To the editor,
As a once prospective student to your university, my initial reaction to the Smoke Free Policy was excitement and jealousy. I know what it's like to be a student walking through campus and exiting buildings right into a cloud of cigarette smoke. This policy almost seemed too good to be true.
I am a student at Syracuse University and am frequently visiting UB since I have a couple very close friends attending. Because of the large publicity given to this policy, I figured that this campus would be taking it pretty seriously. It just so happens that my close friends are both employees of the university and were also excited to start enforcing the policy. During their training, they were informed, immediately, that the policy was not going to be enforced. In fact, the freshmen were already told so, as well.
Pretty much, this campus made sure that they got the publicity coverage for their healthier campus, but did not plan on carrying it out.
I have actually had the displeasure of witnessing the attempts made at asking students to move to the parking lots while smoking. In one case, the student even stated that the Graduate Student Association President said that she did not have to follow it. What a great example to start.
As a result of these attempts, the authoritative figures trying to enforce it are reprimanded.
I still see just as many cigarette butts on the ground outside the residence halls and still choke walking out of buildings on your campus. In fact, I have witnessed faculty trying to get around this policy. If they are not going to follow these standards, then by what example are the students supposed to follow?
Maybe this university should think their policies over before they make them public.
Sure, the University at Buffalo is the first SUNY School to have a smoke free policy, but who is actually going to enforce it first?
Molly Simmons
Syracuse University Class of 2012
