BYU makes me want to cry.

Here is an official news release from BYU:

http://news.byu.edu/archive09-Oct-womens.aspx

For those who didn’t read it, it talks about how BYU is “reorganizing” its women’s studies program.  They say: “This reorganization will result in significantly expanded resources for research and creative activities pertaining to women.”  So in other words, there will be more opportunities for research and creativity because they are disbanding the organization and structure that is already in place.  Yep… they’re getting rid of the Women’s Research Institute.

This makes me really sad.  I didn’t use the WRI as a resource nearly as often as I should have, but I still enjoyed their programs.  They had inspiring lectures, showed fascinating films, and offered one of my favorite classes I took at BYU.  So many of the lectures they put on will stick with me, and I will always appreciate the fact that they would address issues that everyone else would try to avoid.  Their lecture on Heavenly Mother, for example, had an extremely profound impact on me, and I know I could not have gotten that anywhere else.  I always told myself that if I stayed at BYU, I would become more involved with it.  And although I didn’t use the WRI as much as I should have, I know how valuable it was.

So, I know I have some friends and family who have had experiences with the WRI either taking classes, working for them, or even just attending a program.  Since I feel like I didn’t appreciate the Institute enough while I had the chance, I’d like to hear how it effected the lives of those who did.  If there’s anything any of my readers want to share about their experiences, I would love to read  them.

Stupid.

Reasons why homosexuals should not be allowed to have children, according to a Utah father:

Parents need to “raise kids in a multicultural environment, meaning a mom and a dad.”

So “multicultural” now means man and woman?  How lucky his kids are to be raised so multiculturally (in Utah)!  Ha.

I loooooooove reading things like this.

The foolish man…

*I realize that many of the events with in this post I have already blogged about on separate occasions.  I’m sure most of my readers have heard me talk about them in person as well.  However, this is the complete story of my transition from the LDS church so far, and I wanted to record it all in one post.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand.

Up until I left for college, I thought I was a spiritual rock; I thought that I would always be that way. I had served as President for my Seminary and my Young Women’s classes, lived the commandments completely, went to church, mutual, and stake activities, etc.  I did not realize that it was irrelevant how many presidencies I had served in.  It was irrelevant that I did not date until I was sixteen.  It was irrelevant that my attendance was impeccable.  All of these things helped me to build a beautiful house, but the foundation was weak.  Apparently I had been too caught up in appearing to be a good Mormon, and I did not develop a testimony to accompany that.  A beautiful house is only a good house if it is built well.

As I left for BYU, I was confident that I would have a good experience.  I’m sure the foolish man from the primary song was also confident that his house would be fine.  It’s interesting to see things from the perspective of a character that I once thought was so stupid.  After all, what kind of moron would build a house on sand?

And the rains came tumbling down!

One year later on my way back to Arizona for summer vacation, I realized that something had changed.  I had had many problems with BYU, but they were all manageable (I guess you could call it a drizzle that exposed a leak or two in my roof).  These issues certainly did not break me, but I had developed an extremely cynical side (perhaps the too-little-too-late measure of weather resistant paint?). I became more and more negative about the culture of BYU/ Provo/ Utah/ the Church, and as such, living there became tedious.

And then Proposition 8 happened (tumbling rain). Prop. 8 was HUGE on BYU campus. Everywhere I went there were “Yes on 8” fliers and students trying to “defend the family.” During this time, I was told–among many other things–that because I did not agree with the Prophet, I “have no testimony of God.”  That statement caused me to reevaluate what my belief in God was.  Contrary to what this person told me, I came to the conclusion that I did actually believe in God, but it was a different God than the one many of my brothers and sisters at BYU believed in. My God was a loving and merciful God, who above all, wanted his children to be happy.  I know that that is what the doctrine of the Church teaches, but in my opinion, the culture of the Church has deviated so far from that.

The rains came down and the floods came up.

This led me to begin my questioning.  Where else has the Church deviated from my idea of the Gospel?  What other popular teachings and traditions was I uncomfortable with?  Little by little, I began to find more and more things that I disagreed with or had concerns about. Inch by inch, the waters grew, and soon the flood had arrived. I had concerns about the Temple, the patriarchy of the Church, the less-than impressive civil rights record, inconsistencies in doctrine, the treatment of women, polygamy, and eventually Joseph Smith. I had never developed a testimony of Joseph Smith, and I’m afraid that was the rain drop that caused my house to fall down.

