Get a Deal Sending Packages

BYU Secrets reader Doug recently clued us in on a good money saving secret.  Apparently BYU gets a discount with the major parcel services, and if you know where to go you can get in on the action.  The place is NOT (surprisingly) the BYU mail office in the Wilkinson Center, but instead the Mail Services office on University Parkway.  Doug says that the discount is available to anyone, not just BYU students and Faculty.  We haven't been able to verify this, but we personally know Doug and trust him as a source.

Speed up a Lecture

On Friday, I had to go make up a lecture for a seminar class.  They have recorded all of them, so all I needed to do was go to the LRC to check it out and watch.  While I was bored I started playing with the buttons on the DVD player, and I found something that everyone can benefit from.  If you hold down the "Next Chapter" ( >| ) button on the DVD player for a second or so, it speeds up to 1.4 times the normal speed!  The change was little enough that I hardly noticed the change in the speaker's voice, (he was actually more interesting because he'd picked up the pace a little) but my hour long lecture was done in 40 minutes.  Could life get any sweeter?

Nuclear waste on campus

The BYU physics department had a nuclear reactor used for research.  It supposedly wasn't large, just enough to power a light bulb.  They took the waste from the reactor and stored it in a shed on the south side of campus.

Is this dangerous?

There isn't much waste.  It is all stored in a single 50 gallon barrel.  It has been rumored that there is so little waste that if someone were to go down by the shed with a Geiger counter, no trace of the radiation would be detected.  So no worries, it won't hurt you.  Just another BYU secret.

Tunnels under BYU Campus

We've all heard the rumors about mysterious caverns hidden around campus.  Are they there for protection in case of a nuclear holocaust?  Perhaps they are designed to allow campus personnel to travel great distances with little hassle?  Or maybe they have some other, more sinister purpose.  This seemed exactly the type of thing Y Secrets should be reporting on.

We found some good news and some bad news.  The good news is there really are tunnels.  The bad news is they are used mainly for pipes, wires, and other basic utilities- and students are not allowed down.

Si Min investigated the matter further, and this is what he found:

"First, BYU relies on steam and hot water for its entire heating system. Well over 100 buildings are heated from one central building (the Phys Plant) whose smoke stack is noticeable from quite a distance. These pipes run through tunnels which run under the sidewalks on campus. This explains why BYU is the only place in Utah County which has very few cracks in the sidewalks. The heat from the pipes keeps the sidewalks from freezing in the winter. This in turn attracts the skateboarders and rollerbladers who are forbidden from campus.

The real problem with getting down and exploring these tunnels is that they are still in use today and the campus police are serious about keeping people out. Rumours still persists of people who have figured out how to get down there, but no one knows anybody personally."

So it would seem that our mystery is solved, but is this information too convenient to be the truth?  We will leave that for our readers to decide.

Find a good place to Eat Out

If you are like me, then you have a few places where you always go out to eat.  Do you want to break out of the routine?  Yelp.com can help.   Yelp is a location-based social review site.  Thousands of people with profiles have written reviews for tons of locations.  Results can be filtered by price, rating, category, or distance.  For example, a search for restaurants near Provo, UT returned 292 possibilities.

If you consider yourself a connoisseur of the local scene,  just make a profile and you will have an instant fan-base.  Yelp makes your reviews instant and accessible.

The other great thing about Yelp is its mobility.  The site is simple enough that it will work on most mobile browsers, and they have a great app for the iPhone.

So give yourself a break, and yelp for something new.

Underground Aquariums

As part of BYU's College of Life Sciences, there are 15 live aquariums in the basement of the Widtsoe building.  They are built into the walls, and anyone who would like can wander down there and peek around.  Some of the aquariums are empty, (or the fish are very good at hiding) but with 15 tanks there are still quite a few interesting things to look at.  If you finding that you sit by the same certain someone every class period, but aren't sure how to expand your relationship, this is the sort of place that is easy to invite them to go and check out with you.  It's close by, unitimidating, too public for NCMO, but private enough to have a good conversation.  Plus there's all sorts of crazy fish.

