beards at byu

I suppose that another fun subject to look into is the whole controversy behind having beards here at BYU campus. It has especially become a topic of conversation within the past year as more and more students have began to protest in favor of being able to grow out beards here on BYU campus. It is rather difficult for me to take a side on this issue, we students definitely have the right to speak out and try to make a change in society as well as the campus having its right to make the rules that students sign to follow as they join here on campus. I do not really take a stance on the subject, I simply stand back and observe. It is defiantly an interesting subject to observe as it goes forward. It is also rather frightening that mustaches are allowed even though beards are not, I feel that way too many students take advantage of this and grow the really creepy pedifiler mustaches, I don't know. It was also fun to hear how BYU campus has recently changed their beard code so that those of religions may have their beards if it is done so in honor of past prophets or whatever it may be that has deep meaning. Within the last year I have put some time into studying this topic. BYU didn't start with the ban, after all did not Brigham Young himself have a beard? Did campus not have contests on who could grow out the longest beard? For those who do not know this topic well, it is definitely interesting study. It all started back in the seventies when the hippies were having their protest against the government. Having beards was really identifiable among the hippies, as well as the all the drugs and sex and mayhem that they were a part of, so BYU put a ban beards and installed higher levels of dress standards so that the students could be more distinguished amongst these hippies. Over time this has ceased to be the case, and while beards were never allowed again somehow mustaches have been able to pry their way in. I'm not sure why, but oh well. I'm incapable of growing a good beard anyway so it does not really matter to me. But I find it all too annoying when other students look down on others who wish to grow beards, even if it is for a medical reasons. Having contention is terrible. Dress standards have changed throughout time. And really when it comes to dress the only thing that really matters, as far as I believe, is the distraction that a so-called dress style has. As fashion changes, sometimes the dress code does as well. Heck, girls for the longest time were not allowed to wear jeans on campus and were forced to wear dresses, which is no longer the case. There were protest about wearing jeans back in those days. It finally ended when a girl was not allowed to enter the testing center due to her wearing jeans, and later went back and got in with wearing no pants at all, and made a deal about how she was allowed to do that and not getting in with jeans. But I suppose that is a whole entire story in and of itself. Again I really do not take a stance on these dress standards or if students wish to have beards or not, but it is always a really fun thing to follow the subject. Anyone who wishes to study further into the subject itself will most likely be as entertained as I was reading up on the different facts behind this situation.

Art!

I have recently picked up the art of drawing! Art has always been a strong passion of mine. However throughout my entire life I have been intimidated by the act of drawing. I can normally pick up something and it doesn't take me too long to figure it out, however I feel like drawing has been the hardest thing in the world for me to grasp. I even do good at some other styles of art such as sculpting. I suppose that a big difference is that I am really good at 3d art but have difficulty at making 2d things on surfaces of paper. However I have spent hours of my life looking at speed paints online and other art sites. But recently I decided that I would tackle art and the past two years I have been filling up sketchbook after sketchbook. And that is even when I decided that I really want to get into the computer science animation. Within the last year my art has been on on an up rise, especially this semester as I have taken several art classes on campus, with drawing and 3d modeling.

 The figure sketching class that I am currently in is hands down the most fun class I have ever taken as a student here at BYU, or even all of my school together. It's a really simple class as well, we come in for 3 hours and sketch live models. Anyone else who may be a student here on campus might be interested to know that there is a three hour open lab for figure sketching on Fridays from 9 to 12 in the afternoon. I suppose honestly that I get stressed out a lot and deal with anxiety on a regular basis, but there has been nothing so far that has proven more relaxing than simply sitting down with a project in hand, even if that involves picking up a pencil or piece of chalk, going at it! Already within the past couple months my skill has exponentially increased majorly. I am constantly searching for new ideas and ways of practice, as well as study the arts of other individuals!

craft and cosplay

I really do love giving everything and try in life, but not so many people who are not close to me see my "nerdy side."I love artwork, but that is a given knowing that I am studying computer science and animation, but I really love to run around to the different conventions and love seeing cosplayers! I am one myself. I have never really been into making them my entire life, but after coming home from my lds mission I have made it more of a goal to do so annually. When I came home from my mission the first year half of the year was already over so I spent that time taking guns, either from myself or from my friends, and painting them. And it definitely helped me over for a while.

 However last year I've had a lot more time so I got into the actual cosplay costume making. Last summer was definitely the most fun one that I have created so far, I made a random little fox mascot costume from a character that I personally made up just for the project. It actually received a lot of positive feedback from the people that I encountered during last fall's Comic Con as well as the comic con I attended just 2 weeks ago. 

This was it project that I also specially enjoyed because that was the first time that I've ever worked with sewing or cutting out foam to mold into shapes. I have a bad start this year as I have dedicated myself more to drawing and animating, that and I have 4 hour long art classes four nights each week! Hopefully I can get another great start this summer but I am still looking for ideas on what I should do. I am thinking of making a Commander Shepard cosplay from the mass effect trilogy! I am still a little unsure but I am wanting to keep it in the science fiction/space marine category. I suppose that I really fell into crafting when I realized how much of a relaxation it is. That and I go crazy when I waste time watching TV or Netflix! I still love wasting away my time watching those but it feels like I must have something in hand so I usually turn to crafting something or drawing while watching the shows. Of course when it comes to making a costume I have watched through many many seasons of TV shows. Not until within the last couple weeks did I acquire sewing machine so when I sewed up my last costume I must have spent between a hundred fifty to two hundred hours with the foaming and the hand sewing and everything! But I find it all worth it because it is a lot of fun. Also another great thing I enjoy about doing this is finding ways that I can use the things I create in order to help other people enjoy life. Sometimes while I am at conventions I have people come up handing over volunteering opportunities! During the past couple months I was able to take costumes that I made and do voluntary service entertaining at Make A Wish Foundation as well doing a couple Park charity events, doing some entertainment and raising awareness for different diseases.

 It is a great joy when you find ways of reaching out and doing service while at the same time doing the exact same things that you enjoy, so in the end I really feel like I am just playing and bringing out the inner child within myself! It may come off as a little strange for the average college student, but in the end I just enjoy being myself! That and what else is there to do why I wasted my life watching Netflix ;)