Early last year, a student petition to end smoking on the academic side of the University of Hartford campus was supported by students, but made no wave of improvement and was dismissed by administration. The petition was not passed due to compactions affecting faculty and staff.
As a smoker myself, I believe the issue at hand should be addressed with all student needs in mind.
Today, the school is using less aggressive tactics to slowly eliminate smoking in the “south east area of Hog River.”
The University actually has put a statement explaining a four-year plan is in motion to eliminate smoking on campus, and to be “a role model for other smoke-free campuses,” according to the campus website. This “plan” is responsible for placing more smoke towers on campus to keep litter off the floor, as well as setting designated smoke spots. The smoke spots are supposed to be were the towers are.
Designated smoking areas have been put in place, but are rarely used by students due to lack of knowledge.
The campus is not trying to hide the fact that there is a plan, yet at the same time, they have failed to alert students, resulting in no student involvement.
Sophomore Shwayn Herbert explained, “I was never aware of the petition or the four-year plan. I feel in the dark almost.”
Students are confused because they see no change. With no say about the changes, it’s hard for students to support the change.
Students like sophomore Liz Matson said, “Walking out of class into a cloud of smoke is becoming an everyday thing now.”
Smoke towers are put right next to the doors of academic buildings. Usually two on each side of the door are placed. Now this idea is not completely counterproductive.
Junior Ali Shah stated that he “smokes mostly on the academic side because it is closer to my class.”
This is true with many students. Most of campus smoking is on the academic side.
Students are not the only smokers. Faculty and staff also smoke. They only come to campus for the academic side so it makes sense that they do their smoking in that area.
“The petition was trying to make change too quickly,” said Manny B., one of the original writers of the petition. “The campus wants to eliminate smoking, but by keep it contained into smaller and smaller areas.”
One of the main reasons the petition did not go through is the affect it had on teachers and other workers on campus. If the change was made now, faculty would have to stop smoking and workers would have to make it their job to clean up any unwanted litter related to smoking.
The University has a plan to move all the smoking into one place, and eliminate it that way. Still, many students have a problem with being excluded from making their home a better place. With the lack of student involvement, the school will have a hard time enforcing these rules when the students now will not be around to see the change.
Smoke towers are making no change in the smoking problem on campus. The only thing that will make the most change is the actions and voices of students.