Honor of A Different Kind

This week, the BYU Men's Basketball team was shaken by the loss of a fellow teammate, Brandon Davies.  Davies was one of the team's top players, and sure to be a great asset to lead the team to victory in The Mountain West Conference.  As a player, he knew no limits and as a student at BYU, he was bound to 'The Honor Code' which all students have agreed to live by.  Unfortunately for all BYU basketball fans, Davies broke the Honor Code and was dismissed from the team.  This whole event has caused a lot of scrutiny of The Honor Code at BYU., and I wish to discuss it.
What is the Honor Code?
Being a BYU student, I value The Honor Code.  It's what sets BYU apart from all the other universities and colleges in the nation.  Most people equate BYU with members of the LDS faith (aka Mormons), but that's not necessarily true.  Any person from any faith can attend BYU, they simply to follow The Honor Code, just like every other student on campus.  So rather than saying going to BYU must mean you're LDS or soon will be, I say that living by The Honor Code equates with living an LDS lifestyle. 

Whenever someone applies to BYU, they are encouraged to read over The Honor Code and familiarize themselves with the things it contains.  Before they can formally submit their application and be considered for acceptance, everyone must agree to live by The Honor Code.
So, what exactly does it say?
The Honor Code consists of a few main points.  Number one is to live a chaste and virtuous life; no premarital sex.  Number two is to follow the Word of Wisdom; abstain from drugs, alcohol, coffee, and tobacco.  Number three is to be honest in all your dealings with your fellow men; don't lie, cheat, or steal.  Number four is to be clean in dress and grooming; men should be clean shaven, and everyone is modest in dress (i.e, no strapless/sleeveless shirts, no shorts above the knee, no revealing/tight-fitting clothing).
Wow.  Some of that seems pretty tough.  No coffee?  And what's wrong with having sex before you're married so long as you're safe?
Well, maybe some it is tough.  Personally, these are the standards that I and many other members of the LDS faith were raised on.  These are the things which we have been instructed to do/not do by a prophet of God.
This is what makes BYU different.  People don't go and get wasted on the weekends; people don't swear at each other across campus; people don't compromise each other in any kind of intimate way.  This is why people come to BYU.  This is why I wanted to come to BYU; it's so different from any kind of school you've ever been to in your entire life.
This is all great, but what does this have to do with basketball?  It seems kind of irrelevant.
An excellent point and right in time for me to diverge back into my original statements.
Brandon Davies was suspended from the team Tuesday evening after the school found out about an Honor Code violation.  Prior to being suspended from the team . . .
- BYU basketball was ranked number 1 in the Mountain West Conference, with only 1 loss to UNM.
- BYU basketball was ranked number 3 in the entire nation (yes, that's above Duke!).
- Brandon Davies was one of the most valuable players on the team (along with Emery, Abuou, and Fredette).
- Brandon Davies started almost every basketball game.
- Brandon Davies was sure to be a great help in BYU's rematch against New Mexico, the only team in conference that BYU has lost to all season, that upcoming Wednesday.
Winning the Mountain West Conference and making it into The Final Four would be sure to gain BYU honor from the basketball community on all sides.  However, after learning about Davies violation, there was almost no hesitation in the decision to suspend him from the team for the remainder of the season.  They gave up the honor and recognition which BYU would have received had Davies been allowed to remain on the team and help lead the Cougars to a Mountain West victory for another kind of honor.  A different kind of honor was more important to the powers that be.  The honor that comes from living the way we have been taught, no matter what the circumstances brings far greater honor than any other kind of honor we could ever receive.
And that's important no matter how you slice it.
I'm proud to be a BYU student, and I'm proud to Live the Code.