SHU needs a stronger non-smoking policy

Here at Seton Hall, I never really noticed a smoking problem until this year. It began in November when it started getting cold outside and all the smokers started retreating to underneath the "hood" of Xavier Hall. Each time I walked towards my dorm and underneath the tower, the only thing I could smell was the smoke coming from the half dozen cigarettes being smoked at any given time.

To make matters worse, when I would get up to my room on the 6th floor, there would sometimes be a strong smell of cigarette smoke if I had the windows open.

What blows my mind is the lack of respect that some smokers have for their fellow students and the Seton Hall community.

There are many times while I walk on campus people just blow smoke with no regard for who is walking next to them, in front of them or, more importantly, behind them.

In the windows of Xavier Hall, there are several signs that state smokers must remain 25 feet from the building. The last I checked, the benches and hand rails around X were not 25 feet from the building. However, you can't just blame the actual smokers. Someone needs to take the blame for not taking control of the situation and work to fix it.

Apparently, the latter part of the previous statement is being taken up by the Student Government Association's executive board, led by President Derel Stroud.

In recent editions of The Setonian, Stroud and the SGA have pledged to look into a possible solution to smoking on campus, including moving smoking to select designated areas around campus.

While that's all good and dandy, why not take it a step further, and ban it altogether, similar to what Brookdale Community College did. Sure there were negative reviews at the time, but there are always some critics when a rule is put in place.

Last year, Vice President Brian Fucci said the SGA is looking to promote "considerate smoker awareness. What exactly does that mean?

Does it mean that I am not going to get a face full of smoke each time I walk under Xavier Hall, or even on a campus side walk?

As of now, I have yet to see any real movement in changing the smoking policy.

The only real way to solve this problem is by outright banning cigarettes on campus. Former University President Robert Sheeran was a stickler for keeping the landscaping at Seton Hall in pristine condition. He even went so far as to ban the selling of gum in the bookstore.

Don't you think gum looks better than cigarette buds in the sidewalk? I sure do.

Tim LeCras is a senior journalism major from Lacey Twp., N.J. He can be reached at timothy.lecras@student.shu.edu.