Ben Smidt

The smoke will be clearing from UW-Eau Claire dorms starting next fall as the university starts its two-year phase out of allowing cigarette use in designated dorm rooms.

University administrators approved this past month a student-created resolution that will ban cigarette smoke from all residence hall rooms by the 2003-2004 school year.

Starting next fall semester, Towers Hall-North and Bridgman Hall will be smoke free. The other two current dorms with smoking floors – Towers Hall-South and Putnam Hall – will initiate the ruling the following year.

United Hall Council, the on-campus student organization that makes recommendations to the housing director, passed the smoke-free resolution in November. The organization based its decision on the decrease of students requesting smoking rooms.

In a survey done a year ago, about 72 percent of those responding said they would like smoke-free dorms.

Last fall semester 98 residents requested smoking rooms for the 270 beds that permit smoking, as stated in the UHC resolution.

“I think they made a wise choice as students because they’re the ones who have to live (in the dorms),” said Chuck Major, director of housing and residence life.

Currently 97 percent of all dorms are smoke free and usually the smoking areas are on the upper floors, Major said. Both Towers halls allow smoking on the 10th floors, Bridgman Hall has a smoking floor on fourth and Putnam Hall has wings on third and fourth floor east, he said.

Sophomore Nate Keiser, Student Senate director of Student Services, said he thinks the move is a good idea considering the health concerns involved.

Keiser is a resident assistant of Bridgman Hall.

“I don’t like when I’m doing rounds to go up there and smell smoke,” Keiser said. “It does stink up the dorm.”

Freshman David Kolmon, a smoker who lives on the 10th floor of Towers Hall-North, said he did not request to live on the smoking floor but thinks it’s a good idea.

Aside from smokers not having to go outside to smoke, Kolmon said the smoking floors create a more sociable environment.

“You can just go into anyone’s room, have a smoke and chit-chat,” Kolmon said. “It does make for a friendly floor.”

Before UHC created the limited number of smoking floors in 1997, all residents could smoke in their room, Major said.

Other UW campuses are smoke free, Major said, but Eau Claire is one of the few that eliminated it from dorms through the students.

Keiser said some problems could arise from more students smoking outside of the dorms and more second-hand smoke.

Although smokers are requested to smoke away from the dorm entrances, Major said, more outside smokers will not worsen any current problems.

“It’s not going to add up,” Major said, “to the volume that’s out there.”