The BYU community of Provo and Provo's normal community are characteristically different, and they rarely come together for anything.
But that doesn't mean there aren't chances for meshing.
'The Center,' located on 222 West 500 North, see BYU students every day; when they walk right past it. The Center sees Provo residents almost every night, for everything from gymnastics to parkour to basketball and more.
A couple nights a week is a pottery class, taught by Carrie Dewsnup from California. Carrie graduated with a degree in environmental studies from the University of Oregon, and lives with her husband here in Provo as he finishes school at BYU.
The class attendance totaled four last Wednesday night. There was a mother and her daughter, a man with sunglasses and an Australian accent and quieter gentleman. A BYU student would've felt out of place.
BYU students who drive for ten hours to 'escape' Provo might be wasting nine hours and 55 minutes. If what they want to escape is the BYU atmosphere, try launching yourself out into the outer space of Provo's flip side. Learn pottery with an Australian. Go to city council meetings. Volunteer to tutor a Provo elementary school student.
At times BYU graduates feel timid entering the real world work force, having lived in a cloud city for years. This habitat we find ourselves in has no locked doors, and getting out is as easy as walking a couple blocks. Stepping out of your shell takes on a new meaning.
Learn how to throw a pot with Carrie Dewsnup from the University of Oregon: