Rules - Blog 14

I get rules. I understand that some rules are necessary to keep the world from anarchy. Rules such as: no vandalizing, no smoking/drinking on campus, no food in the library, no cheating, lying, or stealing. These rules, I get.

Other rules however, seem to be little more than an arbitrary exercise in petty control. Rules such as no watching movies in the lobbies at the dorms/outside, no throwing snowballs on campus, no riding your bike during class breaks, or no girls in the lobbies past midnight I just don't quite understand.

Ok let's take a look at this first one. Honestly, how is watching a movie in the dorm lobby with a bunch of friends ANY different from watching it in the basement of your home with a bunch of friends. Copyright laws are ridiculously stupid sometimes, but not nearly as ridiculous as BYU's inexplicable need to scrupulously enforce every single one of them. Sure it may count as a public place but srsly, who cares? I doubt even the people who made the laws would enforce them as rigorously as RA's, campus police, and other officious BYU busy-bodies do. I've been kicked out of so many places trying to watch movies with friends it's beginning to exceed the number I can count on one hand. Ridiculous.

And then the next rule. No throwing snowballs on campus? I can see no other explanation for this than that the rule-makers here simply want to suck all the joy that we could possibly bring into our sad existence. Seriously. Killjoy.

No riding your bike during class breaks? Ok this one has a tiny tiny bit of merit. But honestly, I think we, as college students, have enough coordination and intelligence not to run into people milling about between classes. Honestly. Not that I even have/ride a bike to class... but still.

I understand why the "no girls in the lobby past midnight" rule is in place. But I still think that the campus should trust that we, as students who signed the honor code, will not do anything inappropriate just because girls are in the lobby past midnight.

Anyway, just thought I'd rant a little about the state of campus strictness. Mostly the movie one bugs me.