By JULIE DUVALL
“Be a Better Lover: Making the Most of Relationships” is the theme of this semester’s Marriage Expo, presented by the Family Sciences 403 class and the BYU Center for Studies on the Family.
The Expo will be Tuesday in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom, and family science students have been preparing for this presentation all semester.
“Students come up with a theme and then market their ideas with what resources are available,” said Brent Barlow, a professor of family sciences who teaches the 403 class.
The Expo will begin with Barlow as the keynote speaker. The audience will have the opportunity to walk around the room to look at the students’ displays after Barlow’s speech.
“The purpose of our displays is to let people know what is available. It is a chance for us to say this is the resource you can go to if you are interested in this topic,” said Kristi Wilcken, 21, a senior from Vernal majoring in family sciences.
The Expo will also give students a chance to advertise the Marriage Resource Center they have created. The center is designed to make resources available to the public on any aspect of dating, engagement and marriage.
“We want to make sure people know they can contact the Marriage Resource Center. We are going to make our e-mail address and phone number available at the Expo,” Wilcken said.
Several displays will be devoted entirely to exposing the Marriage Resource Center to the public.
Tyler Jones, 24, a junior from Farmington majoring in family sciences, said he will focus his displays on sexual abstinence before marriage and healthy physical intimacy after marriage.
“We simply want to help singles and marrieds have better relationships,” Jones said.
Aaron Dodini, 24, a senior from Reno, Nev., majoring in psychology, has created a display on awareness for divorcees.
“The LDS community is not immune from divorce, and those who are divorced on campus often don’t have support or networking,” Dodini said. “We will have a sign-up sheet and hope to establish a divorce support group. Divorcees often experience prejudice because people are ignorant of the issues.”
Altogether, students will have posters and displays on 40 different topics regarding marriage and dating relationships.
The first session of the Marriage Expo will begin at 7 p.m. and a repeat session will begin at 8:30 p.m. The Expo will be free of charge and open to students and the community. For more information, contact the Family Sciences Department at 378-2549.
