Concerned smokers organize club for rights
Nick Kosmider and Veronica Sanchez
The Maricopa Community College District instituted a smoking policy in February stating that smoking would be limited to only the designated areas on campus.
However, a group of concerned smokers wants to know why they can’t find any of the changes in writing.
MCC students Jett Lowe, Jacob Schuschel, and Max Resnik are attempting to start a club for smokers and non-smokers alike who are concerned with what they feel is an infringement upon their rights to smoke in areas that they say are in compliance with City of Mesa ordinances. “We don’t mind moving to different areas we would just like to see written changes,” Lowe said.
Schuschel added that the new areas that are designated for smoking are flooded two weeks out of the month.
The group also stated that areas where they often smoke, which they say are in alliance with Mesa ordinances, keep jumping back and forth between being a smoking area and a non-smoking area.
The rules adopted by MCCD prohibits smoking in enclosed district buildings and within 25 feet of any building entrance or exit.
Although these rules were implemented in February, students have not adapted to the new changes which they say are still unclear to them.
The Dean of Student Affairs Sonya Pearson is launching a more aggressive notification campaign so all students are aware of the policy.
“We are being proactive with our language and working towards a balance between smokers and non-smokers alike,” she said.
Pearson admitted that there isn’t yet a formal written policy to give students, but that they are working hard on drafting literature to give them regarding the school’s smoking policy.
On March 4, the aspiring club, which as of that date had collected 50 student signatures, sent a letter to Pearson explaining their list of grievances regarding the “inability to enforce, ambiguous nature, and the unfair treatment of smoking students and faculty affected by the new policy.”
The letter also stated that smokers feel it has been difficult to find a place to sit and smoke because certain areas on campus continue to change between smoking and no smoking allowed areas.
“The ridiculous nature of this constant change leaves one to struggle to understand the current smoking policy and fear for future unannounced changes that might take hold of campus policy,” the letter stated.
Other students, though, feel increased measures are necessary to limit the amount of secondhand smoke they encounter on campus.
“We’ve had a significant number of students that have been very happy with the change because they are tired of walking behind students that are smoking,” said Public Safety Director Steve Corich.
