Holiday Song

This is just a vent for being overwhelmed with the peculiarity and awesomeness of BYU.

This was homecoming week (an early one). Every week, BYU has some a devotional/forum in the Marriot Center (basketball stadium) where distinguished people speak: some from the church or school, many from other schools or corporations/businesses. Often within the first month of each semester, an apostle will speak, and the center fills up. I found out last Tuesday morning that President Hinckley was speaking. So I went against my habit of just listening from work or watching on the TV in the Wilkinson center, and actually rode my bike over to join the massive crowd meeting in the Marriott Center to hear the prophet speak to BYU. It was packed full on all sides. I squeezed into a spot on the back side and near the portals. I was overwhelmed at the reverence that some 22,000 people (nearly all students and faculty) showed to that man. I wondered how many other speakers in the world could draw such a reverent, peaceful, amazingly respectful crowd on a weekday morning. I'm sure there's a good few in the whole world. The talk was amazing. The article doesn't do much justice.

Then, the next afternoon, for the first time since I've been at BYU, I was able to play in the blue foam for the annual True Blue Football games they put on every year during the week of homecoming. I took Grace. We didn't play in the flag football games, but we watched all the students playing in the massive puddles of thick blue suds near the hilly side of Helaman Field. They put a couple of the foam hoses at the top of the hill and everyone was sliding down into the large piles of students and soap at the bottom. Grace hated the foam, but she got lots of attention from students oohing and ahhing at how cute she was with her blue legs and hands. Our toes are still tinged blue several days later. I wondered how many other schools could attract a few thousand students that were neither drunk or high to have so much child-like, wholesome fun. There was so much laughter and enjoyment, it was amazing that all were absolutely sober. I'm sure there's other events like this at other schools of similar caliber, but I feel fortunate to attend one of them.

It was fun seeing the glowing "Y" on the side of the mountain at night. It looks like it's just floating in space.

Then there was the Homecoming Spectacular with the BYU Ballroom Dancers (who've won the national ballroom dance competition for 24 consecutive years), the BYU Living Legends, the BYU Young Ambassadors, the Orchestra at Temple Square, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing several of their awesome numbers. Several of the numbers were Mack Wilberg arrangements. Incredible. Emily and I went with her parents and a very good friend of theirs who was visiting for the week. My boss at work is in the choir (and does most of the male solos for it) with his wife, and I was bragging about him a lot. Lloyd Newell was the MC for the evening and was very entertaining as well. If anyone has any question what I'd like for Christmas, I wouldn't mind any of the new choir CD's from their label (the albums with the bar on the left side, starting with Consider the Lilies).

It was a memorable week, that will last a long time. Not only were the school sponsored events great, but I also paddled another 4.5 miles, went to a toddler gymnastics free-time with Grace and Emily, and spent some great time with friends and family including a couple from Denmark that my dad taught as a missionary about 35 years ago.

Oh yeah, there was a football game too. BYU won 31-6 in the rain. Go Cougs!