BYU-approved housing, necessary for BYU students, is preferred by many young adults living in Provo not currently attending BYU.
Nick Large, a 23-year-old student from Santa Clarita, Calif., said he attended community college and moved to Provo in hopes of attending BYU. Besides trying to go back to school, Large said he chose to live in BYU-approved housing to save money.
“I’m trying to be frugal,” Large said.
He also said although he is not the typical BYU-attending Provo resident, he does not feel any alienation from the majority of the residents around him.
“I still do everything everyone else does,” Large said. “I go to all the events, like Divine Comedy. I just have to pay a little more money. But I don’t see myself separate from BYU students. My girlfriend goes to the BYU Law School, so I spend a lot of time on campus.”
Marshall Adams, a 21-year-old worker from Willard, Mo., said he lived in BYU-approved housing to be near his siblings and the inexpensive rent.
Even if a person does not want to partake in activities on campus, Adams said there are many diversions available when living in BYU-approved housing.
“There are plenty of other people who don’t go to BYU,” Adams said. “There’s always something going on that’s not BYU-oriented, like ward activities and such.”
Maggie Hoffpauir, a 20-year-old student from Vidor, Texas, said her motivations for choosing BYU-approved housing are the difficulty of finding any other housing as a single student in Provo and her desire to take night classes at BYU.
She did admit it is an odd feeling to be surrounded by people who go to BYU and not do the same.
“It’s awkward at first,” Hoffpauir said. “You don’t see people on a daily basis, only at church. When people pray during church, they always say they are thankful for BYU. People ask what I’m doing in school and I tell them I’m not in school. So you do feel left out sometimes.”
She also said a student ID, something she does not possess, is required for many popular BYU activities.
Feeling socially isolated, according to the Psychology Today website, can lead to myriad negative effects, including heightened vulnerability for major depression and different forms of addiction.
However, sharing the common goal of following the Honor Code helps alleviate any social isolation from not being a BYU student.
Hoffpauir, who formerly attended the University of Kentucky, said there is an important and powerful benefit of living in housing dominated by BYU students.
“I like the Honor Code,” she said. “Back in Kentucky, there were no boundaries, no rules and a 24/7 visiting policy. It’s nice to be in a complex where everyone around you is a member.”
Housing places only receive BYU approval after aligning with BYU housing standards. This involves mandatory contracts for every resident, which include a promise to obey the Honor Code regardless of the tenant’s BYU affiliation.
This, according to the BYU Off-Campus Housing website, creates an environment most favorable for fostering moral and spiritual growth.
Gaylun Smith, a property manager, said people choose to live in BYU-approved housing and to follow the Honor Code, even though they do not attend the university, because they want to be closer to students who have similar standards.
The Honor Code encourages students to live by values of honesty, chastity and obedience to secular and spiritual laws and policies. This push toward more Christ-like behavior may create a more uplifting housing situation.
“There is a perception of a better environment where people try to keep the Honor Code,” Smith said.
Article source: http://universe.byu.edu/node/13056
Category: Vulnerabilities/Exploits