So is Arizona really THAT mormon?

[bobcat]

So as I've probably mentioned before, I've applied to a bunch of law schools, including Arizona and Arizona State. My increasingly-strenuous relationship with certain aspects of Mormon culture makes me think I want to leave Utah. Arizona is an attractive option, but I've heard that some places in Arizona can be just as "Mo" as Utah (especially in the Phoenix area). Any truth to that statement? I know that saying I'm from Salt Lake will draw the "so are you Momon?" question out a lot, and that's fine (I can answer "no" that easily enough). But I'd love to live in a place where a person's religion doesn't often come up in daily conversation, or where every PostMo isn't treated as if they left the church because of sloth/sin. Thoughts on this?

[dogzilla]

Seeing as how I'll be visiting Phoenix in two weeks, I am anxiously awaiting responses to this...

[bobcat]

Seeing as how I'll be visiting Phoenix in two weeks, I am anxiously awaiting responses to this...

Heading down there for anything fun? Last month, I had thought of making a trip down there this coming week to visit the schools, but well, they're slow in sending me a response. Or I'm impatient :D

[dogzilla]

Yeah, I think so.

My neice (in Ohio) will be competing in a gymnastics tournament in Chandler. Since the whole family is going out there to support her, I've coerced everyone into taking a couple extra days to head north to the Grand Canyon and buy t-shirts. :cool:

I also have a really good friend from high school who winters in Green Valley, which is about an hour and a half to the south, I guess, near Tucson. So I get to visit her, which is always cool. She and her husband are authors, so I usually end up meeting some celebrity friend of theirs or going fishing or something cool along those lines. If you happened to have read The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey, the character Hayduke was based on my friend's husband. If you did read that book, then you'll understand that visiting a guy like that is always entertaining, interesting and usually quite enlightening. He is quite a character.

And, of course, I hope to get a chance to meet freethinker and nate, who both live in the area.

[free thinker]

There is a significant mormon influence in Mesa and Gilbert, but nothing like Utah. You can come here and blend in just fine. You will get some questions but all you have to say is I am not a member anymore and that will be the end of it.

I have some mormon friends, but other than that, and the fact that you see many chapels in Mesa and Gilbert, noone ll knows or cares.

Now let me tell you brother. Asu is an animal school. Tempe is a great college town. Loaded with more activity, partying, and beautiful girls per square inch than almost anyplace I have seen. You can have a great time here and get a real good education. I rarely get to Tempe because there is not usually a reason to go, but it is a great place. The church has an institute program but very little influence. Almost none.

Let me know if you are going to visit.



And, of course, I hope to get a chance to meet freethinker and nate, who both live in the area.

Absolutely! It will be fun to meet! :) Lookin forward to it.

ft

[bobcat]

don't worry bobcat

FT, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Arizona State isn't the most prestigious school I've applied to, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than some of the others, which means I wouldn't have to work the most stressful job in the world to pay off loans. Plus I think Phoenix would be a great place to practice when I'm all done with school. U of Arizona is about the same, cost-wise, but has some programs (in international trade, economics, and Latin American relations) that I really think I'd enjoy. The presence of tons of gorgeous coeds doesn't hurt either ;)

Let me know if you are going to visit.

I certainly will. It might be in February or March, but I'll definately let you know. You know, I've lived in Utah my whole life, and visited almost every state in the West, but I've never been to Phoenix or Tucson. The closest I've ever come is the Virgin River Canyon in NW Arizona on the way to Vegas.

[dogzilla]

Do people actually make higher education choices based on how many hotties are on campus? Seriously? :duh I'm such a dumbass. All I cared about was if the journalism school was accredited and if graduates get good jobs or wind up working at the Podunk Weekly News for $7.50 an hour. I should have been making my choice based on where the hot guys were?

Turns out, the second night I will be there, we're supposed to go to ASU to see the gymnastics team there compete against Utah. I understand ASU has a world-class gymnastics program, so that ought to be fun. Freethinker, you wanna join us, I'm sure there will be many bendy, twisty little co-eds all about for you to drool over. :Crazy:

[bobcat]

Hey, let us not forget the World-class gymnastics program that the U of U has. Consistently ranked #1... go UTES!! You can see where my loyalties will probably always lie ;)

Do people actually make higher education choices based on how many hotties are on campus? Seriously? I'm such a dumbass. All I cared about was if the journalism school was accredited and if graduates get good jobs or wind up working at the Podunk Weekly News for $7.50 an hour. I should have been making my choice based on where the hot guys were?

