WEBBTIDE 2001-2002 @ SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Volume 37 No.11 Mar. 15 - Mar. 28, 2002 [ ARCHIVE ] [ FEEDBACK ] [ HELP ]
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Everyone needs to work together to clean up our air

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Letter to the Editor
      Teresa Pinney makes several good points in her article "Clean Air Clouded on Campus" and lays the responsibility for the correction of this foul behavior on all of us. To that end I find that there are no butts about it. We all have a lot to do on this campus to clean up our air and our act.
      Teresa's point of view begins on a "... frosty winter morning ...," while mine will begin on a frosty winter evening. On my way to work at the 800 building I can see the mists wafting to and fro above the North entryway -and it is not foggy tonight. Walk with me, if you will, from the parking lot adjacent to the 900 building toward the 800 building, down the road to the North and up the path.
      The newly prepared bark dressing on the roadway is sprouting little yellow and whitelogs already. As we meander down toward the Foss building, older logs appear in and out of the roadway. Turn with me up the paved path toward the 800 building north entrance and see the white tips of butts peeking out from the dark green vines along the way. Oh look, isn't that cute!
      Here we are at the top of the 800 building entryway and there are dozens of these cute little fellers all over the ramp, poking their little heads out from under the chairs, can receptacle and trash cans. There must be at least -let me count them, 10 ... 15 ... 25. Wow! Over 49 cigarettes, some half-smoked, but many just flipped into the graveyard over the side and down the trails. You don't have to make a special arrangement to see them. They are there every night.
      Everyone knows that the designated smoking area is downstairs, almost inaccessible, except by stealth and trail sliding, and located under the overhang not too far from the air intake system ductwork. So, why bother with going down there, when we can just flip 'em just like all those who have flipped 'em in the past and essentially flip off the guidelines and the rest of us in the process?!
      When you see several smokers upon the 800 ramp fogging the access to the building taking their hit, you begin to wonder if all that is "... clouded on campus ..." is not just the air we breathe. Also, when we look at the attempts to establish designated smoking areas the choices made do not take into consideration the smoker's point of view. All pay the price of this habit.
      It is patently true what Teresa has said that "The health of those who have chosen not to smoke is still at stake as long as any of the population engages in smoking on campus." It is also true that with the accelerating cost of packs and tubes the cost of someone else cleaning up after smokers on campus has gone up as well.
      Remember this when your costs per credit hour go higher than the smoke of your cigarette and remember that you have made your contribution to all of our increased campus costs, not just the cost of our health.
      Today there is no smoking on airplanes, boats, trains, public walkways, restrooms, buses, restaurants and many other places.
      Perhaps it is time now for a non-smoking campus. No butts about it. With a non-smoking campus we would all be a lot healthier and spend a lot less for our education in the long run. As proud as we are about our campus, we could all be a lot prouder if we cleaned up our act and the health of our campus.

Sam Bess
Plant Operations
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Everyone needs to work together to clean up our air
.	Letter to the Editor Teresa Pinney makes several good points in her article "Clean Air Clouded on Campus" and lays the responsibility for the correction of this foul behavior on all of us. To that end I find that there are no butts about it. We all have a lot to do on this campus to clean up our air and our act. Teresa's point of view begins on a "... frosty winter morning ...," while mine will begin on a frosty winter evening. On my way to work at the 800 building I can see the mists wafting to and fro above the North entryway -and it is not foggy tonight. Walk with me, if you will, from the parking lot adjacent to the 900 building toward the 800 building, down the road to the North and up the path. The newly prepared bark dressing on the roadway is sprouting little yellow and whitelogs already. As we meander down toward the Foss building, older logs appear in and out of the roadway. Turn with me up the paved path toward the 800 building north entrance and see the white tips of butts peeking out from the dark green vines along the way. Oh look, isn't that cute! Here we are at the top of the 800 building entryway and there are dozens of these cute little fellers all over the ramp, poking their little heads out from under the chairs, can receptacle and trash cans. There must be at least -let me count them, 10 ... 15 ... 25. Wow! Over 49 cigarettes, some half-smoked, but many just flipped into the graveyard over the side and down the trails. You don't have to make a special arrangement to see them. They are there every night. Everyone knows that the designated smoking area is downstairs, almost inaccessible, except by stealth and trail sliding, and located under the overhang not too far from the air intake system ductwork. So, why bother with going down there, when we can just flip 'em just like all those who have flipped 'em in the past and essentially flip off the guidelines and the rest of us in the process?! When you see several smokers upon the 800 ramp fogging the access to the building taking their hit, you begin to wonder if all that is "... clouded on campus ..." is not just the air we breathe. Also, when we look at the attempts to establish designated smoking areas the choices made do not take into consideration the smoker's point of view. All pay the price of this habit. It is patently true what Teresa has said that "The health of those who have chosen not to smoke is still at stake as long as any of the population engages in smoking on campus." It is also true that with the accelerating cost of packs and tubes the cost of someone else cleaning up after smokers on campus has gone up as well. Remember this when your costs per credit hour go higher than the smoke of your cigarette and remember that you have made your contribution to all of our increased campus costs, not just the cost of our health. Today there is no smoking on airplanes, boats, trains, public walkways, restrooms, buses, restaurants and many other places. Perhaps it is time now for a non-smoking campus. No butts about it. With a non-smoking campus we would all be a lot healthier and spend a lot less for our education in the long run. As proud as we are about our campus, we could all be a lot prouder if we cleaned up our act and the health of our campus. Sam Bess Plant Operations	.
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