The Compass, February 3, 2003
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JUHN H. HU~l,..n Ut)liAI " GAiNESVlUE COUEGE ~'J' 3VY ';~JhD'~ jjJ3jJ-J0 . j\j'jjl~ ~.~ ~ 0sJJilijj~ ';'~,;j~~ 1ll ~~ ~~p ~ YPJ!l IIDmMl ~'l ~~ ~ )jn;yfl:M"~ rtlnl tw ~ l!4}ftw-!!imi lt! iltlW!l! February J, ZOOJ I~I#M;' BRIEFS Smoking Ban to Begin May 8 By _IhwHodgeo ter will be removed to accommo Editor-in-Olief Tom sauret's Film and lit date a new HVAC unit. The shel hhod2171 Cgc.peachnet.edu ter at the Continuing Education erabn Class will be rafllir9 building will most likely be re elf par1<ing one two spaces, As if the possibility of adding IOOved. Plansforthesmokingshel In the Academic II parking a "sin tax" to cigarettes is not ter near the li brary have yet to be lot and the other in the enoogh, GainesvilleCollege is tak detennined. It may be salvaged parking lot of the Student inga funher step to reducesmok for inclusion in a larger outdoor Center. Money collected ing among studenlS. facu lty and student gathering area. says will be used to fund a dass staff. Nesbin. film project. Tld<ets are $2 Effective May 8. 2003, all to Critics of the policy argue that bacco wi ll be banned on the GC each and can be purdlased the decision may be coming too campus. suddenly. But Nesbin said, "We tf1rough Feb. 12 In the 5GA " I hope that we can discourage felt that announcing it at the first office. Winners will be an smo king, period," says Manha of February and not enforcing it nounced In the Student Nesbitt, president of GC. But until May would allow sufficient Center and on the message those who insist on using to time." According LO the release, board. bacco will now be banished to '"The College recognizes that this theircars to get thei rniCQIine fixes. change in policy may prove diffi· Onl y when inside a car will a stu cult for some but believes that it is Student dent be able to smoke or chew in the best interest of the overall Development tobacco; "smoke shacks," side College community." walks and all other places at GC bacco on campus: 2S percent did In the upcoming months. the PoasWho's college will work hard to infonn will beoff-limi ts for tobacco. bacco-free campus." not favor a poli cy change. Stu WhoUst students, fac ulty and staff of the "u Itimalely it is a health issue," In fact, Nesbin points out that dent opinion showed less of a looming po licy. "What we really said Nesbiu. her first months as president gap, with S 1 percent for a tobacco want to do is get the word out," student Development has According to a press release were littered with complaints ban and 49 percent against the said Nesbin. Press releases will posted the list of Who's from the office ofTorn Walter. vice about smoking. "One of the first idea. "J felt that, rather than tak be sent for publication in the Who Among Students in president for student develop issues that 1 had to deal with as ing a step at that time, we would Gainesville Times, letlCr$ will be American Junior Colleges. ment, the new GainesvilleCollege president in the fall of 1997 was really try to have a very clear sent along with acceptance leners smoking policy wi ll be as follows: the complaints. particularly once smoking policy and try LO enforce The list includes 26 GC stu and the Student Government As "The operational policy of win ter got here, about people it," said Nesbitt. dents who were nominated sociation has been enlisted to help Gainesville College is todiscour smoking around the doors of the Despite extensive efforts to for the honor by faculty spread the word. age smoking among the students bui ldings." control on..campu5 smoking. the members. Signs alerting GC students. fac and employees and to have a to According to the release, "The release points out that "Cigarette ulty, staff and visi tors will be bacco-free environment 10 the full· Gainesvi lle College Smoking butts can be found littering al posted at entrances. on the elec est elltent possible. In keeping Policy has evolved considerably most any campus sidewalk." Fires tronic signs, and at the doorways Students can with thut philosophy. the use of over the last fifteen years." started by cigarettes have also of buildings. Nesbin also notes Reg~far tobacco products is not permit In theeatly 1990s. smoking was been a problem. And Nesbitt that it is important todisplay signs Regents' ted at Gainesville College, includ prohibited only in classrooms and Spring notes that the current policies are "in key areas where we have visi ing its main campus and all sites in some areas