Smoker’s lounge…how about a ban instead?
To the Editor,
Over the break I had the opportunity to go over some of your back issues. One thing I noticed is that most people who argued about “Smokers’ Rights” were passionate and emotional. The smokers have even gone on to suggest that the university create smoking “lounges.” This would be tomfoolery as I will demonstrate later. I would like to offer my opinion. It is an opinion that supports a “Smoke Free Campus.”
Since the time that the new fifty foot policy has been enacted, it seems to have been largely ignored. I am always battling the fumes of smokers when trying to enter and exit Luther Bonney. A majority of the time I find smokers hovering at the doors. There’s enough hovering that the median lobby between the main building and the outside often has smoke in it. This would not disturb me except that I, as do about 5% of the American population, have allergies to cigarettes. This is bad enough. The American Cancer Society estimates that some 45,000 deaths occur annually due to cigarette smoke. This problem can not be resolved as long as smokers demand that their rights be honored. These rights stem from nothing more than legalized drug abuse.
To create a smokers’ “lounge” would be to disregard the rights of the non-smoker. It would also be costly for the University. In order to accomplish this task, the University would have to remodel several rooms with independent ventilation systems. It would include costly uptake filter vents next to the doors to prevent the tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine ridden fumes from entering hallways and classrooms. These costs would be deferred back to the students and I personally do not wish to be forced to pay for someone else’s drug abuse.
The second issue is basic sanitation. Smokers tend NOT to put their butts in the appointed disposal area but instead leave them strewn about campus. This is unsightly as well as unsanitary. In talking with several of the groundskeepers, they all concur that the greatest majority of campus litter is cigarette butts. I was told that it takes about ten men to clean for three hours to undo the previous days litter. The incessant cleaning up after a minority of student addicts could be better used in the maintenance of aging buildings. This would reduced the need for increased staff levels.
The banning of smoking would also help the environment. Cigarette butts are non-biodegradable and tend to stay in soil long after a human body will decompose. Contemporary forensic science has used cigarette butts to solve murder cases from as far back as 1963, or fourty years. In fourty years I will be seventy and my grandchildren may be in attendance here. I would hate to think that if one of them were to be working as a student grounds worker that he will be cleaning cigarette butts left here by my peers. It therefore seems, that even though our policy is lenient compared to some academic institutions, it is still ignored. And since it is, we need to go a stepfurther. If smokers don’t start to monitor themselves then we need to ban totally the use and consumption of any and all tobacco products.
Josef P. Melech
Biology Sophmore
Jesus is divine
To the Editor:
I just wanted to say how much I appreciated Michael McAllister’s review of “The Passion of the Christ”; overall, it was honest and un-biased. But I do have to take issue with the fact that he said Jesus is shown “as an imperfect character” when he is “frightened by the Devil’s temptation.”
True, Jesus is frightened, but that does not mar his perfect nature. The Jesus that is in the Bible and that Christians believe in is both fully God and fully human. Jesus had all the attributes of any human being, minus the sin nature, and he felt the same emotions that every human feels.
When a close friend of his died, the Bible says that “Jesus wept.” In the Garden of Gethsemane, faced with imminent torture and death, Jesus is wracked with anxiety and apprehension. Who wouldn’t be? Human nature desires self-preservation. The fact that he overcame these fears, and faced that violent death, shows his divine, and perfect nature.
Emily Poole
Freshman, undeclared
Double check your stats
To the Editor:
I applaud the Free Press Sports Department for their coverage of USM’s Women’s Basketball Team’s run to this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Free Press is the ONLY paper in Greater Portland that is giving the Huskies any respect. I have read the Press-Herald’s coverage and feel it is lacking when covering the # 2 USM Lady Huskies and the #1 Bowdoin Lady Polar Bears as well!
It doesn’t surprise me that the USM women’s aren’t getting the press they deserve. They aren’t talked about on the local sports station’s morning show and the local television stations show up only at tourney time. I just wished that they would have come out more often this season which has turned out to be very special and the best in USM Women’s Basketball History.
I have also been impressed with Andrew Sparda’s pieces for the Free Press since he started writing sports. However, in this week’s article, Mr. Sparda was inaccurate in his statistical information. The first stat being that this, in fact, is the Huskies best all-time season record (27-1) notcounting the 1922-23 and 1926-27 seasons in which USM’s records were 9-0 and 5-1 respectively.
The second statistical error regards Mr. Sparda referring to USM’s “eighth year in a row” appearing in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, this will be USM’s 10thstraight and 18th overall appearance into the NCAA Tournament. This year’s Little East ConferenceTournament title makes 15 titles for the Huskies, including eight in a row, and have appeared in the LEC championship game on 17 different occasions. I would also like to mention that Mr. Sparda saying USM “will advance in the 18 spot to the NCAA’s.” This year’s NCAA Tournament has 50 teams with USM seeded #4 in their specific bracket.
I applaud Mr. Sparda for his efforts and enthusiasm in his reporting and hope that he keeps up the good work! However, Andrew please check the USM Athletics website or d3hoops.com in the future to verify your statistics when referring to USM and Div. III college basketball.
Keep up the good work Andrew! The Sports Department is doing a fabulous job this year, and I look forward to their spring athletics coverage.
Editor’s note: The incorrect statistical data mentioned by Jim Ward was added by Executive Editor Christy McKinnon, not Andrew Sparda.
Jim Ward
Former Free Press Sports Editor (2002-03)
WMPG Sports Director
To anyone from 18 to 26 – Military draft alert!
To the Editor:
The “Universal National Selective Service Act” (S. 89/H.R. 163) is now passing through both houses of Congress. Senator Ernest F. Hollings and Representative Charles Rangel are the authors of this bill – which has not been publicized by most news media outlets.*
The military draft would go into effect in Spring, 2005 – conveniently right after the November elections, which Bush II assumes that he will win. You can guess that Bush II would love to sign this bill.
If the new draft bill passes, the Selective Service System – which has just received extra funding for the purpose – would be empowered to yank anyone 18-26 (male or female) out of college for two years of military or “homeland security”-related service. No student deferments this time; seniors would be allowed to finish the year, but everyone else would only be allowed to finish their current semester. Unless you enjoy this vision of your near future, NOW is the time to e-mail your Senators and Representatives – fast.
(*Sources: Senator Hollings’ official website, www.senate.gov/~hollings/press/2003108C06.html;
and the Vancouver Independent Media Center)
Elizabeth S. Lowell
Art History major