Cover to Cover

I got my copy of Summit Magazine yesterday in the mail…. I was so impressed with this issue of the Summit. I felt that the magazine really represented campus well. The articles are very interesting.… I read cover to cover. Well done. Please accept my thanks and pass them on to your staff. They did a wonderful job.

            David Parkinson ’92

            Rexburg, Idaho

A Smile and a Hello

I read your article “Continuing the Tradition: A Smile and a Hello” in the Spring 2005 Summit Magazine… [and] just had to let you know what the friendliness found on campus at BYU–Idaho meant to me.

            I was a student at Ricks College from 1994-1996. I loved the small campus and friendliness I found there. I really thought any campus would be that way, but I was wrong. BYU–Idaho is a very special and unique place to gain a college education. The professors truly care about the students, and the varied staff across campus care about the work they do to keep the campus running.

            I had a student job in the Manwaring Center and hopefully contributed to the welcoming spirit of the campus. I became accustomed to greeting everyone with a smile and a hello at work, on my way to class, and anywhere else I found myself. When I moved on to another university to complete my education, I was sorely disappointed to find that this warm friendliness was not as widely practiced as I had once thought. My hellos now resulted in confused looks more often than a returned greeting. I didn’t think I needed to know somebody to say hello to them! The habit was already set though, so I continued to greet people in the same way I had while at Ricks College. I still got some confused looks, but I got some smiles too. I like to think that I brightened a day here and there as I went.

            The point is that the friendly atmosphere at BYU–Idaho is not one we have to leave behind when we leave the campus. It is something we should take with us out into the world and spread that caring attitude wherever we find ourselves. Make that “smile and a hello” a habit that just can’t be broken. You might get some strange looks along the way, but there will be many who truly appreciate a bit of sunshine in their day.

            Deanna Gallup Beltran ’96

            Caldwell, Idaho

Spirit of Ricks

I really enjoy receiving the Summit Magazine and look forward to reading about how much Ricks College has progressed since I left there. Wow—what an accomplishment for the college to progress to a four-year institution and the enrollment to have increased so much! I am so glad that the “Spirit of Ricks” is being preserved along with the development of the school. I feel honored and blessed that I was able to attend Ricks, and I am keenly aware of what a positive influence Ricks has been in my life.

            Debbie J. Reynolds ’78

            Blythewood, S.C.

Comments Are Welcome

Please submit your feedback and comments to Summit@byui.edu or Summit Editor, 226 KIM, Rexburg ID, 83460-1660.

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