Seriously... what were you thinking? Isn't the point of college to get drunk and laid all the time? I assume law school is the same... although it's also important to build your skills so you can swindle orphans and old ladies and buy BMWs...

[dogzilla]

Hey, let us not forget the World-class gymnastics program that the U of U has. Consistently ranked #1... go UTES!! You can see where my loyalties will probably always lie ;)



Seriously... what were you thinking? Isn't the point of college to get drunk and laid all the time? I assume law school is the same... although it's also important to build your skills so you can swindle orphans and old ladies and buy BMWs...

(Side note: It's so weird to have this conversation with you because my college mascot is/was the BOBCAT. That should be MY avatar dammit!)

I thought that was the point too, so that's why I picked the Berkeley of the midwest: my alma mater usually makes the Top 25 party schools list. I ended up at one of the top 10 Journalism schools, which also happened to be a big party school. Yes, there is a correlation: writers and reporters drink. It's like a prerequisite. (The Hemingway Factor: Can you hold your liquor and write a coherent sentence? Or will you die of liver cirrhosis AND flunk out of J-school?)

And I don't know a lawyer that doesn't drink like a fish. So you have that to look forward to.

What the hell is a UTE?
[/judge from My Cousin Vinny]

(That's a joke, son. I know what a Ute is.)

[bobcat]

Bobcat mascot eh? I'm guessing... Ohio University? The bobcat is a fine, majestic creature... or something. Mostly, I like them because there are a number of running jokes in my family about a certain cat in my parents' neighborhood (who looks like a bobcat), and his constant capering. :D I didn't know Ohio was a party school.

And you damn well better know what a Ute is, or I'll have to smack ya... a friendly smack, of course.

[free thinker]

I certainly will. It might be in February or March, but I'll definately let you know. You know, I've lived in Utah my whole life, and visited almost every state in the West, but I've never been to Phoenix or Tucson. The closest I've ever come is the Virgin River Canyon in NW Arizona on the way to Vegas.


Just a little info for you. Tucson is a much smaller city and totally different than Phoenix. I was born and raised there. I much prefer Phoenix. It has a more vibrant and progressive business enviroment. But law school wise I am guessing that the UofA would be considered more prestigious.

I always looked at college as an entrance requirement though. What one does after graduation depends on many personal factors. Just my take. If you like a laid back town Tucson is the ticket. Also the Wildcats under Lute Olson are a fabulous basketball school every year. The campus if fine but I would prefer ASU myself.


Do people actually make higher education choices based on how many hotties are on campus? Seriously? I'm such a dumbass. All I cared about was if the journalism school was accredited and if graduates get good jobs or wind up working at the Podunk Weekly News for $7.50 an hour. I should have been making my choice based on where the hot guys were?

Turns out, the second night I will be there, we're supposed to go to ASU to see the gymnastics team there compete against Utah. I understand ASU has a world-class gymnastics program, so that ought to be fun. Freethinker, you wanna join us, I'm sure there will be many bendy, twisty little co-eds all about for you to drool over.

Hey Zilla I know I probably sound like a debaucherous old man but that would not be accurate. If I was a college age man I would be interested in what the campus wildlife was like. That is why I offered what I figured Bobcat might want to know. :cool:

As far as the gymnastics meet and watching flexible nubile young women compete. Well hmmm, I don't know about that. ;) Guess I'll have to think about it. :cool: Silly Zilla. Do you think I am a dirty old man?

ft

[dogzilla]

Silly Zilla. Do you think I am a dirty old man?

ft

Well, I dunno. How old are you?

;)

[free thinker]

Well, I dunno. How old are you?


