Left Out in the Rain

By Zac Starke

The rain pounds against the shallow asphalt of deMaisoneuve, as shadows of Dawson College’s ever ominous presence overlook the boulevard, students purge out the doors after their most recent classes to enjoy a certain dirty, little pleasure. The students take refuge from the rain’s assault under the narrow eaves of the school’s entrance, they fumble to retrieve lighters and ignite their cigarettes, only to utter common sighs of discontent as security approaches. Suddenly the mob stumbles into the street and the unfortunate prospects of the rain’s fury.

By law, no pedestrian, student, teacher, parent, or other, is permitted to smoke within fifty feet of school entrances, a rule that proves to not sit well with certain members of the Dawson College community.

“I respect the idea of the school’s blue line,” says one student on a similar morning, “ I just can’t take standing in the rain, or running to a gazebo half way around the school to have a quick smoke before class if it’s raining outside, it’s ridiculous.”

Student and administration smokers alike make many accommodations for the college’s anti-smoking regulations, but feel some dissatisfaction as to how Dawson College enforces them, for example being left out in the rain. Anyone can sympathize with hopes to keep dry on brisk, fall days, or so it seems. Non-smokers appear mostly un-sympathetic to the position smokers are put in on such days, some students even believe the college’s regulations on smoking aren’t firm enough. Another important factor that comes into play is the school’s apparent lack of effort in properly educating new students on the smoking regulations.

To be put mildly, student smokers and faculty alike grow ever more tired of the conditions they must face each day there is a down-poor if they wish to exercise their liberties to smoke. The majority of Dawson College smokers surveyed seem willing to abide by the rules, but are uneasy at the fact that they make all of the adjustments to the rules, yet no adjustments appear to be readily made for smokers. “Yeah, I know it’s bad to smoke, but if you’re addicted, you’re addicted!” Mentions one student, “I understand the rules, and I agree with them, but it’s wrong after we get all these new taxes and laws against smoking, that we either have to run to one of those hut-things all the way at the other end of the school, or stand in the rain and get sick.” Her eyes light up fiercely as she recalls all the instances where she did in fact catch cold. While other students consider these rules and shortcomings as excuses to finally quit the habit, the consensus among Dawson College smokers stands that the school should at least make some accommodations to smokers, for instance more gazebos around the school.

Non-smokers do not see eye-to-eye with their smoker counterparts however. The non-smoking body of the school, in majority, appear to have no sympathy for the smokers who are put out by these anti-smoking regulations. In fact, the general consensus amongst this group seems to be that the rules are not strict enough on smokers, and the school should enforce the laws much more harshly in order to sway smokers into quitting. In a survey done of ten non-smokers, all of the interviewees harbour similar thoughts on the matter, all ten believe if someone wishes to smoke, they should “reap what they sow, and stand in the rain to puff on their cancer-sticks,” as Rhea Bisaillion remarks, a Dawson College student, as her colleagues nod their heads in approval to this statement.

While some students and faculty believe the rules to not be firm enough, others have no clue as to what the terms of conduct regarding smoking are, until after they are already in the school’s system. Most new students who recently began at Dawson this semester are not properly informed about the rules, and even sometimes receive fines at the Du Maisoneuve entrance for smoking within the non-smoking perimeter. Most are unaware of the true borders to the non-smoking area, as it still has yet to receive the easily recognizable blue line, which persist at every other entrance of the college. Though some rules remain unclear to most students, smokers and non-smokers alike, no student interviewed feels security is doing a decent job. When requested for interviews, comments, regulations, or information which pertains to smoking at Dawson College, all are coldly declined and un-obliged by security personnel.

Dismay is a sentiment which both sides of the smoker and non-smoker Dawson community empathize along the fence in regard to revelations of the school’s apparent inability to properly inform smokers of the rules. Even through all the fog of uncertainty and shortcomings presented by smoking laws, the smoking community at Dawson College in simply wishes the college, or Province for that matter, make some headway in outfitting extra smoking cabannes around the school to shield their weary bodies from torrents of rain when those gloomy days are in the forecast. Though smokers are aware of how smoking affects their bodies, as well as health long-term, they concur it is a freedom of choice, a negative one be that as it may, a liberty they don’t mind the Quebec CEGEP imposing on, so long as the college takes some sympathy that others do not.

Though such anti-smoking regulations are put in place for the overall well-being of the Dawson Community, smokers melanchollicaly anticipate the day that they can smoke in peace on a chilled, rain slicked day.

The light of day becomes shadows while the moon, once again, starts to hang itself in the sky and the populace files out from the crowded doorways. The portion of smokers identify themselves with the signature chik chik of their lighters as they fire up their cigarettes. They take quick draws, toss aside the remainder of the cigarettes, almost in unison, and vacate the area, leaving behind only the butts of their cigarettes to signify they were ever there. Lingering for days to come are the cigarettes’ remains, littering the streets just like the members of the Dawson College Community who wish to smoke them