Since you’ve been gone
Snow, ice and wind aren‘t the only thing off-track students missed last semester
- posted: 24 Apr 2007
- scrollcampus@byui.edu
Flashes of hot weather brought skirts and short-sleeved shirts out of hiding early last week until bleak weather, reminiscent of winter, returned for an encore. Memories of winter in Rexburg aren’t all about wind and snow, though. Here are a few highlights from the Winter Semester.
The Rexburg temple edged closer to completion with the addition of a sign, windows and interior paint jobs.
The temple remained a beacon of hope as students and faculty alike wrestled with BYU‑Idaho’s newly shortened schedule. The 14-week semester brought struggles, but professors made adjustments to help students in the upcoming semesters.
Fourteen seemed to be the magic number at BYU‑I. The minimum credit-hour requirement for scholarships changed from 12 to 14, effective this fall.
The David O. McKay Library added three collections of electronic versions of peer-reviewed journals and e-books. The addition more than doubled the library’s previous collection.
More student resources arrived when BYU‑I gained access to Harvard ManageMentor, an online management training resource. It includes case studies, books, online materials, Harvard Business Review articles, and other related materials. Students can access it at byui.edu/HarvardManageMentor.
BYU‑I’s facelift didn’t end with academics. Construction picked up midway through the semester with tree removal between the Hyrum Manwaring Student Center, the Joseph Fielding Smith Building and the David O. McKay Library. Students caught their first glimpses of the MC without trees.
Tree removal also meant students said goodbye to time and temperature notifications from the MC’s digital clock. Construction workers disconnected the clock for the duration of construction.
Construction also moved offices from the Smith Annex to Rigby Hall. The Smith Annex impeded the plans for the MC expansion so it had to be removed. Rigby Hall (the former male on-campus dorm) will house the English Department until a new location is available.
Amidst the construction came beacons of light when two members of the Quorum of the Twelve visited campus. Elder Robert D. Hales gave a devotional address Feb. 20, and Elder Henry B. Eyring gave the commencement address for winter graduates on April 7. Elder Eyring also dedicated the newly expanded Eliza R. Snow Performing Arts Center.
While construction finished on the Snow, a new endeavor started in town. Last March, Applebee’s restaurant announced plans to break ground in Rexburg. The restaurant agreed to abide by Rexburg’s longstanding no-alcohol policy. Restaurant doors are expected to open in June. 
