OUR VIEW: A cry for some accountability
Just when we thought it was OK for us to coast into Spring Break, this happened: ASUSU bans smoking on campus.
And then this happens: The elections committee gives permission for a select amount of candidates to break election rules – allowing them to wear their campaign T-shirts to basketball games in the Cathedral of the Spectrum.
No rest for the weary, but we’re not complaining.
How about we start with the smoldering – it can’t be smoking, that’s against the rules – issue of tobacco at USU?
We feel like this attempt at extremist policy – yes, a total ban of anything, instead of a compromised, moderate solution, is extreme – is a sad step for ASUSU. We’re all for the safety and health of USU students, and we realize secondhand smoke is dangerous, but to what extent, and how does it truly compare to the other toxins in the air?
Secondhand smoke is bad, especially in a contained spice – like a bar, car or other closed space ending in “ar.” But outside, the worst thing a passersby will have to deal with is an odor some would call unpleasant.
If we’re protecting people from unwanted smells, we’d have to start making some students shower.
That just isn’t going to happen because it’s completely unenforceable. Now that we think about it, this ban on smoking may be very hard to enforce, too. If state laws regarding smoking are already under-enforced, how is a complete ban going to help? Smokers are still going to smoke. So unless ASUSU is going to create an anti-smoking gestapo, we don’t think this will be well enforced. And without teeth, it seems like this bill was passed for the sheer joy of passing it.
The above isn’t even the most troubling part: ASUSU gave students extremely limited opportunities to have a say in this matter.
Last year, a survey about smoking was given to students, but there was no heads-up that ASUSU would be taking action on the issue any time soon. Not giving students ample opportunity to provide input is counterproductive to the mission of ASUSU.
We applaud the voices of moderation that strove for a compromise, but we feel if there would have been more advertisement and knowledge of a timetable for the legislation – giving students an opportunity to speak up – there would have been more moderate voices and a possibly different outcome.
But the issue isn’t over. The Faculty Senate still has to rubber stamp the ban. So if students feel strongly about it – and judging from some of the comments on The Statesman Web site, there are at least a few – they can get in contact with members of the Faculty Senate and plead their case.
And now for something completely different: The elections committee allowing certain candidates to wear their campaign T-shirts to the basketball game on Feb. 28 – a violation of election rules.
First, when we are in the Spectrum, we’re all Aggies, not members of opposing candidates’ political organizations. And we’re there to watch basketball. So, we have to applaud Bill Munns for not even thinking about wearing his T-shirt to the game, and again, for being honorable in the handling of the whole situation.
Second, why do we have rules if people can just go ask for them to be broken for their gain. PoliticallyPerplexed, who posted this on The Statesman Web site, hit the nail on the head: “If that’s how things work around here, I’ll be heading over to the Registrar’s office straight away and asking if it’s alright if don’t pay my fees next semester. (sic)”
We shouldn’t be rewarding people who think about finding ways to break the rules – even if they have the world’s saddest sad-puppy-dog-face when they ask, “Pretty, pretty please?”
For us, it comes down to two things: USU students being informed and holding elected officials accountable.
We ask – in fact, we beg of you – to not stand for things like this. Students deserve ample time and opportunity to voice their opinions about issues like smoking on campus. Students shouldn’t stand for the breaking of election rules, even if the candidates have permission, which makes no sense at all. We don’t need to stand for things that sound ridiculous or make us cringe.
We’ll do our best to keep you informed, but you need to make an effort, too. We’ll do our best to have our voice in the conversation about these issues – sometimes as a starting point for discussion, but ultimately as just one of many voices and perspectives. If everyone throws their voice into the conversation, the collective din just might draw some attention, and, who knows, the diverse discussion may provide some different outcomes.