And the house on the sand went SPLAT!

Unfortunately, I was still at BYU when this happened, and that was a bit like rubbing salt in my wounds.  There is absolutely no avoiding church while you’re there.  You must attend church, or you’ll be kicked out.  You must take a religion class or you cannot graduate.  Not to mention you are surrounded by people who always want to discuss their version of gospel principles with you, but never want to hear what your “radical” take on it is.  It became overwhelming, as I felt the Church was being shoved further and further down my throat. I became bitter, resentful, and completely unhappy. I realized that I needed to change my environment (take the remains of my flooded, tumbled house and move it far away from the metaphorical sand; ironically, that took me to the West Coast).

The reason why I transferred was so that I could be happy again. I did not like leading a life of bitterness and resent. Since I’ve been here, I have made a resolve to leave that all behind, and only take the good away with me. It’s been a slow process, but it’s going relatively well.  I’m not going to forget the negative aspects to the Church that I was greatly hurt by, but I’m also not going to dwell on those things.  I have taken away so many positive things from my experience with the LDS Church, and I am extremely grateful for all of that.

This leaves me at a “where do I go from here” point. Part of me wants to start going to the U of O Single’s Ward, as I am told it is different from the BYU/ Provo culture that I grew to despise.  Although I have no intentions to become a Sacrament-taking, temple-going member, it could be interesting to attend and observe.  I feel like I would be more comfortable participating in discussion here, and that my “radical” views would be met with less hostility.  Another part of me wants to try out different religions and participate in discussions elsewhere.  I know of a church here that is gay friendly, has a woman pastor, and serves donuts after the meeting, so I kind of want to try that out… at least for the free donut.  Also, there is a Society of Friends (Quaker) congregation in Eugene that I’d like to experience a meeting with.  It’s all really up in the air right now, and I don’t know where I should go.  I’m not concerned though.  It always takes time to rebuild a house, and this time, I plan on doing it right.

"Beggars can’t be choosers"

Growing up, that was one of my dad’s favorite sayings. I guess it always stuck with me, and now I’m finding myself in a situation where that saying is like a broken record in my head.
One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is to look at the housing ads posted on Eugene’s Craigslist. I’ll admit it’s a pretty lame time-waster, but by doing this, I can come to know what to expect in terms of housing options once I get a job/school starts, and I move out of my parent’s house.
For the most part, I’m happy that housing is completely different than what one would find in Provo. I’m happy that I no longer have to hide my R rated movie collection. I’m happy that I will no longer have roommates reporting me to the bishop because some guy friends have stepped foot inside of my bedroom. I’m happy that I can hang out with friends–both male and female–past midnight. In leaving Provo, it’s funny how I feel like I’m moving away from my parents, even though I’ll now be living just ten minutes away from them.
Unfortunately, my new found freedom will come at a cost. Rent is significantly more expensive here, and I’m trying to decide what is most important for me when it comes to living. Am I willing to sacrifice luxury (by that I mean a dishwasher and a washer/ dryer) for cheaper rent? How important is it to be within walking distance of the University? Would I mind living in a house with co-ed roommates? What about roommates who drink? Or recreationally use marijuana? Do I want roommates at all?
Ideally, I’d want a place that’s near campus with reliable roommates who are good friends (I still can’t decide if it would bother me having a male roommate). I’d prefer to not have a lot of drinking/ drug use around, and I’m not really interested in my home being a party place. Also, I can live without the washer/ dryer, but a dishwasher would be nice. Is this asking for too much though? Considering how much I’m willing to pay, I can’t help but think “beggars can’t be choosers.”
So, dear readers who are more experienced at this than I, help me out. What are the most important things for me to look for?

The College Conundrum

This post ended up being much longer than I wanted it to be, so I’m splitting it up in to two different ones. The positive and excited post will come tomorrow.

