HEIDI HATCH / Scroll Members of Poetry in Motion, sophomores Joe Young from Oswego, Ore., Dan Archibald from Bountiful, Utah, Sam Barker from Bountiful, Utah, and Joe Rappleye from Layton, Utah, perform a tribute to Mother Earth with audience participation at the 2003 Men’s Week talent show.

Traditional Mothers’ Weekend inspires Men’s Week events

by James Patterson PAT02010@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Mothers’ Weekend, which in the past has been known as Women’s Week and Mothers’ Week, has long been a tradition of BYU-Idaho and Ricks, Kris Fillmore of the Activities Department said. So it was natural over time to integrate events designed specifically for men into the activities schedule.

“If we have women’s week, why not have men’s week?” Fillmore said.

And so over the years, Men’s Week has developed into what students know it to be today. This year’s highlights of Men’s Week included, among other things, the slam dunk competition, selection of Mr. Viking, seminars and firesides by general authorities and the Men’s Week talent show.

“Mothers’ Weekend was here,” Bryce Owen, now in his first year as men’s week adviser, said. “But there was nothing for men.” All that has changed as Men’s Week has taken on a slew of activities and events designed for, “ men to be able to display their talents,” Owen said.

But Men’s Week should never be construed as competing with Mothers’ Weekend. The two programs represent “respect for diversity,” Owen said. “It has nothing to do with competition. It has more to do with respect.”

Jess Brown, Men’s Week adviser, said he agrees.

He sees the competition and comparison of the two events as “comparing apples and oranges. They’re two different kind of events,” Brown said. He describes Men’s Week as a “combination of social, spiritual, and fun [activities], ... a week to have activities where we involve and focus on the men.”

Men’s Week has changed over the years.

Men’s Week is a lot better than it used to be. We started the talent show a number of years ago and were pleased at the number of people that came.” Men’s Week is also now more organized and more popular, in terms of attendance and includes more “meaningful” activities, such as firesides and workshops to compliment the “fun” ones, Brown said.

But while the two programs are similar and complement each other, there are still some major differences.

“The main [difference] is that mothers come for Mothers’ Weekend, and it’s not practical for the fathers,” Fillmore said. “I doubt we’ll ever get to the point where we’ll invite the fathers,” Brown said. “They just can’t come.”

However, that should not detract men from participating, Brown said.

“It’s not just mother-daughter,” he said. “We also have mother-son, so it’s not just exclusively for women on campus.”

Nor should the women feel left out of Men’s Week. Women play a major role, Owen said, in the success of men’s week, from attending the events, to even organizing them. “We have tons of women on the Men’s Week committee,” Owen said. “Without them I don’t think we could pull it off.”

And so Men’s Week will continue to evolve and grow, the advisers say. “My personal opinion is that it’s getting bigger and better every year,” Owen said.