Random BYU Rules That Are Actually Real and In Effect Today (10 items)

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  (#1) Homosexual Behavior Is Forbidden on Campus, But Not Homosexuals

  You can be a homosexual and attend Brigham Young University, but the Honor Code makes it clear that no physical expressions of homosexual attraction are allowed. This doesn't just mean sexual behavior - the entire student body, in fact, has to commit to staying chaste - but also "all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings."

  Openly claiming to be a homosexual doesn't appear to be a problem: the Honor Code says "One's stated same-gender attraction is not an Honor Code issue" and "[BYU] will respond to homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or attraction."
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  (#3) No Tea or Coffee

  Alcohol- and tobacco-free campuses are fairly common, but BYU, by remaining "consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," is also a coffee- and tea-free campus (this is how church authorities interpret Joseph Smith barring so-called "hot drinks"). The rule was extended to BYU in 1968, but does not mean the campus is caffeine-free: students can choose to drink other caffeinated beverages if they wish, even though the university does not officially sell or serve them (note the caffeine-free A&W Root Beer and Sprite at the "BYU Cafe" in the photo above). 

  Before the ban on "hot drinks" went into effect, BYU cracked down on No-Doz caffeine pills in 1967 by removing them from the nationally marketed "Campus Pac" school supply packages before carrying them at the BYU bookstore.
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  (#10) No Profanity

  Perhaps the vaguest rule in the Honor Code is "Use clean language." Considering the Honor Code emphasizes again and again that the Code follows the "ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Church documents may offer some clarity: "To use the usual swear words is bad enough—they brand one as crude and careless—but to use profanely any of the names of our Lord is absolutely inexcusable." So it seems that blasphemy would be prioritized when enforcing the code. 

  On student named Brian Devine in 2011 claimed that he lost an on-campus job for using profanity, but he wouldn't specify what exactly he said. He wrote a letter to the editor of the BYU newspaper, The Daily Universe, to complain, causing a minor stir. BYU officials said Devine's account was "inaccurate and incomplete," suggesting the profanity wasn't the sole reason for the termination. Devine remained a BYU student and never heard from the BYU Honor Code Office.
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  (#8) Shoes Are Required in All Public Campus Areas

  If you have visions of throwing a frisbee around on the quad barefoot with your best college buds, BYU may not be the school for you. For both men and women, the Honor Code's "Dress and Grooming Standards" section ends with "Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas." This means, presumably, no dipping your toes in the Smith Building Fountain, pictured above.

  The Code does not get specific about what kind of footwear is allowed and what isn't, but there is a note about overall dress standards that hints at it: dress should be "modest, neat, and clean, consistent with the dignity adherent to representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
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  (#9) Shorts Have to Be Knee-Length or Longer

  Men and Women attending BYU are allowed to wear shorts, but the Honor Code states that they must be "knee-length or longer." The same rules apply for women wearing dresses and skirts, except women also can't have "slits above the knee."

  Further clothing restrictions for men include nothing "sleeveless, revealing, or form fitting." Women, meanwhile, can't wear anything "sleeveless, strapless, backless ... revealing" or "form fitting." A cynical reading of this may lead you to conclude that backless and strapless clothing is okay for men, but including the catch-all word "revealing" in the Code likely covers that.
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  (#6) Men Can't Have Long Hair or Beards (But There Are Exceptions)

  Brigham Young himself had a substantial beard, but the BYU Honor Code states that men that attend his namesake university must be baby-faced: "Men are expected to be clean-shaven; beards are not acceptable." (Exceptions are made for men with skin conditions or "medical, theatrical or religious needs"). Men are also not allowed to have hair that covers their ears or sideburns that "extend below the earlobe or onto the cheek."

  Hair also has to be "trimmed above the collar" and can't be an "extreme" style or color. Mustaches are allowed, but they must be "neatly trimmed" and can't "extend beyond or below the corners of the mouth."

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