July 1: UA goes Tobacco-free - for the most part
The UA goes tobacco-free, come July 1. This means that there will be a complete ban of all tobacco related products on the UA campus after that date.
While I agree that banning smoking inside buildings is a great idea, I have to wonder just how enforceable the outside ban on smoking is gonna be - will there be special roving bands of snitches, on the look out for smokers, ready to send a picture with a cell phone camera at any instant of an offender?
And what about chewing tobacco? Some guy relaxing under a tree after class, and he’s going to be surrounded by a SWAT (Specially Warning About Tobacco) team, demanding that he spit out the offending mass in his mouth?
“In a hankie, buddy! Don’t pollute the area!”
And speaking of pollution, someone - a nonsmoker - raised the point that there will just probably be a whole lot more cigarette butts on the ground and in the grass as a result of this policy.
And while the the “total” ban on tobacco-related products also will mean that there will be no tobacco advertising on campus, including sporting events, UA media - such as the student paper, the Arkansas Traveler, are not restricted from accepting tobacco-related revenue.
While true that the Traveler is covered by the First Amendment, and the UA cannot prohibit their taking the ads, it is leaving a sour taste in the mouths of some of campus. Even if it chooses never to run any ads for ethical reasons, the fact that it still has a loophole doesn’t sit well with some.
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Quote of the Day
Socially, a journalist fits in somewhere between a whore and a bartender. But spiritually he stands beside Galileo. He knows the world is round. - Sherman Reilly Duffy, Chicago Daily Journal, early 20th Century
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Celebrity Journalism
That quote doesn’t seem quite so apt any more, does it, when we see attractive, well-dressed TV pundits (like the ever-sycophantic Wolf Blitzer and the FOX “news” crowd) who see themselves as stars, rather than reporters. I’m sure most of them wouldn’t even know how to relate to Duffy’s belief.
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On the Air - Monster Mash
This week on the show, HeatherDrain comes on and talks about horror films. Heather has written about horror films for many online journals, and viewers are in for an entertaining conversation.
Show times:
Monday - 7pm
Tuesday - noon
Saturday - 6pm
As always, C.A.T. can be found on channel 18 of the Cox Cable line-up in Fayetteville.
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Monster Mash - II
So- I have a theory about zombie movies. It doesn’t matter if it is “Night of the Living Dead” or “Shawn of the Dead,” don’t they all eventually turn into “The Alamo”?
Holed up in a fort/farmhouse/pub while the zombies attack from all sides?
Just an observation . . .
Comments
"And while the the "total" ban on tobacco-related products also will mean that there will be no tobacco advertising on campus, including sporting events, UA media - such as the student paper, the Arkansas Traveler, are not restricted from accepting tobacco-related revenue.
"While true that the Traveler is covered by the First Amendment, and the UA cannot prohibit their taking the ads, it is leaving a sour taste in the mouths of some of campus. Even if it chooses never to run any ads for ethical reasons, the fact that it still has a loophole doesn't sit well with some."
Richard S. Drake is referring to the invocation of the First Amendment as a "loophole"? You gotta be kdding me!
I am sorry if this situation with the traveler "doesn't sit well with some" but the constitution is what it is. And we are fortunate that the Traveler is able to function independently in this manner rather than be an arm of the administration. Indeed, if the Traveler were functioning as an arm of the administration on nearly any other subject, the howls would be loud and long, quite possibly even from Street Jazz.
The Traveler is appropriately exempt from having the UA smoking ban affect its advertising policy. For that matter, you wouldn't want a city government policy to impact the First Amendment prerogatives of Community Access Television, would you?
Posted by: j. jack flash![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/streetjazz/nav-commenters.gif)
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May 5, 2008 08:35 AM