Utah State University - Buzzer Yearbook (Logan, UT)

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trcist for Ihe good There ore two generalities widely held os fact concerning Logon, Utoh: The sun never shines during the winter, ond the sun never foils to shine during the summer. Like most generalities, they ore bosed on more thon o groin of truth. Rnd this seosonol dichotomy reflects much of the chorocter of Logon, o city of contrast, o community of opposites, comprised of Lotter-doy Soints ond modern-day sinners who monoge to coexist in reiotive hormony despite frequent cultural dashes, ond divergent ideas concerning morality. It is Utoh State University thot draws the majority of outsiders thot mix with the homogenous local population ond moke such o nondescript cultural soup. The ingredients exhibit extreme contrast-none quite so ocute os the social goings-on of the two unarmed comps. There's Friday night ot the LDS Institute where the scrub-oed. sovory and delicately coiffed young ladies ore squired by equally scrubbed ond sovory young men. The Institute nightlife reflects on attitude thot is o bosic port of each social event. The people who participate in the myriad of donees held there shore o moral stance thot most of them truly believe in. Cven the music reflects their positive opinions concerning the humon condition. No Grateful Deod. no Led Zepplin. no Jim Morrison. Rother the dulcet tones of Barry Monilow. the mellow message of the Carpenters, the romantic sounds of Breod provide the music for on Institute donee. Line up dotes odd o measure of excitement to the doting gome os guys ond girls ore blindly paired for on evening of dinner ond donee. Rnd then, almost like o reverse image of the Tute crowd, there's hoppy hour ot the f irst Street Riley, the patrons pocked in the popular tovern elbow to elbow. The barroom s always humid, the oir heovy with tobacco smoke ond the smell of bodies, the room olive ond vitol with the buzzing of o hundred separate conservations. They ore almost oil students there, doing some serious beer drinking before moving down to the Bistro for the music. There seems to be little middle ground. Most students fit into one category or the other, with no crossing of ranks. If the worldly crowd hos hoppy hour on Fridoy. the Institute crowd hos Family Home Cvemng every Monday. This uniquely Mormon tradition is o dei.ghtful custom thot allows families on evening together to enjoy each other's company, ond provides on opportunity for the family members to portoke of moral instruction m on informal atmosphere. But if ony one ritual underscores the cultural polorism on compus. it hos to be courtship. Consider these scenarios: Two moles, two females form o small circle on the lawn odjocent to the U5U patio. Cight onkles ond eight knees keep o hocky sock bouncing bock ond forth with on occasional side trip to the ground. One of the moles con’t keep his eyes off the female next to him. He concentrates on her brown eyes instead of her brown knees os he should. His gome is off more thon o little. She's o friend of o friend; he knows her name, but thot's about oil. except thot she's one fine hocky sock ployer. ond knows how to weor o pair of cut-offs. The gome breaks up ond they chat about friends, school, hocky sock ond the lousy snow lost winter. One question hongs unosked because he's suddenly very shy. She isn't. Vou wont to grab o beer tonight?' ‘ she osks. Rnd the antipode: Rll the LDS girls in the word hove been discussing the newest returned missionary for weeks, ond it's common knowledge thot he doesn't hove o steady girl—yet. 7

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ci university of co

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The subject of oil this discussion wanders through the Hub one morning looking for o seat. He sees o familor face. Vou mind if I sit down. he asks. Pleose do. she responds. Their conversation advances from pleasantries to specifics. She asks. tUas it hard switching to English from Spanish when you got home from your mission? Not too hard. That's my major, by the way.” he responds. English? she asks. Spanish. he answers. Rsa motter of fact, the Spanish Club is having a party Saturday night. UUould you like to go? Sure. she says. Six months later, they're engoged. Ves. it's a widely accepted fact that Cache Valley harbors an amazing variety of lifestyles. It takes o newcomer some time, however, to realize that. They are often too busy adjusting to the surface peculiarities of