dim Some!)
June 16: Someone reported seeing a man in the stadium with a rifle. The police responded and found out it was a grounds employee sent to eliminate pigeons with a pellet gun. Officers stopped him. The man was not able to shoot any pigeons. (Why can’t he shoot pigeons? Seriously! What is wrong with the world?)
June 18: Three children, ages nine, six, and three, were reported missing from their mother while on campus. The children had gotten separated and were found in their car by the Museum of Art. (What really happened…Mother needs to accomplish something quick on campus and leaves children in the car. Random stranger sees children in a car alone, calls police and once they arrive, so does the mother. Mother’s response, “Oh, officer, thank you for finding my children, I’ve been looking all over for them!” Buzz beep Mother unlocks door, gets in and drives away. Children are safe…for now)
June 24: Concerned people reported someone chasing a duck around Maeser Hill with a motor scooter. Officers responded to the call and told the person not to harass ducks. The person complied. (No comment)
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