Old enough to know better, and too young to care! :cool:


ft

[helemon]

http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/mormon.gif

[free thinker]

http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/ge...gion/mormon.gif


You realize of course that you have now created " green and non-green states" ? Oh my god what will we do now? :cool:


ft

[helemon]

http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/ge...gion/mormon.gif


You realize of course that you have now created " green and non-green states" ? Oh my god what will we do now? :cool:


ft

Green for the Green Jello states? :D

[peter_mary]

http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/ge...gion/mormon.gif


You realize of course that you have now created " green and non-green states" ? Oh my god what will we do now? :cool:


ft
Man, Helemon, you DO know how to push my buttons!

I live in a county that is as DARK GREEN as Utah County (Provo) and Salt Lake County (Salt Lake City).

::wanders off spitting::

[dogzilla]

What the hell are all those Mormons doing in Liberty County Florida?

There's nothing there! (Except the Apalachicola National Forest and a few black bear.)

That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen; one yellow blob in the middle of a non-green state.

[nate]

Bobcat,

Sorry it took so long to respond, haven't logged in for a bit. However, Freethinker is absolutely correct. There is a strong mormon presence in Mesa and Gilbert, but the word 'strong' is relative. Absolutely nothing compared to Utah.

I live right in Tempe, about a mile from the ASU campus. We love it here...everything except the heat anyway! I grew up in Cache Valley and moved here to for school at a local design college in 98. Throughout school, I only remember running into one mormon (except the random missionary of course)...seriously. However, that was art school, and religion usually isn't condusive to weird artistic types.

I moved back to Logan to work at the USU for a few years, then came back here to Tempe. It's sooo much better than Utah. And yeah, ASU is a party school. Mill Ave, which is a strip of bars and clubs, is literally right at the edge of campus. And if you hate the heat...just wait til' your first stroll through campus in the middle of summer. The girls here get away with wearing little more than bikinis on campus...it's great! (so I'm married; I can still look).

Dogzilla, can't wait to meetcha! Ya better hurry and get down here before baby Lily comes, or I won't be going anywhere! Haha.
I got the 2 new Tool DVD's. If you haven't got them yet, don't. I'll burn you copies. Laters.

Nate

[dogzilla]

No, I haven't gotten them yet. (And I can't imagine what I could burn for you in trade... I'll try to come up with something really cool!) I can't believe you laid hands on those so fast.

Have you heard about Maynard's side venture into wine? Apparently, he's bought into (or owns outright, I dunno) some winery, which is releasing its first 2004 reds right about now. Part of my journey will involve attempting to track down this wine cellar because you can only get Maynard's label through their tasting room. (And if I don't manage to get there, I'm going to ask one of you guys to pick it up for me and I'll reimburse you or something -- they will not ship to Florida.) www.caduceus.org

So who's heard of Page Spring Cellars? On the map, it looks like it's just south of Sedona. Leave it to me to track down an obscure winery in freaking Arizona just because its linked to some band. :D

[nate]

No, I haven't gotten them yet. (And I can't imagine what I could burn for you in trade... I'll try to come up with something really cool!) I can't believe you laid hands on those so fast.

Have you heard about Maynard's side venture into wine? Apparently, he's bought into (or owns outright, I dunno) some winery, which is releasing its first 2004 reds right about now. Part of my journey will involve attempting to track down this wine cellar because you can only get Maynard's label through their tasting room. (And if I don't manage to get there, I'm going to ask one of you guys to pick it up for me and I'll reimburse you or something -- they will not ship to Florida.) www.caduceus.org

So who's heard of Page Spring Cellars? On the map, it looks like it's just south of Sedona. Leave it to me to track down an obscure winery in freaking Arizona just because its linked to some band. :D

Wifey got them for me for Smithmas! They're pretty cool; have some new remixes.

I had heard something about Maynard making his own wine a few years back. Looks like the place is a 2 hours drive from Tempe. Shouldn't be hard to find. If you don't make it up there, I'll take care of ya. Wifey and I spend our anniversaries in a little cottage outside of Sedona, not too far from there. So, if nothing else, I'll be stopping there in early May (if you can wait that long)!

[dogzilla]

I'm sure the wine will still be there if I have to ask you to make a run for me.

We're talking about Page Springs Cellars. In Cornville, AZ? Whaddya wanna bet that town was founded by Ohio/Indiana transplants/retirees?