By Marie Magleby
Everyone has heard one complaint or another about height - comments like 'She's so tall' or 'He's too short for me' seem to plague conversations between students.
But there is one place on campus where students will never be too tall.
That place is the 2 Tall Club, where guys must be 6 feet 2 inches and girls must be 5 feet 10 inches to meet eligibility requirements.
That's a tall order, considering average height for men is only 5 feet 9-and-a-half inches and 5 feet 4 inches for women, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The club provides a social circle slightly different from campus norms.
'Everybody else is tall, and that's not what I'm used to,' said Lena Harper, who's 5 feet 10 inches, and a sophomore from Blackfoot, Idaho, majoring in Anthropology. 'It's a good feeling.'
The 2 Tall Club sponsors pizza parties, barbecues, picnics, bowling nights, and many service projects, according to Alan Parrish, professor of ancient scripture and advisor of 2 Tall. The club also has an intramural volleyball team, and members watch a Jazz basketball game in Salt Lake City at least once a year.
'They're very active,' Parrish said. 'They have a lot of fun.'
David Whitworth started the BYU 2 Tall Club in January 2003 as a means of association for tall students, said Shannon Cope, president of the club.
Whitworth, 6 foot 8 inches, was just returning from his mission when his grandmother sent him an article about Tall Club International. He decided to open a chapter at BYU. There is also a chapter in Salt Lake City.
The club helps students get involved on campus and in the community. At 2 Tall gatherings, students eat and socialize at eye level with each other. They also share knowledge of where to shop for clothes and shoes.
'When I'm with the club, other people are taller than me,' said Hannah Hanson, 5 foot 11 inches, a sophomore from Challis, Idaho, majoring in exercise science. I'm not intimidating, I feel intimidated.'
The tallest member of the club is 6 foot 10 inches, according to Cope.
Last winter semester, there were enough people in the club to organize a dance class for taller students, Parrish said.
'Anybody's welcome to come,' Cope said.
Those who do not meet the height requirements have the option of being honorary members in the club. Bowling, breakfast on reading days, and a volleyball tournament are some of the club's plans for this semester, Cope said.
For more information about the 2 Tall Club, visit www.clubs.byu.edu/byu2tall/.