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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Did MTV Stint Break BYU's Honor Code?
Salt Lake Tribune (AP) 7Jun00 P2
Associated Press
PROVO, UTAH -- The story that a BYU student was included on MTV's
"Real World" continues to expand, with the Associated Press now
distributing the story that Julie may not be allowed back to BYU. The
school is looking at the situation because as part of the show, she
lived in a house with four men and two other women, in violation of
BYU's housing policy.
Julie says that BYU should look at the spirit of the law, and let her
return, "I didn't have sex, and they have that on tape," she said.
"If I did have sex it would be on tape. It would be like: 'Mormon
girl loses her virginity on TV.' "
Back home with her family in Wisconsin, she is wondering what to do
next. BYU asked her to contact the university after she completed
taping (BYU tried to contact her during taping, but MTV would only
allow the phone call to go through if they could tape it, and BYU
declined), and Julie has called BYU and left messages. The University
hasn't called back yet.
BYU's spokesperson Carri Jenkins says the University hasn't yet
decided what to do because it has limited information on Julie's
situation. "This is something the university really needs to sit
down with Julie and review," Jenkins said.
If she doesn't get back into BYU, Julie says she may go to live in
Los Angeles and transfer to a University there.
Meanwhile, BYU's NewsNet broke the ignored MTV's attempts to protect
Julie's identity and disclosed her last name in its article about
her. Its article says Julie's last name is Stoffer and tells how she
came to be on the show.
In an interview with NewsNet, Julie also indicates that in the first
episode, scheduled to be aired June 13th, she attends Church, "In the
first episode, June 13th, they have me going into a Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saint building, right there on MTV," Stoffer
said. "I talk about Mormonism, and I have my apartment at King Henry
[her apartment complex at BYU] on the first episode because it shows
my TV screen not getting MTV."
She also says that she tried to dispel her roommate's stereotypes
about Mormonism, but found it hard at times because they perceived
her as sheltered, "For example when my roommates found out that I
didn't have MTV at my apartment, that was all it took for them to say
this girl is so sheltered that she can't even get MTV at her
complex," Julie told NewsNet.
See also:
BYU student gets 'Real World' experience
BYU NewsNet 5Jun00 P2
By Angelique Thomas: NewsNet Staff Writer
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