Abolish beard clause
Concerning the article “The Honor Code exists to uphold gospel principles,” Mr. Baker states, “many students learn to abide by the higher standard of dress and grooming.” This “higher standard” is really a culturally constructed standard. What is morally superior about being clean-shaven? Is having a mustache holding to a higher standard than having a beard? That’s ridiculous. This article exposes the real reason behind the Honor code: PR. We are paranoid about what the world thinks about us.
The Ministry of Honor Code Propaganda creates an environment of fear that doesn’t allow students to learn from their mistakes, but look for them in others. How can we “avoid judging” as Mr. Baker suggests, when the dress and grooming standard – an outward sign of Honor Code compliance and therefore righteousness – teaches us to do so?
The myth goes that students themselves were responsible for the document, but you may be surprised to learn that before Ernest Wilkinson, the Honor Code was focused on conduct, not appearance. After Wilkinson’s reign of terror, the student government was dissolved, the Honor Code emphasized appearance and men were forced to shave so as not to be mistaken by visitors as Communists, beatniks or surfers.
Why do I stay at BYU if I don’t agree with the beard clause? Because I love BYU, and because “I signed it” I have every right to criticize, until the document is an appropriate measure of honor, not a paranoid avoidance of liberal appearances.
Jason Brown
Yorba Linda, Calif.
Honor Code Pharisees
I shave nightly to live the Honor Code. Recently, I was trying to check out a shirt at the Field House to attend my weight lifting class. The student employee asked me if I had shaved yet that day. I explained I hadn’t, but I had shaved at 8 p.m. the previous day and intended to shave right after my class, like usual. This was unacceptable to him. He refused to give me a shirt because I was “violating the Honor Code.” I tried to reason with him, but he only got angry and impatient.
Luckily, the employees at the RB were a lot more reasonable and gave me a shirt so I could attend class. The next time I had class and tried to get a shirt from this employee, he refused because he was still upset about our last encounter. Truly, his desire was not to uphold the Honor Code, but to uphold his $7 per hour power trip.
This employee is what I call an Honor Code Pharisee. I echo Jesus’ words when he said that the Sabbath was created for man and not man for the Sabbath. Likewise, the Honor Code was created for the benefit of students. Students were not created for the Honor Code. I will never accept the fact I can be 100 percent worthy to worship in the temple, the holiest place on Earth, yet still not be worthy to get a BYU-issue shirt to work out in the BYU weight room.
Kyle Blodgett
Kennewick, Wash.
Honor Code violation?
I bought all the books I needed for this semester online. However, shipping is a bit slow, so I still don’t have them. With homework due one evening last week, I rushed into The BYU Bookstore in the afternoon to browse over the chapter containing the material I needed to complete my assignment. It only took me about five minutes to skim through what I needed, when to my surprise, an employee was standing at my side.
Like a law enforcer facing a criminal, the employee growled, “Are you buying that book? Because if you aren’t, then you are breaking the Honor Code.” Caught off guard, I said “yes,” thinking in my mind I had just purchased it over the Internet. I realized I was in a fix, so I just left the book and ran like Joseph from Potipher’s wife (even though that employee doesn’t consider my righteousness to be anywhere near Joseph’s). Luckily, I gathered enough info to complete my assignment, but did I break the Honor Code in doing so?
Ross Mitchell
Burley, Idaho
Jiggled past Honor Code
Based on observations at the Wilkinson Center Dance last Friday, it appears the dance style found on MTV has jiggled its way through the Honor Code. Yet, one could argue that the suggestive movements on the BYU dance floor are different because there is little or no physical contact – only gestures.
So, then, is bumping and grinding OK at BYU as long as it remains a “non-contact sport?” Should the student body worry more about shaving their sideburns than saving their passions? Are those that feel uncomfortable amid these suggestive gestures being too rigid, or is the dance of some BYU students getting too loose?
Michael Anderson
Orem
Following the blind
The other night, I heard something disturbing. I tuned into a political radio program for a few minutes and heard the host, Mike Reagan, lauding the importance of torture in our nation’s interrogation procedures. He attacked Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for sponsoring legislation that would limit the use of such inhumane treatment toward detainees.
Reagan concluded his tirade by informing his listeners of what he would do if he were conducting an interrogation. “I would make Jack Bauer look like Mother Theresa!” Then the program went to a commercial break and I heard the radio station’s slogan. “Family Values Talk Radio,” the voice proudly proclaimed.
At first, I laughed. Then I realized this alarming trend is much too dangerous to be taken lightly.
This may be an extreme example, but when will we stop believing anything endorsed by the most anti-moderate Republicans is necessarily equivalent to family values or moral values? Torture is immoral, and I can guarantee you it will never be one of my family values. When will we learn to evaluate each issue on its own merits, rather than lump them all together simply because a particular politician or party is opposed to welfare or homosexuality? There are many other pressing issues to be considered. There is a great deal of injustice in our nation’s government that must be addressed.
Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.
James Cragun
Eugene, Ore.
Best yet to come
“2007 football as good as ’06? No way” (Jan. 18) may be quite right insofar as his predictions go for winning football glory this year at BYU is concerned. The author based his prophecy on the talent losses that the team has experienced via graduations, missions, etc. But he neglected (or discounted) the biggest factor involved in the big 2006 wins.
Surely he did not intentionally overlook mentioning the coach and his talented staff as major assets. We understand they will still be here. Bronco will find a way to fill the missing pieces in his team. Remember, they defeated teams that were loaded with some pretty good talent. And who is worrying because “everybody hates BYU”? Let’s not forget the Utes have their detractors, as do the teams from Wyoming, UNLV, etc. I think we should go right on cheering for the Cougs. Also, there is more at stake for these young men at BYU than just winning games.
Don LeBaron
American Fork
Living in America
For Christmas, I received two $25 gift cards for pizza hut. When I went to the Pizza Hut on Canyon Road to redeem them for two pizzas at $10.99, I handed the cashier one of my $25 gift cards. He swiped it and said I still owed money toward the purchase. I said that there must be some mistake as it was a $25 gift card. He swiped again. Same thing — $`10. He tried to troubleshoot the problem – all the time, very apologetic and sincere. We decided to try my other gift card. It also read $10. I said that that was impossible (the annoyance now apparent in my voice). So the cashier promised to bring the problem to his manager and that he would give the pizzas to me for $10 (to only use one gift card). I left for my apartment, thinking that the whole ‘gift card thing’ was a big corporate scam. Not five minutes after returning home, however, I received a call from the manager saying that they were very sorry for the mistake and that they would credit my account $30. Again, being very professional and apologetic. I hung up the phone, stunned. I related the story to the person who gifted me the cards, and she discovered that she had bought the cards for $10 each. It was our mistake, and the company still went above and beyond to correct it. Why do I love America? Businesses care about their customers.
Kendel Christensen
Herriman
