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Senators propose campus smoking bans

Bills call for no-smoking zones around entrances to University buildings

By Matthew Shepherd
Senior Staff Writer

Recent national anti-smoking sentiment has arrived at UH, with the Student Government Association Senate addressing two controversial smoking bans during its meeting Wednesday.

At-Large Sen. Michael Graves formally introduced a bill that would designate no-smoking areas within 25 feet of select entrances to all buildings on campus. The bill's proponents hope it will fare better than a similar bill SGA considered, but rejected, in February 2003. The Senate voted unanimously to refer the bill to the University Administration and Finance Committee.

At-Large Sen. Ken Maynard introduced another anti-smoking bill mandating that every building entrance on campus, not just selected ones, be designated a no-smoking zone. That bill was also referred to committee.

The two bills proved the hot topic of the meeting, prompting Resident Assistant Chantea Warner to take the podium in their support.

"When you come in (to the residence halls), you're absolutely bombarded by the smoke and the toxins that are in the smoke," Warner said

In other business, Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Studies Rodolfo Cortina gave a special report detailing the need for a student referendum to increase the International Education Fee. The fee, currently $1 per student per semester, funds scholarships for students participating in overseas programs. With the loss of other supplemental funding, the fund is stretched too thin for the growing volume of applicants, Cortina said.

Cortina recommended that the UH fee be raised to $4, but he said the entire fee would go back to students in the form of scholarships. "This has nothing to do with paying salaries ... it goes right back to you," he said.

SGA President Jon Quintanilla expressed his support for such a referendum. "My point of view is to let the students decide," he said.

Russell Payne, president of the Residence Halls Association, addressed the Senate regarding issues that affect campus residents. He discussed the lack of reserved parking for Cougar Place residents, saying the new parking lot under construction at the south end of Robertson Stadium, across from the complex, be reserved for residents.

"We're looking to work in conjunction with (SGA) to make sure that this is done and this is done promptly," Payne said.

Quintanilla briefed senators on several projects including an initiative to adopt a live cougar at the Houston Zoo as a UH mascot. He said President Jay Gogue and his cabinet are receptive to the idea, offering to allot a portion of Student Service Fees to cover the $45,000 for which the zoo is asking. Quintanilla said he declined that offer because he doesn't want the adoption to cost students anything.

"As a student initiative, we really wanted to take our own route," he said.

He also reported on a night bus tour of the campus that SGA and University officials took last week, saying the main concern was the lack of lighting on campus.

The Senate will next meet at 7:30 p.m. June 30.
 

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