Two years ago, Ball State University officials implemented its campuswide smoking "ban" in an effort to protect students' health by clearing campus of secondhand smoke.
In order to protect the newly displaced smokers, Ball State officials compromised and set aside 11 areas on campus for smokers to light up so they wouldn't venture off campus, out of the area of protection of the University Police Department and into poorly lit neighborhoods.
This created the desired result of separating smokers from the highly trafficked areas of non-smokers and still giving them a nearby place that was safe.
Until Monday, at least.
Last Friday, Kay Bales, vice president of Student Affairs, sent a campuswide e-mail explaining that effective Monday, smoking would no longer be allowed in the area between Pruis Hall and the Emens Auditorium parking garage.
Instead, smoking would be allowed by the north entrance of the Arts and Communications building.
No official explanation for the change was given in the e-mail or on the Ball State Web site.
This seems like a simple and minor change that might only inconvenience a few smokers - until you actually visit the new site.
The old smoking area between Pruis Hall and the Emens Parking Garage was spacious, well lit, in a heavily trafficked area, had a security blue box in close proximity and had ample seating. It was also one of the most utilized smoking areas on campus.
The new smoking area by the north entrance of the Arts and Communications building is cramped, essentially unlit, in an area that sees little foot traffic, doesn't have a security blue box close and contains seating for only eight people.
The area is so secluded and poorly lit that unless you were next to someone else there, you likely wouldn't recognize them. Walking by the area, you can see very little because of a large tree, a small hill and the building that box the area in. Someone could easily commit a crime there with virtually no one capable of seeing them.
Other complaints coming in from around campus include the bugs that live in that area and come out to pester smokers in addition to the smoke that can be smelled through most of the north end inside the Arts and Communications building because the smoking area is close to a doorway and windows.
Almost every other smoking area across campus is in a well-lit area with a security blue box in close proximity. The few areas that are missing one of those elements are the areas that are near academic buildings and aren't heavily used by students at night.
Many students, both men and women alike, have commented about how they feel unsafe at the new smoking area, how they're frustrated at the lack of warning and explanation for the change and some have a feeling that the university administration is trying to force them to not be able to smoke.
The current system was put into place after a student referendum, a task force consisting of students, faculty, staff and administrators spent a semester hammering out the details and approval of the Board of Trustees.
With the information currently available to students, this change was made without the consideration of students, discussions in committees or approval from the Board of Trustees.
I can think of several reasons as to why the university implemented this change. The old area between Pruis Hall and the Emens Parking Garage was heavily trafficked, by smokers and non-smokers alike. Maybe administrators felt that too many non-smokers were being exposed to the secondhand smoke in that area.
Personally, I think that's a weak argument because that area is large enough where one can go from Pruis Hall to the Emens Parking Garage without passing within 30 feet of a smoker.
Another, and more likely, reason is that the university didn't want the numerous campus visitors who use the Emens garage for various reasons throughout the day to see such a large group of smokers in one area and think of Ball State as some smoker's paradise.
I also think this is a poor reason because the safety of students should be a much higher priority than the image that one might have of Ball State because they happened to pass near a smoking area.
Also, the administration knew how trafficked this area was when they chose it as a smoking area and should have thought ahead about how a visitor to campus could perceive Ball State as smoker-friendly - something it isn't.
Granted, the true reason could very well be that the Ball State administration wants to slowly drive smokers out by changing their areas one-by-one by moving them to more unsafe areas.
But, I've never been a conspiracy theorist and don't plan on starting now, so I'd like to give the university the benefit of the doubt and think that this isn't the true reason.
Regardless, the entire purpose of the smoking areas was to create a safe place on campus for smokers to light up so they wouldn't have to go off campus. With this change, the university has created an environment they were originally trying to prevent smokers from having to go to. Student safety should always come first.
Write to Frank at frhood@bsu.edu
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