When I was twelve, I wanted to be a BYU Cougar. I also listened to Rush Limbaugh. Some things in life change–my affinity for Mr. Limbaugh being one of them. My desire to be a cougar, however, stayed the same. During my junior year of high school, my malibox was frequently full of courting colleges. The advertisements were all very similar, boasting of their beautiful campuses and lively student body. They all ended up in a similar place too: my trash can. There were no campus visits at all (I had already been to BYU) and no never-ending application process to a million different schools ranging from ivy league to community college. The only other school that I gave a second thought to was Arizona State University. I had applied there as my safety school, and the $8,000/ year scholarship they offered was tempting enough to imagine myself as a Sun Devil for a short amount of time, but no longer than five minutes.
Brigham Young University was in my blood. My parents met there and fell in love. Twenty-some years later both of my sisters went there. Many of my relatives, and even a few of my friends went to this distinguished University. They were all Cougars, and I was going to be one too.
The big day–my first one as a college student–arrived, and I went to my first class, Honors Book of Mormon. As expected, it was gospel based. Then I went to my next class, Honors Philosophy Writing, and I was given my first assignment: write a three page paper on the moral and ethical justifications of Nephi killing Laban. Then I went to my next class, Honors Philosophy, and we started the class off with a prayer followed by a discussion as to why Mormonism is not refuted by philosophy. Being the first day of classes, I was excited that I was in a school where I was not only free to practice, but rather encoured and even required to practice my religion. I felt that it would really strenghthen my testimony, something that had been struggling for the past two years. However, many of my classes stayed exactly the same as that first day: focused on Mormonism.
As an LDS university, it is not a bad thing to have a gospel centered aim. However, as a nationally accredited university that is responsible for preparing today’s youth for “the real world,” I began to feel cheated. I resent the “C” that I got on my report as to how the Constitution is divinely inspired because I said that only part of it was inspired (and to this day, I do not care what the TA says; I will never believe that the 3/5ths compromise was inspired by a loving and merciful God). I resent my Comparative Politics teacher who, because he wanted a pay raise, scheduled an entire week to talk about how the gospel related to the subject matter so that he could receive better results on that part of the student ratings. I resent the fact that I will be going to law school disadvantaged because a good portion of what I learned from my bachelor’s degree is religious opinion, not fact, and it will not hold up in a court room.
Of course, not all of the classes and professors were like that. I learned to steer clear of the Political Science classes and to sign up for Women’s Studies and Sociology ones instead. But Politcal Science is my major; I shouldn’t have to do that. I love that area of study, and to have to avoid it because I leave the classroom livid over the teacher who informed us that “Muslims are terrorists” is inexcusable.
I also learned to take advice from my sisters. It was because of them that I was informed of Dr. Valerie Hudson, and I absolutely loved her Internatinal Relations class. It was the most informative and spiritually uplifting class I’ve ever taken, and I wish I could take another one from her. But there are only so many courses that she offers, and there are only so many professors similar to her.
As such, I have felt that it is best for me to leave BYU. Obviously, I’ve begun to resent too many things, which I don’t believe is healthy. Obviously, I’ve become increasingly cynical, which, although sometimes amusing, is a drain on positive things in my life. And obviously, my testimony has not been strengthened, which I am truly saddened about. I believe that BYU can be a great school for the people who are taking the right classes, the people who are more patient than I am, or the people who have a better attitude than I do. It has provided a great education for my parents, my sisters, and my friends who never ran into the same problems as I did, or at least were able to handle them better. But for me, I just can’t. It’s not a good fit. So, I will leave BYU, and I will begin a new chapter in my life. Here’s hoping it will be a positive one that does not let me down as much as BYU and Rush did.

Stay tuned to find out where that chapter will take place.

Regional Rules of Mormonism

So ever since classes have been over, I’ve been much more interested in keeping up my blog. All day long I have thoughts come into my mind, and I think, “I should write that down and blog about it later.” An example being yesterday, when I was writing about Miss California, and I facetiously talked of the “regional rules of Mormonism.” I knew I wanted to expound on that, so here I am, writing again about more silly stuff.
I guess my main question is, what kind of disparities are there between Mormons who live in different areas? Now I have some experience as I’ve lived in nine different places–small towns, big cities, Mormon metropolises, and places that haven’t heard of Mormons at all–and in each of these places, the rules of Mormonism (I’m intentionally disregarding the doctrine of Mormonism in this post. The affect that being in Utah has on my perceptions of the doctrine deserve an entirely separate post in and of itself) are regarded differently.
The point that I facetiously brought up last night was modesty. I said that Miss California should not have worn the dress that she did if she is Mormon (I actually do not care what she wears. In all honesty, I was just trying to find more problems with her). But it really does seem like depending on where you are from, modesty does have more or less of an impact on clothes decisions. Caitlin mentioned in my comment section the horrible ordeal of prom dresses, so I’ll stick with that example. It just so happened that when Prom season 2006 came around, I was enjoying my spring break with my sisters in Utah. While up there, my mother informed my sisters that they needed to take me prom dress shopping in a place where I would have modest options. After hours of trying on different dresses, most of which looked like they belonged in a Disney movie, we were really frustrated. The fact of the matter is that Mormon prom dresses are either insanely ugly or ridiculously overpriced. I mean, would you believe that someone would pay $420+tax on this awful rendition of Little Bo Peep meets an acid-washed upside down muffin wrapper (Sorry I left the picture so large. I made it smaller, but it just didn’t do justice to the beauty of this dress)?

