Damon Lee/DN
UNL Nebraskans for Peace contribute to the community by serving a free supper like this one
at The Gathering Place on the first Sunday of every month.
Smokers sign petition |
By Carma Loontjer
Staff Reporter
Fairness is what they want, and
although membersof Smokers Against
the, New Smoking Policy are few in
numbers, they are determined to be
treated fairly by the university, mem
bers said Wednesday.
“One thing everyone should be
aware of is we are only asking for
fairness,” said Sandy Masek, a mem
ber of the committee and a Nebraska
state employee.
“It is not somebody elsc’s right to
tell me if I want to smoke,” Masek
said.
Formed about one month ago in
response to the smoking ban that will
go into effect August 1, the group is
made up of staff and students of the
University of Ncbraska-Lincoln.
The ban will prohibit smoking in
all university buildings and in the
immediate 10 feet surrounding the
buildings including the Nebraska
Union.
“The big problem right now is
getting the word out,” said John
Snclling, chairperson of the commit
tee.
Student ombudsperson Dave Tem
ple said the group needed to get the
support of an organization.
Snell ing said that he hasapproachcd
the Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska, the Academ
ic Senate, the University Association
of Administration Department, and
the University of Nebraska Office
Personal Association for acknow
ledgement of their group and to be
placed on meeting agendas. Howev
eMnone of these groups meet again
until September, he said.
“Getting the word out is almost
impossible, however we are going to
fight this with a petition,” Snclling
said.
Wednesday’s meeting was used to
formally announce a petition being
circulated that will be given to Gov.
Ben Nelson.
The petition states that signers of
the petition want the Governor to
enact a smoking policy that is fair to
all the citizens of Nebraska.
“You arc going to have to fight
individual fights unless you get a stale
policy,” Masck said.
The petition asks for smoking and
non-smoking areas in all stale office
buildings and any state building where
tax funds from Nebraska citizens arc
used. This includes all NU buildings.
“We (the tax payers) arc paying
the bill and wc feci we have the right
to smoke in these buildings,” Snclling
said.
Some of the money used for build
ing and maintenance comes from the
tobacco lax on cigarettes, he said.
Last year over $36 million was
raised from tobacco tax in Nebraska.
There is now a $.34 tax per pack on
cigarettes.
“This ban made me feel like a
second class citizen because I smoke,
which I believe that I am not,” Snclling
said. “It's been a slow process but wc
have gained from day one.” *
TRAVEL
LIGHT.,
American Heart,
Association
EXERCISE.
Peace
Continued from Page 1
to do some kind of concert or public*
ity thing,” said Craig Imig a UNL
graduate sociology student.
-44
It helps a lot of peo
ple out like this. A lot
of these people don't
have any place to go.
It’s their only means
of eating, coming
here.
— Marvin,
patron at
The Gathering Place
-»f "
Schuetzlc said with the soup kitch
en, they expected about 30 people to
show up for the meal, but last month
there were 48. Sunday, people were
wailing outside when the doors opened
at 5 p.m.
“I usually come here when my
food stamps or something runs out,”
said Edward Rye,one of the patrons at
The Gathering Place on Sunday.
By the end of the week, Rye, who
was there with his family, said he
would have some money again.
Mason Marvin, a first-time visitor
at The Gathering Place, said the food
was OK and the service provided by
the students was important.
“It helps a lot of people out like
this,” Marvin said. “A lot of these
people don ’ t have any place to go. It’s
their only means of eating, coming
here.”
For Doug Schweitzer, a regular at
The Gathering Place, this is all too
true.
“I’m homeless” Schweitzer said.
“I eat once a day and it’s right here.
“I’ve been on the street about six
years,” he said. “I don’t have no place
to go, no place to eat.”
The plight of the homeless is not as
visible in Lincoln, Schweitzer said,
because policccrack down on O Street
and in the downtown area.
Further community involvement
like the volunteer effort at The Gath
ering Place is needed, Schweitzer said.
“I think it should be more,”he said.
“Not just for feeding people, but for
getting us off the street.”
Imig said there were many oppor
tunities for students to get involved
and work in the community, but few
look time out of their schedules to get
involved.
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