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Student Government is considering
a proposal, made by the campus police department, to ban smoking
on campus except for designated smoking areas.
Homer Valadez, a member of Student Government,
said that when a person smokes near entrances others who have
to enter the building must pass through the smoke. This, he believes,
causes non-smokers discomfort.
Valadez also said that the smoke could
waft into the building and create second-hand smoke concerns
for those inside even though the smokers are outside.
"Lots of colleges have smoke designated
areas," Valadez said.
According to Jeremy Hoeber, member of Student
Government, the designated areas would resemble the Dart bus
cover, only bigger.
Smoker Joseph Thornhill, 23-year-old autobody
major and former member of the Student Government, doesn't like
the proposal at all.
"If someone's going to pay $3.15 for
a pack of cigarettes, they ought to be able to smoke where they
want to," he said.
Hoeber is a smoker and is currently and
according to him, he's the only smoker on the Student Government.
"The only reason we're doing this
is so we don't offend anyone," Hoeber said.
Josh Rambo, 21-year-old double major in
psychology and English, is allergic to tobacco in all forms
including cigarette smoke. He gets physically sick from it.
"Anytime I walk out that door,"
he said, pointing towards the door leading from the pit to the
lower courtyard, "I'm like 'Oh God.'"
Thornhill said that he takes care to keep
smoke away from entering students by either blowing the smoke
up into the air, to keep it out of their face, or by holding
the cigarette away from their path.
"It's discrimination, that's all it
is," Thornhill said. "It's like telling a Chinese person
that they can't come to school."
To Hoeber, it's a matter of not offending
someone.
"I don't want anybody getting offended
by me smoking right by the door," Hoeber said.
When Hoeber smokes, he goes away from the
doors so as not to bother non-smokers.
Rambo doesn't mind the fact that smokers
smoke, he just wants them to not do it near him.
"If you're going to kill yourself,
kill yourself at your own place," Rambo said.
Mitchell Cook, 22-year-old autobody major
and smoker, doesn't like the idea of smoke-designated areas,
but has ideas to help the cause.
"I do believe in putting the cigarette
in the right disposable spot," Cook said.
The Student Government has been distributing
surveys to gain an idea of what students think of the idea of
smoke designated areas. According to Hoeber, the Student Government
plans on continuing to distribute these flyers.
The next meeting of the Student Government
is April 7 and it is open to all students.
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