So, needless to say, prom dress shopping was frustrating. Finally we settled on a much more simple tea-length dress with cap-sleeves that made it impossible for me to lift my arms up–quite the ideal dress for dancing in obviously.

Yeah… the pictures are really blurry. And I’m too pale to look good in a champagne colored dress. Really, it just all looks bad. But seriously, there weren’t really any other options, so I went to prom in a dress that I couldn’t move my arms in and nearly matched my skin tone. After all my trouble, imagine my surprise when I see other Mormon girls wearing something similar to this but without the shoulder straps:

Or when my friend from Minnesota who was the Branch President’s daughter also had a less than “modest” dress. Now does it really matter to me? No. I guess I’m just bitter that I had to go through that Utah shopping experience (although my sisters did make it fun). But seriously, what is it about Utah that makes the rules more important than other places?
Another area that this is evident in is dating. When I lived in the small Minnesota branch, there were hardly any Mormon guys for us to date, so it was widely accepted that we would date non-Mormons and that we would date them exclusively. Once I was in Arizona, it was no longer ok for me to date a non-Mormon, but I could still have a serious boyfriend. But then I moved to Utah and had two roommates from Orem who had only ever been on double dates with other members. They had never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, and never even held a guys hand. And they are now both twenty and still that same, awkward way. It just seems weird.
Church attendance is also a big thing I noticed. Everywhere else, if I missed church for three weeks in a row, it wasn’t a big deal. But here, I not only miss church, but I miss family home evening, ward prayer, break the fast, enrichment, home and visiting teachers, and any other ward/ stake activity that takes place. That provides so many more opportunities for me to be considered inactive, when really, what if I’m just busy?
Anyway, I guess I don’t have an overall message to this post, it’s just an observation as to how Mormonism changes depending on where you are/ how many other Mormons live around you. Oh, and I can’t wait to move away from Provo for good in four months.

Update from the Daily Universe Editorial Section

I realize I have not posted anything out of the DU for quite a while, and for that I apologize. It’s not that there is no material to post on; in fact, there is so much it’s overwhelming. Sometimes I just don’t know which article to write about, and so I end up forgetting about all of them. But, there was one from February 20th that made such an impression on my ignorant mind, that I have not been able to forget about it. This article, entitled “I’ll Wear a Skirt,” was written by Sarah Adams and is a response to a former editorial on feminism and guys who wear skinny jeans. My favorite tidbit follows:

“I realized the reason guys are wearing skinny jeans (and I do say guys, not men.) It’s because apparently there are not enough pants to go around. The women mentioned in the editorial are taking them all! These women are not “feminist” though, they are indeed “masculinist” for they want to destroy the gender roles of women and make us become men.”

Oh… so we are apparently suffering from a denim shortage in the United States now? Shoot… I guess I’ll have to rethink my wedding dress plans:

