Smoking Ban Q&A

Del Mixon

JOUR 271

9/27/12

Smoking ban is clarified for concerned students

416

            OXFORD, MS- The town hall and selected members of the Associated Student Body senate, met to discuss the new implications of the smoking ban.  The meeting was intended for students and faculty to express any questions or concerns they had over the new campus wide smoking ban. The co- authors of the bill, Quadray Kohlheim, Jessica Brouckaert, and Daniel Roberts answered the majority of questions. Associated Student Body President Kimbrely Dandridge and Vice President Emmalee Rainey were also present on stage.

            The meeting began with a brief introduction of the policy and its reasons for its production. According to the senate a poll from the Social Science Institute for Mississippi State, was sent to students in May.  The results showed 78 percent of students would like a smoke free campus. Out of all the students, only 650 responded to the poll. The first questions from the audience concerned this. A faculty member said, “ If only 650 students responded to the poll, how can that accurately represent the student body?” Brouckaert responded by explaining the formula used by polling services to get an accurate sample size. From our student body, only 300 needed to respond.

            Associated Student Body Vice President, Emmalee Rainey was met with an important question from the audience. The question, asked by a student, proposed smoking zones on campus such as Fraternity row and outside the residence halls. “I do understand that many students feel like they should be able to smoke at their place of residence. It is definitely a revision we are looking into,” Rainey responded.  

            Walker Mitch, a sophomore smoker, would like to see revision to the smoking ban. “I would be happy with smoking zones within fraternity row and outside residence halls, it doesn’t make sense for smokers to be restricted where they live.” Walker attended the meeting and was satisfied with the responses from the bill writers and senate leaders.

            Other questions asked were related to the morality of the ban, questioning its restriction on student freedoms.  Students who participated in smoking protests felt the ban is un-American and an obstruction of free choice.

It was clear through the Senate’s responses that the ban would not be repealed, although revisions remain open for discussion.

Brouckaert made a point that Ole Miss is not the first SEC school to have banned smoking, and is now one of 700 campuses across the nation to have so as well.

Emmalee Rainey

earainey@olemiss.edu

Walker Mitchell

662- 560- 8107

           

Students and Faculty express questions and concerns about the smoking ban.