Each Spring and Summer, I see many teenagers come to BYU to participate in EFY. While I agree the EFY experience is a good experience for youth, their presence is very frustrating.
Most students who take Spring and Summer classes give up their vacation in order to focus on their studies.
Students are more stressed during Spring and Summer terms because these terms are much shorter than the other semesters.
Because of how short the terms are, many students spend most of their time in the library; however, there have been instances where EFY kids have gone into the library and, while wandering aimlessly, caused disturbances for the students trying to study there.
Their presence makes difficult tasks such as concentrating on tests and homework more difficult than they already are.
In addition, BYU students become irritated when teenagers are yelling and making noise during lunchtime.
Even I became angry when I came out of the testing center and tried to go to the Wilkinson Center for lunch. I was not able to walk through campus without running into thousands of EFY kids.
Because of the amount of EFY kids on campus, I had to wait more than 30 minutes to get my lunch and was late to my next class.
I agree the EFY program helps many teenagers with the growth of their testimonies and social skills; however, BYU should remember what the primary purpose of this campus is.
In order to ensure an atmosphere conducive to learning, BYU and the EFY faculty need to find a more suitable place to host the EFY program.
Kayla Kim
Gyeongju, South Korea