Common Ground Initiative HB288

Today the Common Ground Initiatives made their way to the Utah State Legislature. These initiatives were put in place to fortify civil rights for Homosexuals in Utah. These bills proposed things such as creating job security, visitation rights, inheritance rights, housing rights, etc. for the Utah Homosexual community. All of these were great initiatives securing for the LGBT inhabitants of this state basic rights, something that the Mormon Church, during the Proposition 8 times, said they supported (For those who don’t remember, the Church said they did not object to certain rights being offered to all human beings, marriage just wasn’t one of them). Because there was no controversy created by the Church in regards to the Common Grounds Initiative, there was actually some hope for success in them. Even Governor Hunstman, the extremely Republican Governor of Utah, supported these initiatives–a good sign that others of his party in the Legislature would be more open minded and possibly even supportive.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. These initiatives were rejected in the committee meetings, not even getting the chance to be voted upon on the floor.
I guess I should not be suprised; These are the kinds of things you come to expect in the state of Utah. However, I still found it unfortunate… especially HB288, dealing with adoption of children. This undoubtedly was the most controversial one, and as such, didn’t even have a chance to be passed, but that still makes me furious. Here’s a description of HB288:
This bill would have given married couples priority in adoption, but would also have allowed other couples to apply to adopt a child when no married couple was available or interested, provided the child’s biological parent or parents consented (or if the child was in the legal custody of the state).
Because I was so upset at the rejection of this Bill, I decided to send an email to the five Representatives who shot it down. Here’s what I sent them:
Dear Representative,
As a concerned citizen, I wanted to express my disappointment at your vote on this proposed bill. To deny to any child born into the unfortunate circumstances where adoption becomes necessary the opportunity to have a loving family is truly an injustice. A family is a family, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. To deprive a child of the loving bonds provided there in based off of your narrow-minded views is selfish. When you think about the vote you made today, who does it really benefit? The child who is placed in the often times neglectful custody of the state or unfit foster parents, or does it benefit you and you anti-homosexual agenda?
Surely you cannot be naive enough to think that neither single adults nor homosexuals with the potential to adopt are incapable of raising a child in a decent matter. Any adoption process is long and tedious, but the ample obstacles and hoops that unmarried individuals and homosexuals have to jump through are put in place to ensure that any child going into their custody is going to a good home. The adoption process of a human child is not that of a cat or dog from a shelter. These couples are put through numerous applications, interviews, background checks, and great financial burdens in order to adopt, not to mention the prejudices they face from adoption agencies and judges. I cannot imagine that any person willing to subject himself/ herself to these tests would be going in to the adoption with impure intentions–something that sadly, cannot be said for all foster parents. And after proving themselves capable of passing these tests, I cannot imagine their household being an unfit house to raise a child in–something that sadly, cannot be said for all state custodial programs. Furthermore, after going through the extensive, tedious, and expensive process, most adoptive parents–married or unmarried, gay or straight–will have a sense of how lucky they are to be entrusted with the precious gift of a child. They will know of their child’s worth, and they will appreciate it, giving their son or daughter every opportunity they are capable of providing in order to help the child be happy and successful. What more can you ask for in a parent?
I do not know the specifics of your family, but assuming you have children, they are very lucky that they have a home to go to. They are lucky that they have loving and caring parents to provide for them. They are lucky that they have a family who will look after their best interests. It is truly unfortunate that not every child can claim that same opportunity.
Sarah Raynes
BYU Student
District 60

I’m hoping I’ll get some interesting responses. I’ll keep you updated if I do.