of the library. In Test "not easy to enforce because we tors." and centers where it offers pro 1991. due to problems with ciga do not have enough security." Progr;uns will be hekl in spring gr.lms and services. This policy rette butts and chewing tobacco Students may now register The decision to institute this 2003 to help ease tobacco users will be enforced through normal remains. indoor smoking was re for the Regents' Test for policy follows the footsteps of into the impending policy change. College discipli nary procedures:' stri cted to a lounge in the Student North Georgia College and State Programs for students will be or spring semester. The Nesbill ensures that the change Center. Un iversity, which Nesbitt noted ganized through the Counseling deadline for registration is in policy "was not a decision After a few years, all indoor has been a tobacco-free campus and Testing Center. faculty pr0- March 5. li ghtly made," but a carefully con smoking was banned. Smokers for three or four years. Nesbitt grams will beplnnned by theCen could then often be found gath sidered decision made by the Ex· also said Ihat Lanier Technical ter for Professional Development. ered around the entrances of the ecutive Council, which is com College adopted the policy in fall Enforcing the new policy "will buildings. Nonsmokers com prised of the vice president of ex 2002. "I did not even know about have to be a proactive stance by ternal affairs, vice president of plained of the haze of snloke at it," noted Nesbitt, "until we dis all of the employees of the col business and finance, director of the doorways. Thus. efforts were covered that there were students lege," says Nesbin. The Student information technology, direcLOr made to restri Ct smoking to con The Institutional ACT Test coming over to our side of the Judiciary Board will develop dis of continuing education and di fined areas. which eventually led slreet and smoking." will be given on Tuesday, ciplinary procedures forthose who rector of the GC Foundation. to the development of what many " I think that it is a growing April 29, at 6 p.m. in the do not adhere to the policy. When asked what led to this smokers fondly call the "smoke trend among colleges and state Says Nesbitt. "I am very hope Continuing Education boiId change in policy, Nesbin said. shacks:' agencies" to adopt tobacco-free ful that the campus community as tog tn room 108. Students " It's not anyone thing, but it In spring 1998 a survey of fac poli cies, said Nesbitt. a whole wil l be supportive of what can register tn the admis would keep coming up in our dis· ulty and staff was taken to deter The fate of the beloved smoke we think is the ri ght thing to do." sions office. The deadline cussions. Finally. in fall. aflerdis· mi ne the next step to take with the shacks that some smokers at GC "It's going to beachangeof cul 10< registratiOn is April 28 cussing it on and off for close to smoking policy. For the facu lty, think of as their"home away from ture and it will probably take six at5 p.m. a year. we decided that we wou ld th e survey showed that 7S per home" may be aCQflCem for some. months to a year," says Nesbin. bitelhe bu ll et and make this a to- cent were in favor of banning to- Thc shelter by the Student Cen- "But the sooner the bener." February 3, 2003 Page 3 New Apartments Will House 360 GC Students ay-Hodgeo like to have affordable housing there will be some carryover from ment g rowth in the last two ers, who are former coll ege and Editor-ln-Dlief near the campus," said Martha LanierTech. but we expect 90per years," said Nesbitt. "so I think profeSSional fomball players, be hhod [email protected] Nesbitt, president ofGC. cent of it to be occupied by th e numbers are th ere." gan the company in 1999. Last All costs, except for the phone, Gainesville College students, if Learning of the desire for stu year Bostic was the tenth largest It seems that Gainesville Col are included with rent. and Cam _ not hi gher." dent housing. Bostic Brothers multi-family builder in the coun lege students will finally be get· pus Pointe has many amenities to Though GC and Campus Pointe contacted the school in July 2002. try, bu t Alexander speculates, ting th e housing that they have boast. Each apanmenl will have w ill be separate entities, Before purchasing the property. ,·this year we wi ll probably be sixth long been demanding. a laundry room with a washer and Alexander notes that they "will the builders contacted Nesbitt "to or sevenlh," Bostic Brothers Development.