Maybe I’ve been hoodwinked. Maybe I chose to attend The University of Alabama under the wrong impression. You see, out of my numerous acceptance letters to various universities around the country, I chose the University believing that the prestige of the students here, along with their levels of ethics and hospitality, were held to a high standard. But perhaps I was wrong.

I learned the length of 1 foot very early in life: 12 inches, correct? A little later I learned about multiplication, so one 1 foot multiplied by 30 is equal to 30 feet, 10 yards, or (if you’re a metric fan) 9.144 meters.

Assuming that the students here on campus know basic mathematics, can anyone explain why it is that I walk out of lecture halls, libraries and dormitories and directly into clouds of cigarette smoke multiple times every day? An email reminding students of the University’s smoking policy was sent out on Oct. 30 stating, “The University of Alabama’s smoking policy prohibits smoking in all campus buildings. In addition, smoking is not allowed within 30 feet of entrances to buildings.”

So who or what is to blame? Surely it’s not ignorance, unless the vast majority of student smokers on campus are devoid of a crimson email account. Are student smokers illiterate? Do they not know simple mathematics? Or do they simply not care? Any of these suggested explanations causes me to lose respect for some of the people here. The University’s campus either lacks the prestige and character I initially thought, or the vast majority of smokers here are collectively selfish.

Granted, not all students here smoke. And of those who do smoke, not all are as inconsiderate of their peers as others prove to be. So I do not, by any means, intend to insult the intelligence or the integrity of the student body here. But why do the non-smokers and respectful smokers not have the zeal and audacity to speak up against those that are selfishly violating University policy? Why hasn’t the administration been following this issue and actually enforcing their so-called policy?

Regardless of any rational explanations, the time is ripe for action. As student smokers continue to abuse the privilege offered to them, should the administration enact a smoke-free campus policy, or will student smokers learn to respect the “regulations” the University supposedly enforces?

Stephen Hewlett is a freshman majoring in management information systems.