But the Pharisees had beards…

Today I had the privilege of talking to a good friend of mine from back home. This young man is someone who I look up to and admire greatly. He’s got many great qualities, a very select few of which are: friendliness, intelligence, dedication, compassion, open-mindedness, etc. He is a great friend and a great person.
It was unfortunate, then, while talking to him about experiencing the culture shock of BYU, he said (paraphrased), “It would be fun, but I would be kicked off campus immediately… My beard is getting to Grizzly Adams status.” Although this statement is not completely true (depending on what part of campus he was on, it might be an entire 30 minutes before he’d be kicked off!), it made me sad to think that this is what my school, and even my church has come to. How many missed opportunities have we had because of our stringent ways?
Hugh Nibley once said:
“The worst sinners, according to Jesus, are not the harlots and publicans, but the religious leaders with their insistence on proper dress and grooming, their careful observance of all the rules, their precious concern for status symbols, their strict legality, their pious patriotism… the haircut becomes the test of virtue in a world where Satan deceives and rules by appearances.”
After I read this, I wondered if this was specifically directed at BYU. With our strict dress and grooming standards, many of my fellow students have been rejected service both in and out of the classroom because they forgot to shave that morning, their hair has gotten a little bit too long, or their skirt has inched up an inch too short. My favorite example is of my friend who had about a centimeter’s thickness worth of dark blue extensions put into her hair as a measure of school pride. Not much later, she was turned away from the testing center, chastised by her bishop, and called into the Honor Code Office. What a waste of time!
But then I remembered that even outside of the fanatical bubble that Provo is, this focus on appearance is ever present. I remember listening to General Conference back in October 2005 when Elder Holland admonished young women for going to church looking as if they were “on our way to the beach.” Or the time we were told that only one piercing in the ears was acceptable. Or how about the Young Men being required to wear a white shirt and tie in order to pass the Sacrament? But in all honesty, is this what we need to be worried about? Should we judge a young woman’s righteousness by her footwear or by the number of holes in her body? Should we judge the worthiness of a young man by the color of his shirt? I think that these requirements really make us lose focus on what is important–we should be praising the young boy for being worthy of fulfilling this calling, not praising him for wearing the right thing. How superficial!
While contemplating this, I cannot help but think of the Pharisees. In regards to this group, the Bible Dictionary says, “They prided themselves on their strict observance of the law, and on the care with which they avoided contct with things gentile… The tendency of their teaching was to reduce religion to the observance of a multiplicity of ceremonial ruse, and to encourage self-sufficiency and spiritual pride. They were a major obstacle to the reception of Christ and the gospel by the Jewish people.”
Have we become a church of Pharisees? Have the rules and regulations by which our righteousness is tested become a major obstacle to the reception of Christ and the gospel? In my good friend’s case, I guess we won’t know, as he is too cautious of being rejected due to his appearance… or is that right there the affirming answer?

Out with the old…

So we finally made it to inauguration day! After eight years of the Bush era, we get to try out an Obama one. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited. So, in honor of this occasion of no longer having George Bush as our President, I’d like to share some quotes from the mouths of visionaries here at BYU (Really, they must have been having “visions” for the past eight years straight, if they didn’t see the mess that the other 76% of the population saw). So, courtesy of the BYU Daily Universe, student responses to the question, “What will you remember about President Bush?” AND courtesy of me, cynical remarks about those responses (nicely color coded just in case you can’t tell which is the ridiculous statement, and which is the remark in which I’m making fun of the ridiculous statement):

“One thing I will always remember is the important role President Bush played in helping Israel turn around into a better country and democracy.”
Yes, Israel is definitely a better country now. Any country that attacks the United Nations buildings, destroys schools, mosques, hospitals, etc., kills 700+ innocent civilians, and is currently starving 1.5 million people is a good country worthy of our support. Really… how naive can you get?

“I think the one thing for me to remember about President Bush will be his strong stance on the war on terror.”
Is this even worthy of a comment? I mean, I literally have nothing to say to this. To be talking about this in such a positive light after it’s pretty much been universally accepted that Bush screwed up with Iraq, causing him to detract from the War on Terror in Afghanistan and screwing that up too… I mean, really? And being willing to torture/ “alternatively interrogate” suspected “terrorists” does not mean you take a strong stance against terror–it just means you take a strong stand against human rights.

“I respect that he met with President Hinckley and other religious people.”
I can respect that too, but that’s certainly not what I will take away from Bush’s presidency… not even close.

“I will remember his ability to turn to God and prayer.”
And I will remember his inability to turn to experts in crucial moments. At the risk of being struck down, I don’t want to insinuate that God is not an expert, but really, President Bush should have listened to the earthly experts when he was told that New Orleans would be under water. He should have listened to the U.N. inspectors when they could not find WMDs. He should have listened to the “divinely inspired” (according to BYU curriculum) Constitution instead of violating it. But at least he prayed about his bad decisions before he made them… right?

“At 9/11, it was reassuring to hear him come out so confidently and strong.”
I’ll definitely give him that…. he did handle 9/11 very well.

“I think when history comes around to judge we will find he was unwavering and right.”
I think whoever said this should never be a history teacher.

And, in a bold move made by the article writer, the one negative remark:

“He always says funny things on accident.”
Is that negative?… I don’t know, but it’s the closest the D.U. got.

In conclusion, BYU students are stupid. Well, that’s not completely true… maybe disillusioned is a better word. But honestly, I don’t think President Bush even gets this much praise in an entire week’s worth of coverage on Fox News. I mean, I know that many of the students went on missions, disconnecting them from 1 1/2- 2 years of the disaster known as the Bush Presidency, but still… how many missions did these people go on?