Weekend Update: May the 4th (Be With You)

Friday, May 3rd, 2013: Rooftop Concert Series - Desert Noises and The Blue Aces

If you haven't heard of the Rooftop Concert Series, allow me to paint you a picture. First, imagine a multilevel parking garage. On the very top level of parking there is a stage with a few Chinese-looking white lanterns dotting the vicinity. Then, imagine a butt load of hipsters, with a few bros thrown in here and there, surrounding that stage. Place a few relatively up-and-coming bands on the stage, have them play for a while, and you're good to go.

That, my friends, is the Rooftop Concert Series. It's one giant hipster orgy, complete with kids wearing cameras as accessories, multicolored fanny packs, and cutoff "mom jeans" that I swore went out of style in the mid-90's. Half of those kids were there, knowing it was the closest they were going to get to Coachella; the other half probably didn't even know what Coachella was (stupid posers). The whole scene was intoxicating, perhaps even a bit infuriating, but in the end I was there for the same reason they were: to hear some great music.

I won't bore you with a synopsis of the concert. All you really need to know is that it was AWESOME. Below is a video and some photos that I snagged of the concert. If by any chance you see a photo that was your own work, I apologize in advance. I may or may not have stolen a few of these off Instagram.

Saturday, May 4th, 2013: Road trip to St. George

After taking the morning to recover from the concert, Shawn, Jenna, Joel, and I hopped in my car and drove to St. George. The occasion? The long-awaited wedding of one of my very best friends, Colton "Wayne" Simmons Campbell.

The reception was held at the Sand Hollow Golf Course clubhouse. It was BEAUTIFUL. The scenic southern Utah landscape laid out before us in an array of earthy colors, reminding me of all the reasons why St. George is one of my favorite places in the world.

The Life of a 21-Year-Old BYU Alumnus

It goes without saying that these past three weeks have been crazy.

In the last three weeks I have studied for and taken finals, packed up my apartment and moved into a house, driven to St. George for the wedding of one of my best friends, and, most importantly, graduated from BYU.

Well, I didn't fully graduate. I walked, but come the end of June I will be completely done. Fully graduated. BYU alumnus.

Holy crap, BYU alumnus?! Only old people have that title! I'm 21, for goodness sakes!

Graduation was a pretty bittersweet experience for me. I realize that graduating from an institution such as BYU is a pretty awesome accomplishment, but at the same time I still feel like there's so much more to do, so much more to learn. The bottom line is this: I'M NOT READY TO BE DONE YET.

This leads me to the main questions that have been stuck in my mind ever since I realized my time left here is short: Did I take advantage of my education? Did I utilize my resources to their greatest potential? I'm not talking about grades; heaven knows I didn't get the most stellar marks in my classes. What I'm talking about is educational opportunities available to me outside of the classroom. Mark Twain once said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." Did I follow that same mantra?

While there are a few resources I could have better utilized to enhance my education, I feel confident in saying I took advantage of what I had. I participated in clubs and organizations, I traveled, and I made many friends and learned many lessons along the way. I became more aware of who I am, but more importantly, I gained a greater understanding of who I want to become.

If anything, my experiences at BYU have taken my love of learning and turned it into a passion. I no longer see education as being a piece of paper that says I have aptitude in a particular field; it's much more than that. I now perceive the empowering nature and eternal value of education. I have witnessed the ability that education has to change peoples' lives all over the world in the same manner that I myself have been affected and improved by the knowledge of others. Learning truth is a divine principle that all benefit from, and education is the means by which that truth can be revealed.

So, here's to becoming a lifelong learner, dedicated to improving myself and helping those around me achieve their dreams. It is time to do better. It is time to BE better.

I think Gandhi said it best: "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

And live forever, I shall.

Jennie, Halie, and me. The World is Our Campus.

Peace out, Zoobs!

You bet I rode that cougar.

From left to right: Halie, Shawn, Jennie, Michael Ted, me, and Daren.

Jennie, me, and Halie. I'm so happy to have been able to graduate with these lovely ladies.

Just me and my beautiful, hilarious mother.

Had to get one with my dad.