Some students are firing up complaints against people that smoke outside of the designated smoking areas, according to Student Government Association members.
SGA is trying to solve this problem by educating students about Loyola’s 10 smoking areas. Six areas are located on the main campus.
Blake Corley, SGA vice president and interantional business junior, said that the past SGA meeting minutes have been focused on smoking on campus.
“It’s my third year on Senate, and I’ve heard more smoking complaints in our past several meeting than I have in my entire career in SGA. It definitely sends out red flags,” Corley said.
Allison Cormier, SGA senator-at-large and political science sophomore, said that SGA doesn’t have the authority to make Loyola a smoke-free campus.
“In the next few weeks, I will be bringing a resolution to create an SGA-sponsored program that doesn’t seek to eliminate smoking on campus, but to educate,” Cormier said.
Cormier said she doesn’t believe smokers are trying to be “malicious.”
She said they probably aren’t aware of their misuse of the smoking areas and their importance.
Cormier said she is passionate about this issue because this has been a frequent constituent complaint, and she has complained herself.
“Last year as a student, it would irritate me and it still does when I’m walking through the Carrollton walkway or anywhere on campus and someone in front of me is walking, smoking and blowing smoke in my face,” Cormier said.
She said that just like smokers have the right to have smoke in their areas, non-smokers should have the right to breathe fresh air outside of the designated smoking areas.
“I just want there to be a mutual respect. I don’t want anyone to feel like I’m attacking them or their right to do whatever students please. I just want everyone to have a good experience at Loyola,” Cormier said.
“You’re by them all the time. That’s what we want to stress to people, you have these areas so use them,” she said.
Hyun Kim, Loyola Law student, said that he is not fond of walking to the smoker’s benches, but he does it. He said he believes that some people are aware of the designated smoking areas and choose not to use them.
“They know, but they’re there. It’s pure laziness, and them not thinking of others,” Kim said.
Kim suggests that Loyola should make some more smoking areas.
Corley said we should give students the “benefit of the doubt,” and said SGA is reviewing Loyola’s current smoking policy while seeing what might work better in the future.
Michael Kissell, music industries junior, said he belives that educating smokers about the designated smoking areas could help, but he doesn’t think that the boundaries are clear where he can and cannot smoke. However, he doesn’t know if he’d “totally abide by it” even if he did.
Kissell said he does not think that telling some people where they should smoke will stop them from smoking in non-designated areas.
“Generally any outside area, people aren’t afraid to light up a cigarette,” Kissell said.
Diana Mirfiq can be contacted at [email protected]
