On this week’s episode of BYU-Idaho Radio’s The Spot podcast, hosts Grace Andrus and Camille Kolditz sat down with special guests Elyse Krout and Brennan Green to unpack some common stereotypes about Rexburg and BYU-Idaho culture.
The conversation kicked off with Grace addressing a widespread misconception that everyone in Rexburg is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While Rexburg does have a large Latter-day Saint population, it’s certainly not exclusive to only members. From there, the group tackled other familiar assumptions, like the idea that students don’t have fun because of the Honor Code, or that people only attend BYU-Idaho to get married.
Brennan shared a story about how his friends had a NCMO (non-committal make out) with a girl and nothing came out of it, but a couple months later he met another girl who he started to get serious with. He went to meet her family, and his girlfriend's little sister was the girl he previously made out with. Camille chimed in with a story about her roommate meeting a returned missionary at the temple, having a NCMO the very next day, and then ghosting him.
The students later, debunk the stereotype that Rexburg is isolated and that there is nothing to do for fun. They shared that having good friends and people around you can help make a fun atmosphere. They emphasized that there’s plenty to do in and around town. From the vibrant student life to the beautiful outdoors, including spots like the Tetons, there’s no shortage of adventure if you’re willing to seek it.
Grace spoke about BYU-Idaho students being down to earth and while Brennan pointed out key differences between BYU and BYU-Idaho, emphasizing that the two campuses have distinct cultures and shouldn’t be compared so directly.
Elyse expressed her love for the professors at BYU-Idaho and that they genuinely care for her and her well being. She also said people who appreciate being at BYU-Idaho and the small campus will enjoy their time more and they need to have a positive attitude.
Elyse shared her experience with the stereotype that BYU-Idaho students can be judgmental. She opened up about feeling out of place in one of her classes, where students looked and acted differently from her. At first, she felt judgment from them but she knows that every campus has cliques, and navigating that is just part of adult life.
Grace combats her story by stating a hopeful message that while judgment exists, we can each work to create a more welcoming environment by focusing on ourselves being more kind and open to others. By doing so, we attract better people into our lives and help make BYU-Idaho a more inclusive place.
You can listen to this episode on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.