Marriage in the valley

Utah, like many places, has its own culture, and one of the big differences in culture is the way people view marriage. Students moving to Utah say it best since they know first-hand the difference in culture.

Kyle Christensen is from out of state and thinks that the age people get married is the biggest difference between Utah and the rest of the nation.

“The age thing’s the biggest difference,” Christensen said. “No one in my high school class even thinks about marriage before [age] 24.”

Melody Compton is also from out of state and agrees with Christensen.

“I think the age thing is crazy. I think it should be like early 20s at least, not in the teens.”

Although it can be a culture shock coming to Utah from another state, many students take on the Utah marriage ideals after moving. Chelsea Anderson is one such student.

“My opinions on dating have changed. I can see both sides now,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s eyes were opened to a different way of thinking when she moved here, but many go further than that. Casey Robertson found it natural to mold into her surroundings.

“Before, it was like everyone’s waiting, but now, it’s like everyone is getting married,” Robertson said. “All of my friends are getting married, that’s what kind of changed my idea.”

Makenzie Gorman explained that being around the Utah marriage culture makes her think about marriage more than she would in another state.

“People ask me when I’m going to get married which makes me start thinking about it more,” Gorman said.

Although many will accept this culture change, many find that moving to Utah makes them want to go further away from it. Christina Ruth is an example of this.

“It freaks me out,” Ruth said. “Marriage? One person? The rest of your life? Tell me if you like those odds.”

Ruth said that watching the extreme ideas on marriage in Utah has put a sour taste in her mouth, leading her further away from accepting it.

“They expect you to settle down, pop out a lot of children and stay in Utah,” Ruth said. “I’ve never been quick to do it but since I’ve lived here I have much more reservations about it.”

Every student has a different opinion about marriage based on his or her background, but Jon Andrews, a student from Georgia, stated there is one similarity between all of the ways of thinking.

“No matter where a person is from, they have a goal, and then when they meet that goal they will look for a serious relationship,” Andrews said.

Andrews went on to say that the main difference in culture is that this ‘goal’ is set at a different place. In Georgia and many other states, the time when people start being open to marriage or a serious relationship is after the first four years of college, where in Utah, this point is reached after someone goes on an LDS mission. Andrews gave an example of this.

“My sisters got married at age 20, and our friends from Georgia thought that was crazy but now their Georgia friends are married too,” Andrews said.