Dear Editor:
I’m disturbed by the way some BYU students use the Memorial Hall in the WSC. I was always under the impression war memorials were places of reverence where we could quietly honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country. Unfortunately, this feeling doesn’t seem to be held by some of my classmates.
I went to the Memorial Hall last Friday to enjoy the serene atmosphere and to pay my respects, and I was appalled by what I found. The Memorial was being used like a commons room in the dorms instead of as a place to honor the dead. Half the chairs and couches were occupied by students who felt it was appropriate to kick off their shoes and put their smelly feet up on the furniture while they crammed for their next class or caught a little nap. They left soda cans and potato chip bags littered on the floor in front of them. Not only is this type of behavior inconsiderate to anyone else who might want to sit nearby, but it also shows a great lack of respect for the men and women whose names line the walls of the Memorial.
Personally, I would be ashamed for my grandfather or any other veteran to see the way some of my peers “reverence” their faithful friends. BYU students should know to show the same kind of reverence and respect in the Memorial Hall they do in church, so some of us need to do a better job of acting on it. I’m not asking for much, just a little more respect for those to whom we owe a great debt. If you are going to use the Memorial Hall, treat it like a war memorial and not like your living room.
John Mitchell
San Diego
