True Blue

As a child I was raised in a BYU house. We went to BYU football games, BYU basketball games, and we booed whenever BYU played the University of Utah. BYU blue was the color we supported. We had T-shirts and hats and blankets that professed our loyalty. I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere we had a stuffed Cosmo around. Like many LDS youth, I was taught that Brigham Young University was the Lord’s School, and any good Mormon SHOULD go to BYU. And I did. When applying for schools and scholarships, I applied at BYU. I also begrudgingly applied to Utah State and the U. And I think that was it. I did get accepted to BYU, and also got a scholarship. I think I was also offered scholarships to those other schools, but honestly, I don’t really remember. Those were just fall backs anyway.

While at BYU, I had a great time. I met many wonderful friends, and got to know friends from high school in a different setting. It was a great time in my life, and I think that in college I had the most fun I’ve ever had. I was an ok student and did what I had to do to get by. Elementary Education is not the hardest major in the world, but there’s a lot of busywork. I had a great job which I loved, and had fun roommates and friends. I did also meet my husband there, which is an added bonus.

Last night I dreamed that I went to the U. The Univeristy of Utah. I don’t know why I was going there. Maybe I couldn’t afford to go to BYU, or maybe I hadn’t been accepted–I don’t know. It was a dream, remember. But I felt like a complete failure. I felt embarrassed and ashamed that I was attending that evil school to the North. I felt like maybe I would have to go and confess my school allegiance sins to my bishop.

When I woke up, I was shocked. And I realized I might have to adjust my thinking. I realize that the U is not neccesarily an evil school. Some of my best friends and even my sister (gasp! I know!) attended that school, and they all seem to have come out unscathed. Some day my children might even go to that school. (double gasp!)

BYU is getting more and more competitive and you really have to have good grades and scores to get in now. Of course, now there are more options. There’s Utah Valley University now. Last year it was UVSC, before that it was UV something else. Before that it was Provo Tech or Trade Tech or something like that. It’s been through quite a few name changes, but now it’s a full fledged University. And Salt Lake Community College, and the University of Phoenix. There are quite a few good schools out there that are options for my kids. Oh, yeah, and there are other schools that are out of state, but is that really an option? My kids will want to stay close to home all their lives so they can visit often, right?

The point is, even though I went to BYU and feel loyalty to BYU, I guess I have to have an open mind when it comes to my kids’ education. Or maybe I need to get a job there now, so that my kids can get in when it’s time to go to college.