A Call for a New, Vibrant and Healthy Mall Culture
Disclaimer: All articles published under this section are the opinions of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Cor Chronicle.
The new smoking policy on campus has caused much discord between smokers and those who avoid it; there is uproar as the apparent death of Mall culture clashes against health concerns and the inability to focus while studying around smokers.
While smoking socially contributed to what seems to have been a vibrant Mall culture, multiple things have contributed to a lack of socializing on the Mall at the start of this semester. These include Aramark’s change of policies on outdoor eating, the designated smoking areas and perhaps even the heat.
However, if we at the University of Dallas desire an active Mall, then we will implement that desire. In my time on the Irving campus, I have enjoyed walking down the Mall and stopping by my friends to chat for a bit. Not once have I needed a cigarette to enjoy their company.
As for meeting new people through a smoke, the DSAs, given how limited they are, would only bring more smokers together. Yes, one might have to walk an extra two minutes, there and back again, from Braniff to reach a DSA, but that’s a minor inconvenience compared to the inability to enjoy the outdoors due to an asthma attack from smoke.
But why smoke, anyway? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), most smokers are addicted to smoking because of the nicotine rush. The NIDA also observes that about 50% of smokers try to quit every year. However, only about 6% of those who attempt to quit actually succeed.
The long-term effects of smoking include addiction, cognitive decline, risk of Alzheimer’s and risk of lung cancer. The short-term effects, however, seem very appealing to a student: temporary boosts to cognitive abilities from smoking include better memory and retention of information.
In comparison to these meager advantages, the long-term risks associated with smoking are not something to sleep on. The temporary boost to cognitive abilities comes at the declination of those same abilities later in life. Those smoke breaks in between studying might attract you now, but it may eventually come back to bite you.
Considering the significant dangers of smoking, why might one be willing to overlook them for a bit of socializing and temporarily heightened cognitive abilities? A commonly used excuse seems to be that the human body has the remarkable capability of regeneration.
While we do have the ability to recover from health damages related to smoking, one has to quit to make a full recovery, which can take up to fifteen years, according to the NIDA.
Secondhand and thirdhand smoking, according to the NIDA, can also have long-term effects on other adults and especially kids – kids who could visit the family-oriented UD Mall at any hour of the day.
The NIDA has observed that harmful fumes are left over from smoking long after the smoke disappears, potentially increasing the risk of long-term effects in the young. Having DSAs away from the Mall would give a much safer environment to those who do not wish to be exposed to smoke, especially children.
Ok, so you’re not fully convinced, but you humor me and say the DSAs are a good idea. Your next question might be, “how do we revive the Mall?”
Well, bring your guitars or other instruments, toss a frisbee (perhaps away from Braniff during the busy times or my face will be featured in the paper again!), hang out with your friends there, bring your books and study and bring your lunch outside by getting a green box – I see people doing it regularly! If the Mall culture dies when smoking is removed, then we never had a Mall culture; it was just “the smoking culture on the Mall.”
While people might be upset at the seemingly arbitrary rationale behind the policy change, health-wise it is objectively better for the community and the kids who come to campus.
Meanwhile, it puts only a minor inconvenience on smokers. This new absence of “smoking culture on the Mall” will serve to inspire a new culture that doesn’t involve the risk of nicotine addiction.
I do see that it’s easier for some to meet someone over a smoke, but if you utilize the DSAs right, you can be guaranteed to meet a new friend – one with whom you already have something in common!
Nicholas Guerin is a junior philosophy major. He is on the UD Ultimate Frisbee team.