Joan Oviatt-Jobst
From College of Fine Arts and Communications
Joan Oviatt-Jobst graduated from BYU in 1976 with a degree in Theatre and Media Arts.
In the Fall 2008 issue of BYU Magazine, Oviatt-Jobst shared one of her memories from her time at BYU. She said,
It had been another long day, but I still had time to study. The main floor of the Harold B. Lee Library had a circle of comfortable chairs near the front doors, where students could read or relax. I found an open chair and sat back. Spanish verb tenses plagued me. Ignoring the commotion of students passing through the doors, I closed my eyes, running verbs over and over in my mind.
With the dim feeling that I’d nodded off, I opened my eyes. Nearby empty chairs told me it was closing time. I grabbed my books and went to the exit. The door wouldn’t open. Neither would the next. They were locked. There were no personnel at the darkened front desk. The lights were dimmed. I listened. Nobody. I dinged the front desk bell. No answer.
I couldn’t figure out how it had happened. A hundred students must have passed me. Employees would have made announcements and wakened students as the library shut down. Yet, right up front, on display in snoozing glory, I’d slept on.
I went to each floor and called out. Nobody answered. I checked back doors and side doors. Emergency-door signs announced that opening them would set off fire alarms and that false alarms were punishable by fine. Finally, I sat on the main floor stairs, wondering how many hours before the cleaning crew appeared or my roommates missed me. Then, a far-off sound—footsteps in the basement, steps on the stairs. A head finally appeared in the stairwell. “Hi!” I said.
The guy jerked, then saw me. “You scared me,” he said.
“Can you get me out of here?” I despaired.
He explained that only BYU security personnel could remove civilians after lockup. Two uniformed officers arrived, took my statement, and filled out an official report.
“Now I have a record!” I thought.
Way after midnight I arrived back at my apartment, my roommates long asleep. I’m still no good with Spanish verb tenses.
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