Lingering Discontent

The BYU student newspaper published a story on the lingering discontent among some students at BYU. The issue is last week's firing of a BYU employee over a letter he wrote to the Daily Universe alleging ineffective supervision of BYU student elections. [For more background, see this article at DN and this earlier post at BT.] The letter got published, the employee got canned, and now students are wearing T-shirts protesting the firing. I wonder, will the T-shirt movement generate more interest than the student elections? The quote from the present BYUSA President is a classic: "Somebody got fired. Let's move on." He's certainly not going to rock the boat. I think he has a future in politics.

Comments

[a random John]

That comment makes the assumption that there wasn't a wider message being given by the firing. Seems to me that somebody is getting a fine education at BYU.

[Darren]

I am pleased that some students at BYU are comforable with visible protesting, rather than being worried about the honor code and subsequent discipline. Does anyone know if the Honor Code prohibits speaking out against the school?

[Seth R.]

Well, I do know that student government was abolished during the 60s protests in favor of a purely advisory student organization.

BYUSA elections are essentially a Miss America contest, only more whiney.

[Hellmut Lotz]

Apparently, the BYUSA president also benefited from the state of affairs when his opponents were removed by the administration.

[daaa58]

Notice the logical fallacy in Larson's other statement:

“It’s a completely different audience that you are dealing with. A person attacking BYUSA is essentially attacking itself since BYUSA represents the students’ interests.”

Isn't he saying that BYUSA represents student interests, but the students shouldn't have interests.

[Hiram Page]

I have seen a lot of belly-aching about the Honor Code and student government at BYU, but I think Hellmut hit upon an issue that should receive further comment. What is truly creepy is that the policing of the BYUSA campaigns is left up to the rivals running in it, when the prize for disqualifying others is, if I am correct, a scholarship. By creating a situation in which the conflict of interest is so clear, BYUSA has practically engineered a great inducement to make the Honor Code a mockery of the very values it seeks to promote.

[Dave]

Darren, the full listing of the Honor Code can be found here. I'm sure a dutiful and motivated Honor Code zealot could find several clauses that the student "protest" violated. But, we're told, "No anonymous reports will be acted upon by the Honor Code Office."

Under "Obey the Law," it states: "The university controls public demonstrations on campus. Applications for approved public expressions can be obtained in the Dean of Students office."

Under "Be Honest," it states: "Every dimension of our lives should reflect obedience, integrity, honor, respect for others, freedom from fraud and deception, sincerity, dependability, fidelity, and straightforwardness in how we act and why we act within the bounds of the truth and knowledge we have received and the commitments we have made." Wow, everything there but punctuality. They might as well just make every student sign a confession of guilt as a condition of admission.