Lighting up at TWU

Posted by admin on Oct 1, 2008 in Community | 1 comment

There are students who smoke at Trinity Western University. This is a fact that many of us haven’t taken much notice of. What’s the deal with smoking at TWU? Is it a fad or is it merely the machinations of stress taking its toll on the lives of students? We all deal with stress in different ways; heck, a vast majority of TWU students would be completely useless without a no-foam, double-shot, caramel, half-sweet cappuccino. Like comfort foods, we all retreat toward the things that give a rush or help calm those restless nerves.

For many raised in Christian homes, the idea of lighting up a cigarette is a sign of delinquent behaviour, which obviously will lead down the path to a life of hard drugs and hard alcohol. At TWU, the debauchery that pervades the act of “lighting up” is evident to those non-smokers. For some, it is a lifestyle choice that is no different than addicted coffee drinkers or the occasional glass of wine. Many of the professed non-smokers will occasionally enjoy the taste of a Cuban cigar, but few would admit to that being a bad thing.

There are some who feel that TWU should become smoker friendly, with designated areas on campus and ashtrays in the Back Forty. This is just what we need, a place where deviants are segregated from the rest of society. Or is it so they are easily visible and can be kept a close watch on? Perhaps the gazebo by the lake would be a good place, with its metal bars and its proximity to the Security hut. This idea sounds vaguely familiar, but alas, it would seem such a place just doesn’t exist. In all seriousness, this campus does not need to cater to users of a fairly harmful product, but ostracizing is not necessarily a better alternative.

With the BC government implementing stricter anti-smoking laws, there are few places where those in need of nicotine can go. In a province where the use of marijuana is about as popular as Starbucks, is this a move in the right direction? We here in BC definitely don’t want to be thought of as having a double standard, plus “mary-jane” does have medicinal uses, correct? Thus it has to be good for the body.

This is not an article advocating the use of tobacco nor a slight for those against it, but a means to take an introspective look at one of the lesser recognized trends here at TWU. There are a variety of quiet trends, whether for better or worse, that have emerged here, smoking is just one that has become more visible amongst students in recent years.

For TWU students, the phenomenon of smoking has been going on for years, albeit in a subtle manner. Stroll down the forest paths and you are more than likely to run into a few students scurrying off into the bushes like frightened fawns, the aroma of tobacco filling the air. For those unfamiliar with the culture of smoking, they may be surprised by the amount of students who light up; no one can be certain since smokers at TWU are a fickle breed and can be difficult to question. Rest assured, it happens. But instead of overreacting, take a moment to reflect on the reason behind the issues within the community at TWU.