The Auburn Plainsman A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT AFRAID www.theplainsman.com
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Vol. 117, Issue 20, 20 Pages
University considers smoking ban Students’ letter prompts discussion of smoke-free campus Liz Conn
S
ASSOCIATE CAMPUS EDITOR
mokers on campus may soon get burned. The Campus Health and Wellness Committee, made up of faculty, staff and students, is investigating the possibility of making Auburn a smoke-free campus. The initiative stems from a letter a group of students wrote to President Jay Gogue in spring 2010 asking him to consider eliminating smoking on campus. The main concern of the University is secondhand smoke, said Eric Smith, committee member and director of health promotion and wellness services. “I’ve always approached this as trying to protect the rights of a majority, not punish a minority,” Smith said. “Because if the majority of the population here isn’t smoking, but they have to walk through clouds of smoke just going about their daily business here, our environment is hurting them in that regard.” With more than 50 chemicals in cigarette smoke known to be direct causes of cancer, smoking kills approximately 400,000 people each year, Smith said. Of
that number, secondhand smoke kills 40,000. “You’re here to get an education, you’re here to work, you’re here to be part of the Auburn family, and you don’t need to be exposed to secondhand smoke as a part of that,” Smith said. “That’s the argument people are making.” In November, the Surgeon General released a report saying secondhand smoke is not safe to breathe at any level. “Smoking is bad for your health—period,” said Fred Kam, director of the AU Medical Clinic. “I understand it may inconvenience some people who are smokers, et cetera, but there is no health benefit that they will get out of continuing to smoke. If it’s something we can do to help decrease their risk factors for stroke, heart disease, cancer and other things, then it makes total sense.” In the United States, 466 college campuses have smoking bans, with the only one in Alabama being Calhoun Community College. In the SEC, Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt and Arkansas are smoke free. Georgia and Alabama are considering their options also, Smith said. Smith has organized a team of students and faculty to gauge opinions on the issue through surveys, a possible town forum and a newly launched blog. “The feedback I’ve received so far has been pretty positive for the most part,” Smith said. “We’ve talked to a lot of people
and a lot of different audiences, and generally speaking, people are OK with it.” Smith said an option for the University to consider is establishing “buffer zones,” or areas around buildings where smoking is prohibited to a certain distance. “You’ve got to make headway where you can,” Smith said. “If we’re enabling people to walk in and breathe clean air coming in the building, that’s a good thing. There’s a lot of good reasons out there for just going completely smoke free though, and that would be the preferred way to go.” Another reason, Smith said, is the cost associated with smoking—both for the University and for the state. Smith said research at the University of Kentucky estimated self-insured institutions spend an extra $5,200 in lifetime insurance costs per smoker. On a larger scale, the American Lung Association reported in 2010 that smoking costs Alabama $3.68 billion each year. Kam said he would expect a no-smoking
policy to cause a decrease in the number of smokers. “I think if it became more inconvenient, then there’s a higher likelihood that they would have more of an incentive to stop,” Kam said. Smith said the University would announce the policy far enough in advance to allow smokers time to prepare, as well as offer cessation programs to help smokers quit. “We wouldn’t want to say, ‘No smoking’ and not offer ways for students, faculty and staff to stop smoking,” Smith said. “The cessation programs are key.” Kim Trupp, director of housing, said she thinks a no-smoking policy might deter students from living on campus. “What may happen is, especially with first-year students, maybe mom, dad or whoever takes care of them doesn’t know they smoke,” Trupp said. “Mom and dad want them to live on campus, so they’re » See SMOKING, A2
Surveying begins for Rec Center Liz Fite
weight room, a one-third mile indoor inclined track, an outdoor pool, a threestory rock climbing wall, eight basketball courts, an indoor soccer field and a game room. “The cool thing about the running track is that it’s suspended, and it’s hanging from the ceiling, and it actually crisscrosses, and if you run around it almost gives you a self-tour of the building,” said Kurt Sasser, SGA president. The Wellness Center will also feature multiple men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers and will offer a wide variety of fitness classes and personal training options. Harper said the building was conceived as part of Auburn’s initiative to encourage a healthier, more active lifestyle. » See CENTER, A2
STAFF WRITER
EMILY ADAMS / PHOTO EDITOR
John Vollor examines the Toomer’s Oak tree as he places fresh dirt on the roots Wednesday morning.
Toomer’s fallout unites rivals Auburn-Alabama joint venture announced while rescue is still unlikely Eric Austin MANAGING EDITOR
One week after word broke that the oaks at Toomer’s Corner had been poisoned, a task force has begun its attempt to rescue the oaks and assess the damage to the surrounding soil. Gary Keever, professor of horticulture and member of the task force, said he was not optimistic about the chances of a recovery for the trees. “I’d put it between zero and 15 percent,” he said. Even so, workers have removed the topsoil surrounding the roots. Protective tents were placed over the uncovered roots, and more activated charcoal was applied in an attempt to stop further uptake of the deadly herbicide through the tree’s roots. Keever said the task force was INSIDE
Community » A3
|
EMILY ADAMS / PHOTO EDITOR
Jay Amling, pesticide applicator for landscape services, spreads activated charcoal on the soil of the Toomer’s trees Wednesday afternoon. given extra help Sunday from a surprising source when workers from Alabama Plant Services, a Sylacaugabased company, came to Auburn to
Commentary » A5
| Campus » B1
|
aid in the project. “These were Alabama people, and they volunteered their services,” Keever said. Clad in Crimson Tide T-shirts and using an industrial-strength vacuum, the company workers were able to remove the soil from the roots when the vacuum the University was using failed. “They’re part of our community and part of our state, and this was something we felt we could do to give back,” said Steve Sherbert, regional manager for the company. Sherbert said he and his men worked for about 18 hours on the soil. “These people were truly interested in helping us out,” Keever said. “There’s so much goodwill coming out of this that just amazes me.” The task force drenched the roots in water to keep them hydrated and new, herbicide-free top soil was packed into the tree beds with more activated carbon early Wednesday morning. As for the surrounding plant-life, Keever said their initial analysis was showing encouraging signs. Concentration of the herbicide was not found to be at lethal levels » See TOOMER’S, A2
Intrigue » C1
|
Wasting Time » C2
|
Surveying is underway as construction plans for the new Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center are complete. “We are way behind the times with this building,” said Scott Harper, assistant director of recreational services. “It’s old, there’s not enough space, and it’s not designed like current rec centers.” Harper said his construction team is on target with the building plans, and they are excited to build a new facility for students. “We’re going to have all new equipment; everything is going to be brand new and state-of-the-art,” Harper said. “We’re not taking any of the old stuff and putting it in the new building.” Features of the center include a large cardio and
BY THE NUMBERS
RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER
$72 million Estimated total cost of the Center
$50 $100 $150 $200
total tuition spike, fall 2010 total tuition spike, spring 2011 total tuition spike, spring 2012 total tuition spike, cap until completion 2013
*tuition increased in $50 increments from 2010-2011 tuition
Wasting Time » C4
|
Sports » D1
Recycled paper