Playing jenga with a 5 foot stack of books is not a good thing...

I've had the opportunity lately to visit the BYU Bookstore numerous times. As many of you may know- the 3rd floor of the BYU Bookstore has been transformed into quiet the hotspot as of late. It is filled to the brim with students and parents as they prepare for the upcoming fall semester of school. The students are busy gathering information, buying books, picking through school supplies, and trying to get their lives on track before Doom-Day (the beginning of classes). Due to the time of year- meaning the absence of insane school work/test stressors and the fact that most students have just finished enjoying their summer vacations, you would think that the population of BYU would be at its finest. However, upon seeing the happenings of the text floor at the BYU Bookstore during this time of year I have begun to seriously wonder if the admittance standards for BYU have fallen since I was admitted into this prestigious university.

Here is a small and watered down account of a few of my experiences on the upper level of the BYU Bookstore:

1. I personally witnessed two students who were ravaging through a pallet of books, feverishly searching for the best used book. Upon not being content with the selection of used books on the top of the stack, they began pulling books out of the side of the pallet to compare the conditions. All the while these 2 darling girls were laughing and declaring it to be like playing “jenga.” I’m not sure if anyone else seeing the problem in playing “jenga” with a pallet of books that is about as tall as I am, but I highly suspect that the person who had to fix their debauchery was not happy.

2. While browsing through the books I heard a young freshman on the phone (presumably with his brother). The young man was telling his brother what the book for a particular class was, and this is the account that I heard:
“Yea, Math 110. I found it.”
“Ok, ok, the book is called College Algebra…” [he flips the book over]
“And it comes with something… it’s called the My Meth Lab.”
[5 second pause]
“Are they allowed to sell those in the United States?”
Everybody hurry and sign up for the Math 110 class! Apparently they are now teaching kids how to produce meth in the college algebra classes.

3. Upon coming to the shelf and finding only new books, a young male decided that of course the used books must be hiding at the back of the shelf. So he had started taking the stacks of books and either pushing them out of the way or placing them on the floor in an attempt to get to the books at the back of the shelf. When he figured out that the stack of books was only comprised of new textbooks- he gave up and left the manhandled books in their new positions. I find that kind of disrespect and discourtesy a bit bothersome.

4. Another favorite sight at the BYU Bookstore when you get to observe the “new freshmen and their parents.” I find a sick sort of hilarity in seeing a submissive new student following around after their over-eager and aggressive parents. A part of me imagines that around 50% of the complaints and annoyances that the bookstore staff have to deal with are due to these parents. Personally, I have a red flag that goes up when you see 2 parents bickering over text books while their child hangs back quietly and is simply holding the basket. Dear new students: mommy and daddy will not be going with you to classes. They will not always be around to find your books and solve your problems. So do yourself and the BYU Bookstore a favor and cut those strings man, cut those strings.

I can only imagine what those poor girls and boys at the Textbook Information Desk have to go through on a regular basis during this time of the year. Therefore I’m in agreement with a comment that I heard 2 girls make as they stood in line, waiting to ask a question at the Text Info Desk: “man, I sure wouldn’t want to work here during this time of the year.”