4a Opinion --- Wednesday, March 7, 2001 For comments, contact Chris Borniger or Nathan Willis at 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com Point/Counterpoint Smoking in residence halls Our view: Enforcing a ban on smoking is an unfair punishment and could worsen a trend of empty rooms Dissenting view: Fire hazards, annoyances caused by smokers warrants a total ban in student housing A recent proposal by the Kansas House of Representatives would ban smoking in all residence halls at Regents universities. Some lawmakers have cited health and safety concerns as the reason for the bill. Although students who smoke may be an annoyance, banning smoking entirely is a solution that overreaches the problem. Smoking is legal for anyone older than 18. A majority of people who live in University residence halls also happen to be at least 18. Residence halls become students' homes for the duration of the time that they live there, and they should have a right to engage in a legal activity in their home if they wish to do so. Smoking, even if it is a bad decision, is one that should be left up to the students themselves. Banning it entirely could encourage more students to seek off-campus housing in an effort to find a less-restricted and more adult environment. Some residence halls already have empty rooms, and this law would further erode the number of students who want to live there. Living in the residence halls provides many students with their first experience of life away from home. This experience, among other things, should encourage them to grow up and take responsibility for their own actions and circumstances. In Hashinger, Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin, McCollum and Oliver halls, students can request a nonsmoking floor and a roommate who does not smoke. Even on smoking floors, residents can smoke only in private rooms with the doors closed. They may choose to live in a section of student housing that does not allow smoking. Lewis, Templin and Ellsworth halls are all now smoke-free. If nonsmoking students do not take advantage of these options to insure that they are not affected by secondhand smoke, it is not the job of the state to solve their problems for them. Nonsmoking residents also have the right to speak up and request that their smoking roommate not smoke in the room. smoking roommate not smoke in the room. The bill would be an unnecessary intrusion into the lives of students in residence halls. The Department of what are you doing? Student Housing already has a policy to help smokers and non-smokers get along. And when the Legislature banned smoking in all state buildings in 1995, it created an exception for university residence halls, recognizing that students' lifestyles already are restricted and cramped enough in student housing. Moreover, only 7 percent of students applying for housing in fall 1999 said they were smokers. Surely, reserving spaces to accommodate that small number of students isn't too much to ask. The existing residence hall policy toward smoking is reasonable and could be effective. If nonsmoking students make a smoke-free living environment their top priority and take advantage of the options available to them, then they should be satisfied. Lawmakers should not let the bill pass. And housing should make certain to honor the requests of nonsmoking students and should also strictly enforce current smoking policies. This kind of cooperat will help to make sure that smokers and nonsmokers are happy and comfortable in the places they live. Kate Williams for the editorial board The debate about banning smoking in student housing boils down to an issue of convenience for smokers vs. the safety of the residents. As in most cases like this, safety wins. The Kansas House of Representatives is considering a bill that would for bid smoking in all residence halls at Regents institutions. Smoking in most state owned buildings was banned in 1995, but student housing was an exceptin that law. Under the would face up to a $20 fine per incident. The University of Kansas has banned smoking only in Templin, Lewis and Ellsworth halls. In others, smoking is allowed in students' rooms on certain floors, with roommates' permission. Of all the reasons to support a ban in all residence halls, the fire hazard posed by smoking weighs the heaviest. new bill, anyone caught smoking would free up to a $20 fine for incident A little more than a year ago, a residence hall fire at Seton Hall University killed three students and injured 62. In an ominous omen, firefighters distinguished a small blaze caused by tossed-out cigarettes at McCollum Hall the day before. tall sprinkler systems in the rest of the halls, that does nothing to ease immediate ironically, Templin and Lewis, which ban smoking, are the only two halls that have sprinkler systems. Although the University has long-term plans to safety concerns The Department of Student Housing bans other potential fire hazards, such as candles and incense. Why do cigarettes deserve special protection? Gale Haag, Kansas state fire marshal, recognizes the danger and has pushed for a ban. "It is unrealistic to allow students to smoke in their residence hall rooms," Haag said in a Kansan story last fall. "That needs to stop." But the fire hazard is not the only reason to support a ban. Students who live in residence halls have overwhelmingly expressed concern about secondhand smoke and a desire to live in a smoke-free environment. Ken Stoner, director of student housing, has said previously that the department receives more complaints about smoking than anything else. And 72 percent of students applying for housing in Fall 1999 said they wanted a smoke-free environment, while only 7 percent said they were smokers. Although housing tries to separate smokers from nonsmokers, smoke creeps past walls and doors, especially when ventilation systems for different rooms are connected. Students frequently complain about the smokers next door. Stoner says that the department isn't taking a strong position on the bill but that he thinks a ban is inevitable. "That what's going to happen — if not this year, then next year or the year after that," he said. Clay McCuistion /KANSAN Kansas State University and several states have recently enacted bans, he said. Now it's Kansas' turn. Nonsmoking residents can't control whether the people in the room next door decide to smoke or whether a carelessly discarded cigarette sparks a fire. The state has an obligation to take reasonable measures to protect the safety and health of students living on its property. Banning smoking is one such measure. Nathan Willis, dissenting Perspective Gas companies will take you for an expensive ride Every morning I face a bitter