Cheapest Dry Cleaning in Utah Valley

Since there is a high density of LDS people going to Utah Valley, getting that suit pressed and cleaned is up on the priority list due to how often LDS members wear suits. Since college students (and nearly everyone living in Utah Valley) is cheap, getting dry cleaning done doesn't happen very often (but should).

To save some dough, head on over to BYU Laundry services and save some money. Drop off your suit, shirts, or other articles of clothing, and get them done on the cheap.

Dry cleaning services are available at the BYU Laundry (AXLB). For questions about dry cleaning, call the BYU Laundry at 422-6034. They are located near the old deseret towers and across the street from the Student Health Center.

Best. Facebook Group. EVER. (Relating to BYU)

The group is: Awkward Engagement Pictures Rock My Socks

[caption id="attachment_164" align="alignnone" width="295" caption="Making beautiful music together. They met at a guitar class"][/caption]

I stumbled upon this gem a little while ago, and have now spent many hours browsing the pictures posted there.  You also need to to read the comments people leave.

Very funny, very BYU.

Affordable Sushi

Looking for cheap Sushi in Provo?  We got a tip from Yamada Tarō that DeMae's on Center Street has half price sushi on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We've looked into it and give it our full recommendation.  They have some tasty authentic sushi as well as an assortment of dishes for less courageous eaters.  If you haven't tried sushi yet it's a great place to test your pallet, and if you are still unsure you can take a peek at their menu online.  A side benefit to the discount is that the restaurant is very quiet on regular price days, so it's a great place for an intimate conversation if you aren't worried about the price.

Best Drinking Fountains on Campus

We all realize that not all drinking fountains are created equal.  For some reason, certain spouts are fantastic, while others taste like bad breath in a copper can.

I'd like to list some of the oasises (oases?) that I've found, and please let us know the ones that you have found.

• The fountain on the 1st floor TNRB in the vending machine room is best in the building.


• In the library, on the third floor as you go towards "Interlibrary Loan," there is a drinking fountain that almost always tastes good.

I'm sure there are a lot more, but those are the ones that stand out in my mind.  Where is your favorite drinking fountain?

Best Burger Deal on Campus

One of the best things I like about BYU creamery is their ability to make a decent meal at a good price. Although some student's argue that Wendy's, Subway, and Burger King is cheaper, the Creamery seems to make real food that doesn't leave you feeling like you had a "processed" meal.

For this post, I'm singling out my favorite secret at the creamery. The kids meal there comes with a cheeseburger (or hotdog, hamburger, or grilled cheese), fries, drink, and a child's size ice cream. Best of all, it's only 3.29. I don't think any of the chains can beat this deal.

Get a Room!

If you have a group project and need to meet up on campus, it can be hard to find a good room for study. Wouldn't it be great to see what classrooms were occupied at any given time? A little known secret is that such a website exists, but is not well publicized. Head on over to the Campus Scheduling website and select your building, room, and desired size. You will get a list of rooms and classes so you know when a classroom is empty and can be used.

When I spoke with Campus Scheduling, they warned that students were not allowed to use a room unless they have been endorsed by an Instructor and properly scheduled. Use at your own risk!

BYU Grounds Team

Have you ever wondered why there are so many students working for BYU Grounds?  Does it really take that many people to rake leaves or shovel snow?  The answer is no; however, BYU Grounds does more than just edge the grass and mow the lawns.  They are part of a bigger scheme to manipulate the lives of BYU students.  In a subtle, yet profound way we are all influenced while walking on campus, driven towards a common goal.  What is this goal?  It isn't graduating from BYU.  It isn't even to watch the football team stomp some Pac 10 school.  It is to lead all of us to the altar of matrimony. 

This may sound absurd to some, but the truth is that the BYU Grounds crew employs so many students to beautify the campus for the purpose of creating a perfect setting for wedding photos.  Just look at the rocky water feature in front of the bell tower, the duck pond, and the statue of Chief Massasoit.  These awe inspiring vistas resonate to the very core of single BYU students, strongly whispering, "now you have a friend in the diamond business."  So next time you're gazing into the eyes of Brigham Young's Statue, remember BYU grounds works for your eternal salvation.