SCOTT GULLEDGE / Scroll

House Rules

Are the BYU-Idaho dorms too strict, or should the rules apply to all students no matter where they live?

Kathryn Ririe WIL03058@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

As students look for housing options, many may quickly rule out the BYU-Idaho dorms merely on the rumor that the dorms are too strict. But are the dorms really too strict? Or are the rules of the Honor Code just being enforced?

Some rules of the Honor Code are well known. By coming to BYU-I, students agree to observe curfew: midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. They also agree that they will not allow members of the opposite sex to be in their apartment past 11 p.m. each night.

But how many complexes actually enforce these rules? Out of 15 off-campus students surveyed, only one said curfew and the guys/girls out rules were strictly enforced in their apartment complex. Eight said their resident assistants have checked on them a few times and six said they have never been checked on. Some of the students surveyed have lived in their complex for three years and have never had these rules consistently enforced.

Other rules may also be getting overlooked. For instance, when a member of the opposite sex visits each tenant must approve, the blinds in the apartment are supposed be open, and there must be at least three people in the apartment.

Out of 20 different students surveyed, including 10 guys and 10 girls from various complexes, 16 were not aware of at least one of these rules. Some rules may have been unseen or overlooked when reading the Honor Code, but students are also seeing some of these rules being neglected in their complex.

“I had no idea the blinds needed to be open, or that there is supposed to be three people in the apartment when a guy is over, and I’m a junior,” said an anonymous student who lives in off-campus housing.

The dorms are not the only ones to enforce these rules. Some off-campus housing remains consistent with the guidelines.

But just some complexes enforcing the rules may not be enough.

“All of the Honor Code rules about curfew and guys/girls out are blanketed across everybody and should be enforced by all complexes,” said Doug Sorensen, Assistant Director of Housing.

Some students see the rules as a blessing.

“When I lived in the dorms I felt protected by the rules. They help you stay on the right track and keep you out of the danger zone,” said Christine Borgersen, a junior from Edmond, Okla.

Other students see these rules as an infringement.

“The rules are way too strict. Our church encourages free agency, but the school seems to choose otherwise,” said an anonymous student.

It is important not to lose sight of where these rules come from, say school officials.

“Looking back, it’s clear that these rules are set up and then approved by the first presidency of [our] church — you’ve got to respect that,” Sorensen said.

Elder David A. Bednar also spoke to BYU-I students in the past about the importance of obedience to the commandments and enjoying the promised blessings.

“The true Spirit of Ricks is about progressing to and through ‘letter of the law’ obedience to public and institutional commandments and toward the spirit of devoted discipleship and a private, personal, and individual change of heart,” Elder Bednar said.