A Smoking Ban: Really?
So the University wishes to make Washington University in St. Louis a smoke free campus by July 2010. I feel that such a ban, while in the spirit of health and protection, fails to make campus a place for all students. Though the smoking population of campus may not stand in the majority there is no reason to banish them from our campus.
So long as smokers are able to respect a certain distance from all building entrances there is no reason why both smokers and non smokers alike cannot co-exist on the Danforth Campus.
I respect the health concerns of many students and I urge them along with others students passionate about this issue to get involved in the conversation.
Senate will be discussing this topic breifly at our last meeting next week in DUC 276, the meeting begins at 9pm.
Make your thoughts heard early in the process.
Jill Carnaghi warned at last nights Senate meeting that certain decisions are just made and do not require input from faculty, students or university employees. I feel this is a poor system for making such broad and sweeping decisions.
Please contact me with any comments at bguthorn@gmail.com
-Ben
Your Art Senator
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Comments
We're at a private university. The "University" can do as it pleases. It owes us nothing. If you don't like changes "they" make, go elsewhere.
There are so many excellent things about this University, to go elsewhere because of a smoking ban would be absurd. The noble thing to do is to advocate for the interests of yourself and others in this situation, rather than to accept what comes out of Brookings as absolutely final.
As Dean Mcleod said in his speech at the SU Inauguation, we are all stakeholders in this University. I take Dean McLeod at his word, and as stakeholders we should be afforded a seat at the table in major decisions like this.
Gotta agree with this. Why so complacent, Ms. Drew?
Wow, Dione. Diversity fail.
If you want an administration that does what it pleases without input from the students, then is it any wonder you didn't get elected Senior Class Treasurer?
personal attacks on someone who had enough balls to post their name? get outta here!
says the person who doesn't have the balls to post his/her name
Dione, your comment is entirely irrational. Yes, a private institution can set nearly whatever rules it chooses. But we, as members of the university community, can in fact speak up in objection to excessively infantalizing policies that are detrimental to us as a community. So perhaps you'd like to follow your own advice and go elsewhere if you don't like the expected backlash that has come so far, and will continue unless this absurd policy is abandoned.
I don't smoke, but maybe a smoker (or pre-med student) can answer this question for me: is it physically possible for a person to simply stop smoking at the flip of a switch? Consider the vast amount of money spent on developing effective quitting aids and counseling programs, all of which are designed to gradually wean smokers off of their nicotine addiction. Is it realistic for the University to expect that every smoker on campus will be able to suddenly quit just because they hang up new No Smoking signs? And furthermore, does the University plan on passing on Nicorette or providing some way of helping smokers kick their habit?
the univeristy does have quitting programs. and there is no "flip of a switch" -- the ban is set to take place in over a year.
I would like to point out the absurd logic of the ban itself. Second hand smoke risk outdoors? in the Missouri wind? A healthier initiative would be more like shutting down the lead smelting plant in Illinois or banning Top Care trucks on campus. Seriously, the minute effects of a few cigarettes in the open air can't be worse than all that car exhaust.
it is not within the university's power, nor is it in their specific interests to deal with "Missouri wind," "the lead smelting plant in Illinois," or "car exhaust." they are doing something they can, however small you think it, to improve the health quality of campus.
Maybe intead of banning smoking the University could just screen all smokers out at admissions. God knows it'd be better than the SAT at predicting which people are morons...
People want a smoke free life style. For smoker, the uni could make a separate place, where you can smoke.
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