Declaration of Independence

(To the Editor of the Daily Herald)

Recently there was a post on the Daily Herald website giving insight as to why BYU football went independent. I thought it presented the reasons why they decided to go independent and why the rest of BYU athletics went to the WCC.

First off, why did BYU go independent? The article does not really specify. This article focuses on why it went to WCC. I enjoyed how well it explained how a deal with the WAC fell through. The Mountain West Conference basically raided the WAC for teams, causing the deal to fall through. The WAC lost a lot of credibility when the MWC accepted the teams it did. As the deadline was coming up, BYU had to choose fast. The article does a great job of explaining this.

The article also provides information on why the rest of the BYU teams went to the West Coast Conference. After the WAC deal fell through, the WCC was able to put a deal into effect in a short amount of time. The article explains that the WCC has many powerful programs in all areas, especially basketball. I believe this was a good move, as the WAC and the MWC had little credibility in these areas. The move will allow BYU to ‘increase exposure’ to the NCAA world of fans.

Probably the biggest plus of the independent move is the ability of BYU to now schedule any opponents it wants. This means bigger programs coming to play, and that means more exposure, more advertising, and more money for BYU athletics.

I thought this article as very informative and provided insight into the minds of the decisions makers. I hope that more articles are to follow these ones.

Sincerely,

Spencer Tolson

Enter To Learn-and Marry!

Dear (person to be decided),

When you walk through the front door to Horne Hall one of the first things you will notice is an engraving on the brick wall. This relief depicts an engagement ring encircled by one ominous word: June.

It seems like every where I go at BYU the message of BYU has been slightly altered. Enter to learn-and get married!

I know that Brigham Young University is a great place to meet individuals who share my values, but give me a break! I’m eighteen, a freshman, and nearly completely dependent on my parents financially! Most freshman guys haven’t gone on their missions yet and most of the freshman ladies are living on their own for the very first time. Neither group is ready to marry.

Logically, I know that our leaders acknowledge that the students of BYU are all in different levels of progression. These reminders about the worthiness of potential mates here in Provo are largely targeted to older students. As a freshman, however, the constant focus on marriage is both stressful and annoying. Both the closing speech for New Student Orientation, as well as the opening devotional spoke about the importance of trying to find a spouse here at BYU. I, along with approximately 20% of the undergraduate students don’t need to be thinking of marriage for several years to come. If there is any way to do so, can the speakers at BYU please tone down the marriage theme, at least when talking to us freshmen?

Happily Single,

Erika Hunt