More smoking tents approved

Wai Phyo Myint

Green Mountain College students’ opinions divide on the college administration’s decision allowing more smoking permitted areas, ‘smoking tents’ on campus as its attempt to deter noise, and smoke coming out from popular smoking tents.

The administration announced the decision to increase the number of tents at strategic locations on October 8.

The announcement issued by the office of the college’s Student Life’s Vice President, Joe Petrick, said that the decision to erect more tents is “to provide more options for smokers and reduce the large evening gatherings at the tent located between North and Moses (halls) which are interfering with the ability of residents to study and sleep.”

The new policy effective on October 14 designated six different areas as the only smoking-permitted areas on campus, increasing from four areas previously allowed.

The new smoking-permitted areas are at tents located at north of Withey Garden, west of Cree Hall, South of Bogue Hall, south of Dunton Hall, south of Grisworld Library and north of the tennis courts.

The administration closed down the campus’s controversial smoking spot between North and Moses, where the residents were disturbed with noise and smoke coming out.

A sophomore student, Lisa Much welcomed the policy changes by saying that it made the smoking policy effective.

“We have more tents and it’s more convenient for smokers. Since the new changes were in effective, I think that it has reduced noise and the ground has been a lot cleaner than before,” Lisa Much expressed.

‘Signs about smoking rules and regulations have been taped on desks at the tents. As far as I know, no body tore them down,” Lisa Much said.

However, many non-smokers did not feel positive about the administration’s decision.

“I live in Moses. They just place a new tent just outside of my window. Noise is coming out from the tent,” Samuel Springman who is a non-smoker said.

Green Mountain College announced its smoking policy for the first time in August, 2009 by saying it was “to protect all who live, work, study or visit Green Mountain College from the dangers of secondhand smoke.”

Since then, smoking has been prohibited outside of the designated areas.

However, Samuel Springman said that the smoking policy was fail to address its health concerns,

“If the smoking policy was set for the health concerns, it does not justify the problem, it even creates a variety of new problems.”

Another non-smoker Shannon O’ Neill also said that “I’ve been seeing people smoking everywhere. Nobody buys the new policy. Now, most of the smokers don’t go to smoking tents at all,” a senior student, Shannon O’Neill, who is a non-smoker, said.

According to the statement, a stronger enforcement would be practiced following up the approval of more decision. However Shannon O’ Neill said that it has yet to be implemented.

“Law enforcement was required to make the policy effective. “Resident Assistants and professors should work together with campus security personnel to make the policy effective,” Shannon O’ Neill said.

In the statement, the administration mentioned the college’s enforcement plan, “The College will also begin issuing $ 25 ticket for each smoking violation to any individuals found in violation of the smoking policy.”

“Any individuals who receive multiple tickets will be referred to the College’s student conduct system,” Joe Petrick, said in the statement.

Short URL: http://www.themountaineer.org/?p=953

Posted by Wai Phyo Myint on Nov 2, 2009 Filed under Health & Well-Being. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry