LDS'ers at U of Utah (Sandy: school, college, living)

[runnerguy45]

Hello all, I just got back from Utah and loved it. We are a LDS family with a son in HS. Anybody here have a take on what the LDS scene is like at the U ?
My son liked BYU but also liked the U. Do many of the LDS students serve missions and so forth ? Do the LDS students socialize as a student ward ?
Any information would be appreciated.

[InSandy]

The U generally has a reputation for being a non-lds school, but it really isn't.
There are lots of mormon students and lots of returned missionaries. Institute is busy and active, lots of student wards. The war of words between cultures is vocal and at times vitriolic, but I personally preferred it that way. You develop a bit of a thick skin and I'm not entirely sure that isn't a good thing. Some professors are more pushy than others against the dominant culture, but to most it is a non-issue, unless it is part of the curriculum. It will be different for someone living on campus or near campus. Roommates could make a big difference. The great majority of students commute.

[sjnative]

Originally Posted by InSandy

The war of words between cultures is vocal and at times vitriolic, but I personally preferred it that way.

Do you mean between Mormons and non-Mormons (NM)?

Originally Posted by InSandy

You develop a bit of a thick skin and I'm not entirely sure that isn't a good thing. Some professors are more pushy than others against the dominant culture,

What is the dominant culture?

Originally Posted by InSandy

but to most it is a non-issue, unless it is part of the curriculum. It will be different for someone living on campus or near campus. Roommates could make a big difference. The great majority of students commute.

I'm not asking these questions to be argumentative but I'm looking at the culture from the outside-in, so I don't understand.

I didn't know there was vitriolic friction between Mormons and NM's.

[hilgi]

Originally Posted by sjnative

I didn't know there was vitriolic friction between Mormons and NM's.

The term dominate culture usually means LDS or conservatives/LDS and in many cases they are talking politically. When I was first looking out here and people heard we were from California if they were non-LDS they would talk about an area being "Liberal". The way I take that term now is if you drink, don't freak over homosexuals and shop on Sunday you are a liberal.

I am sure that in college most of the friction is political between the two sides. In everyday life, I really don't notice friction.

[MrAnderson]

It's Utah and the U has around 30,000 students, so there's a lot of LDS students. If they want to live on campus or around the area you can always find housing ads for roommates looking for other roomies with 'LDS Standards'. The U would be nowhere near as LDS or conservative as BYU, and you'll see a lot more diversity at the U and SLC then you would elsewhere in Utah. But still, it's Utah and I'm sure there's multiple student wards around the area.