She has been selected to be the keynote speaker at UVU's commencement in May. A faculty member was being interviewed by President Tuminez and he took the chance to express his dismay at her selection. The faculty member is gay and is a member of UVU's Diversity & Inclusion Committee although I think he was speaking for himself not the committee.

Your thoughts?

I share the faculty member's concerns. In a state sometimes considered a sort of theocracy, it's in poor taste for a state-run institution to host a keynote speaker whose primary qualification would seem to be that she is married to the pontiff of the region's dominant religion.

+1

What's she going to do--read a chapter of her pathetic book, "Not Even Once?"

A graduation speaker at a state school should have some exemplary accomplishments, other than just being a religious leader's wife, that would inspire a graduating class no matter their goals. Someone who does not embrace all of the world, lives their life "in the world but not of the world", does not fit this qualification.

There are dozens of accomplished women or men better suited.

Plus, I can't stand the misogynistic, homophobic, uh, ... woman.

I agree with this.

The church is always trying to assert its influence over non-LDS organizations. It bought a stake in the SL Tribune and has inevitably gained some influence over that paper's editorial policies.

Here we see the same thing: the gradual effort to erode the independence of other organizations. I can't understand why UVU would acquiesce in such an obvious ploy.

About 20 years ago I was earning an MBA part time to help my career (I was still working in industry then). There was a search for a new Business School Dean, and one candidate came from a Utah state university (sorry, I don't recall which one).

The weird thing was that he was already the dean of that university's School of Business, so, after his public presentation, one of the faculty members asked him directly why he wanted to make a lateral move from one state university to another (not even to a "better" school).

He answered without hesitation and very directly: "Mormons". So I'm not surprised to hear that their influence looms large in places where it shouldn't. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised by that anyway, but I do have that concrete experience to corroborate it.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2021 09:01PM by Gordon B. Stinky.

Is she especially homophobic and anti-trans? I mean, more than the run-of-the-mill mormon? What's in her book?

She lists her credentials as Nurse, psychologist and professor. Background in nursing and family therapy. Somewhat different background than stay at home mom many former prophets wives boasted.

https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1753304

Read the entire thread and the links.

Wendy is a real piece of work.

I can't believe UVU would invite her to speak. She is not only unqualified: she is counter-qualified.

I guess the church's writ runs through all of Utah Valley.

It's estimated that 80+% of UVU students are LDS. In Utah, UVU is referred to as BYU-lite.

Yes, well that would make it BYU extension, as [|] writes. I guess it's inevitable; Utah already has a heathen university in SLC, so there's no need for another.

It's a pity, really. So few options for the non- or questioning-Mormon kid.

anguish & desperation are such 'Wonderful' words for a missionary to start out with...

YUCH!

She has a PhD, has worked as an associate professor, is a published author, etc. Some might argue that is enough for her to serve as a role model for young women. Personally I think they could have found another woman, possibly an alumna, who is equally or better accomplished without involving the religion angle. I would think that many students attend UVU to get some distance from the church.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would
> think that many students attend UVU to get some
> distance from the church.

Exactly.

Well,the Watson family business was cleaning corrals and hauling and spreading manure...if that's helpful.. hehe

Her uncle Ron Watson, I believe he's her uncle, was my bishop in the early 70s. He was a prick. He had an accident involving his head and the rotating blades of a manure spreader that almost killed him.

What a shit head.

^^^funny

I remember that happening.

As far as I'm concerned, UVU is just an extension of any Mormon college. Last I knew, all the university presidents are LDS, they have buildings named after Mormons, etc.

Yeah, they should probably just rename it BYU State.

I am affiliated with UVU. To be frank, I (and several other colleagues) am not especially impressed with Tuminez.She has a touching backstory, but that is not the same as qualified. I won't get into details, but IMO this is par for the course.

he is not pretty ~



quite an ugly looking man ~



rusty loves him tho ~

I went to UVCC and dropped out. I went to UVSC and got an associates degree. The name change says it all. The Morg converted it from a somewhat liberal community college that I enjoyed to BYU Orem.

It will be interesting to see if Wendy sticks to academic topics in her talk or if it becomes a religious talk.

Another good thread to follow on this subject can be found at
https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,2210072,2210072#msg-2210072

Her views on sex and sexuality are...shall we say...out of this world...and not in a good way.

Pay close attention to poster Wally Prince's comments on this thread, especially those about religious-minded sex therapists and psychiatrists.

I think the combined evidence of this thread, plus the thread linked to earlier in this discussion, make it pretty clear why having Mrs. Watson Nelson as one's commencement speaker might not really be the best choice.

I miss Wally Prince and hope he and his kingdom thrive.

UVU was a reasonable community college that more or less lurched accidentally into being a university by virtue of large enrollment of kids who couldn't or didn't want to go to BYU.

It seems to taking its role seriously as a second tier state university. Mormonism will always cast a shadow here. Given that it is operating under that constraint, I think the school is showing some promise.

But the issue at hand - graduation speakers. I attended my BS graduation at BYU. I have not the foggiest idea who the speaker was. There are a few outstanding graduation speakers each year, but the average college graduate has other things on her mind, like moving, starting a job, finding a job, etc and so on.

UVU had a hole to fill in their schedule. Wendy appeared to them to meet the modest requirements of a second tier school. I think they were probably right.

Five years from now hardly anyone will care. Fifty years from now hardly anyone will even remember.

I can't for the life of me remember my graduation speaker. I do remember that around the same time period, Bob Hope gave a memorable commencement speech, apparently one of many that he delivered. He said brightly, [paraphrased,] "It's a big, wide, wonderful world out there!" And then, confidentially, "Don't go!" I think every wet-behind-the-ears young graduate could relate to that humor. We were excited and scared at the same time.

I very well remember who spoke at my commencement from Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles) in 1985. It was none other than Peter Uberoth, the gentleman responsible for handling the U.S. 1984 Olympic games there.

I also remember who was scheduled to speak the year prior (1984), because there was a lot of controversy about that person. The initial speaker was supposed to be Frank Sinatra, but a large group of seniors, including the two that shared the on-campus apartment with me, protested the choice, saying that Mr. Sinatra didn't represent their values and didn't know anything about the world they were about to enter. The protest was so great that while Mr. Sinatra did speak at the graduation ceremonies, he was not the commencement speaker that year. And, for the life of me, I can't remember who the replacement speaker was!

I have no idea who my graduation speaker was. Being the campus drunk, I was told to pack and leave before commencement. They later mailed me my B.A. which I sardonically call my "Bachelor of Alcoholism" in what I also describe as a "plain brown wrapper."*

Never did a thing with my degree, although now I do draw upon my literature courses in my writing. I'm finally reading the classics I should have 55 years ago!

*For those of you too insulated in your virtue-intense cult back then, "adult entertainment material" was always mailed in "a plain brown wrapper."

Didn't she and Sherrie Dew live together and own a house together before Crusty Rusty and her hooked up?

She’s from Canada and married an old dude.