BYU...Applaud or Boo Them?

Have you ever heard of a basketball player getting kicked off their team for having…sex? 

BYU standout basketball player gets kick off nationally ranked team for having pre-marital sex with his girlfriend.

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According to the Salt Lake Tribune, sophomore Brandon Davies told school officials last week about having sex with his girlfriend. He was then suspended from the team for the remainder of the season. The School Honor Code is still reviewing his situation on his academic and athletic career at BYU. This is a huge loss for the team, they are currently ranked number 3 in the nation and Davies has played a crucial role to the team’s success this season. Davies has started every game this season at forward while averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds per contest.

Many have said that the school deserves lot of credit for standing up for their beliefs and going through with the necessary punishment. However, others feel that this punishment was a bit extreme and could have been resolved in a different manner. NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has reached out to Davies and feels as though BYU mishandled the situation. Tebow has always been upfront with the media about his strong Christian faith.

According  to the Bleacher Report Tebow told reporters:

“Everyone has their beliefs, and that is fine, but one of the tenets of Christian faith is forgiveness. BYU, a Mormon Church-affiliated school, showed none toward Davies. Everyone deserves a second chance, and you look no further than Michael Vick to see how second chances can benefit a person's life in the NFL.

BYU may have stood their moral ground, but that is not something to be applauding them for. Their views are too old fashioned and while it is their university and their right to have a morality clause like this, they do not do themselves, or Davies, any good by it in the 21st Century.

A university has no business involving itself in the personal relationships of its students. Whether it is affiliated with a church or not, its prime directive is to give their students an education.”

I give a lot of credit to the university for actually going through with their decision and not bending the rules despite the fact that this may have cost BYU a national championship. It sends a message that no matter what your status is, everyone must follow the same rules.  However, I believe these rules are stupid. I agree 100% with Tebow think everyone deserves a second chance and the school should review their code of conduct; at least their punishments. This was Davies first offense and to be kicked off the team, and possibly out of school, for admittingly having sex with his girlfriend is way too extreme. I don’t blame the school for their views on pre marital sex at all, but their punishment and the unwillingness of a second change for Davies is just crazy to me. Maybe if this was his second offense I could comprehend this decision. What are your views towards this issue?

Grandma's First Experience

It’s hard to recall our first experiences with music because music is everywhere and is something that we often don’t even think about. However, for my Grandma, this was a very memorable moment in her life and is something I must share! I had not talked to my grandma in a few months (shame on me) and I randomly received an email from her, with the subject title: “THE MUSIC IN ME.” Ironically I was starting this blog about music at the same time ( I had not told her I was starting this blog)...This is the email she sent me.

Photo taken by Betty Waterford

I had my first musical experience when I was four year sold, in the year 1942. Nobody knew I couldn’t hear, I think everyone thought I was dumb.  I also had slurred speech and stopped talking because I did not want to get made fun of.  School was in a few months and if I could not hear by then, I was going to have to attend a school for the deaf. My mother took me to see several doctors and one doctor said they could perform surgery in my ear canal. After the surgery, I still could not hear. I could still see the sad look on my mother’s face.  After she took me home I remember sleeping a lot and one morning, or maybe it was an afternoon I woke up with static in my ears. Then I felt water dripping and more static. I then remember being sleep in the bedroom by myself and there was a radio on the table (where it had always been). I was sleep but I could hear a voice. I loved the voice I was hearing. In my sleep, I saw a man, He was the size of a puppet and there were strings in his hands. I was on the end of the strings controlling him. For some reason I could not see his face but when I heard his voice I felt so much love in my heart. The voice was……….. Frank Sinatra, I’ve got the world on a string!


SENDING LOTS OF LOVE AND GOOD THOUGHTS YOUR WAY.
- GRANDMA

Music can be a beautiful thing. As you can see for my Grandma, this changed her life and also helped shape her views towards music for the rest of her life.  We all have our own story and some are more impactful than others. However, one thing we generally all share is OUR LOVE FOR MUSIC!