Student services senior vice president Linda Reimer sent an email yesterday informing students that because of New York City smoking laws, the school will no longer permit smoking in the courtyard. The decision is the result of ongoing complaints from staff and faculty members concerning smoke from the courtyard entering offices in the 11th and 12th street buildings, according to the e-mail.
“The University has a legal obligation to protect everyone in the community from the well-documented adverse effects of exposure to secondhand smoke,” the e-mail said.
Reimer further noted that smoking in the courtyard violates New York City laws.
“New York City laws prohibit smoking both within our facilities and on our grounds, which include the Vera List Courtyard between the 11th and 12th Street buildings,” she wrote.
During breaks between classes the courtyard is usually packed with smokers. Student views about the decision to ban smoking vary.
“The courtyard is the only place in the entire New School where students cannot only smoke, but also socialize in a private outside area,” said Lizzi Foulkes, a sophomore in the BAFA program. “Banning smoking in the courtyard won’t stop anyone from smoking, all the students will just stand out in front of the school in large, noisy groups, and annoy pedestrians and the inhabitants of the neighboring buildings.”
University student senate co-chair Tavish Gallagher shared a similar sentiment, and pointed out that the ban will push smokers to the sidewalk in front of the buildings, creating serious traffic around the entrances of the 11th and 12th street buildings.
Reimer’s email, with the subject “Seeking Your Cooporation,” simply implores students to respect this ban. If smoking in the courtyard persists over the next few weeks, security may be asked to intervene, Gallagher said.
“[This will cause an] interruption of a public space where students can congregate and meet, smokers and non-smokers,” Gallagher said. “[There is] a deficit in regards to a real place for school community; I saw the courtyard as the closest thing students have to that.”
Some students believe the smoking ban will benefit The New School community.
Alex Hope, a sophomore culture and media studies major at Lang, supports the ban. Hope said that secondhand smoke causes her health problems, like migraines. “I won’t have to worry about walking through the courtyard, and I would even be able to sit in the courtyard at times, without triggering a migraine,” Hope said.
“I think it will help keep the courtyard clean which is nice,” Lang Sophomore Andie Glik said. “I think it will make it less of a hangout spot. I think that the courtyard is going to stop smelling like weed now.”
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Shea Carmen Swan is a junior at Lang, majoring in Journalism + Design, minoring in Gender Studies. With 4 semesters of Free Press under her belt, she enjoys writing all things LGBTQIA and currently writes for Posture Magazine, a queer arts publication. Kyriacrchy.wordpress.com & Soilscript.wordpress.com host most of her literary work.
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Breathing in secondhand smoke hurts my throat, give me a headache, and then makes my stomach hurt if I continue to remain in the smokey environment for over 5 minutes. Walking through the courtyard has always been extremely uncomfortable for me. I am really happy TNS is finally doing something about this. Not everyone at TNS smokes and nothing is stopping smokers from still enjoying this area and socializing! Why can’t we ALL enjoy the courtyard?
Also, my mother has asthma and now I can feel comfortable about showing her my school when she comes to see it during graduation.