reality. That reality comes in the form of icicles hanging from tree limbs and wires, glistening ice on the sidewalk, snow blanketing the yard as I peer out of my bedroom window. That reality comes in the form of the news anchor on the TV announcing that Punxatawnie Phil saw his shadow, declaring six more weeks of winter. It comes in the form of the frigid winds that sting my bare flesh as I open the door to the world — the door that I rapidly shut to minimize the draft entering the house that I am exiting house that I am exiting. Remember the enchantment of a winter wonderland? The white and silver Erin Riffey columnist ominion@kansan.com sheetes of snow blanketing all that the eye could see,all the possible fun and adventures that the winter weather and its gently falling product could hold? The winter wind that brought snowflakes fluttering down to the earth. The icicles that my siblings and I used to break off and lick from the sheets of ice they hang from. The glistening ice that we would ice skate on with our sneakers. The snow we made men and forts from. The groundhog my classmates and I used to celebrate, watching as he emerged from his hole to forecast the weather of the next six weeks. Now all of these winter jewels of childhood enchantment are adulthood nightmares, as they become icons of the gas companies. Sounds scary, doesn't it? Never before did I, nor could I, believe that such delightful symbols of winter weather could possibly be vile, threatening apparitions. But nevertheless, all represent the rocketing cost of heating our homes. And as the rodent that America puts so much faith in appeared on TV, toting the heart-wrenching shadow behind, all I could do was clutch my heating bill to my chest and cry, "No, please no!" Well, maybe my reaction was not quite so dramatic. But I did feel a somewhat large tinge of hatred toward that fuzzy, over-publicized, large-toothed rodent. Part of that is because of my new status in the world. As a college student, I am learning the virtues of living on my own. Therefore, I am also learning the virtues of paying rent and bills. Not only are there phone, electric, cable, water and utility bills — above all, there is the gas bill. Literally, above all — as I could add all the others together and still have a sum less than that of the gas bill. Although this has caused me to gain a newfound respect for my parents, I have also gained a certain desperation for money. Some unfamiliar to my situation would offer suggestions. Thus, for college students paying their gas bills, winter wonderland has become the official theme park of the gas companies — the theme park that takes you for one of the most expensive roller-coaster rides of your life. These are all things that I need and things that a majority of University of Kansas students need. Few can foot the bill caused by the gas-rate hike. Lower the thermostat. Who needs heat? How low can you go? Adjust your budget. Who needs food? Work more hours. Who needs sleep? Take out a loan. Who needs a future after college? Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com. free for all 864-0500 864-0500 I'm sitting here watching the breaking news on the California school shooting, and I'm finding it hard to comprehend why nobody admits guns are an enormous problem in this country. I bet no one would complain so much if campus would make a deal with Charmin like they have with Coke and Nike. 即 I agree with the comment that the Kansan should stop blaming the fraternity where Sean Scott drank, but blame his parents? Where's the logic in that? He's 16 years old. How about blaming him? I just love the fact that the city of Lawrence has time to replace the road signs, but they don't have time to replace the roads. Hey, I think it's funny how the KU football players are busy molesting girls outside the Yacht Club and then we had to cut the swim team, which are nice boys, and they enjoy a good academic success and are good representatives of our University. I think if the Athletics Department wants to cut costs and fix the budget a little bit, maybe they should axe the football program. I think it's ridiculous to say that the football team is the reason why the swim team and tennis team got cut because if the swimmers or tennis players would make money in their sports, they wouldn't be cut. 四 825 Budget this. Riffey is a Pratt freshman in pre-journalism. 前 How is not considering cutting one of the 11 women's sports equal opportunity for all the athletes? Bob Frederick is a horrible athletics director. He needs to do his math right so we can keep teams and win something. When was the last time we won anything? Like, 1988. Hey, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry to all the men's tennis and swimming players. We're all thinking of you, and I'm sorry. Is it just me or does the picture of the VIOICE Coalition look like an Old Navy ad? If Dr. Bob Frederick can't manage money, we should cut him instead of athletes who try hard and do good. Hey Free for All, if I wanted to read about world issues, I'd turn on CNN. The past few years, KU spent millions of dollars building a new volleyball center, redoing Memorial Stadium and fixing Hoglund Ballpark. That's well over $2.6 million they need over the next five years to keep KU swimming and diving and KU tennis. --- Did we consider cutting down the 30-person coaching staff for football before we cut two competitive athletic programs? Just because the Bible says so does not make it true or right. You choose. I'd just like to thank the guy that lived in Hashinger that took the Confederate flag out of his window. It sure stirred up a lot of controversy. Hi. I was just calling to say that I really don't think it's necessary for McCollum Hall to turn off the hot water once every month and keep it off for an entire day. I don't know if they just want us to smell bad or look really nasty, but I really think they should turn the hot water back on. I really don't think it's ethical. - 图 We had a party this weekend at our house, and most KU students really don't drink zero to five drinks. More like double digits. When is KU going to learn that our only hope to win another national championship is to get rid of Roy Williams? To the person in the greek housing next to Sellars with the SUV: Thanks to your sensitive car alarm, I no longer have to use an alarm clock. It goes off in the wee hours of the morning. The University of Iowa GTAs earn a minimum pay of $14,100. How to submit letters and guest columns Letters: Should be double-spaced, typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions. Guest columns: Should be double-spaced and typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run. 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