I would have thought that the debate as to whether there should be a smoking ban on campus or not would have ended with a vote by the student body. I opened the paper to find that one of the editors of the paper is again complaining that not enough information was put out by the Student Senate about the smoking ban and what it would entail. It is clear that the editor in question is against the ban and has stated his reasons before specifically citing the areas that would be included and the amount of the fine being too steep. It seems clear that some people view a fine as being something that is paid when they please, not as a penalty or punishment for disobeying a law or regulation. The intent of a fine is to stop people from breaking the law and should be at a level high enough to cause discomfort to those who chose to break it. The referendum asked the question of “Do you support the ban and do you support a monetary fee in result of violating the ban?” The answer is clearly yes to both.

George Bauer
Building Construction Management