Currier Announces Smoking Policy

Two of Currier House's four residential towers will be designated as non-smoking areas in a compromise housing plan announced last week.

Currier House Master William A. Graham, professor of the history of religion and Islamic studies, said he believes the measure will satisfy both the house's non-smoking majority and smoking minority.

"We're simply trying to respond to both smokers and non-smokers," he said. "We have so few smokers that it makes it tricky to do so."

Last month, some Currier residents complained that smoke from their housemates' rooms travelled through the house's ventilation into their designated non-smoking rooms.

According to the new plan, Tuchman and Bingham Halls have been designated as non-smoking build- ings. Smoking will still be permitted in roomsin Daniels and Gilbert Halls, but if a non-smokeris bothered by the smoke, the wishes of thenon-smoker will prevail, Graham said.

"The rule is the same as anywhere else atHarvard--if smoke disturbs someone, then thesmoking has to stop," he said. "It's still not alicense for smoking to disturb."

Without designating non-smoking towers, theproblem of travelling smoke is inevitable, Grahamsaid.

"With this architecture, smoke can pass fromfloor to floor, along the pipes," he said. "I'veheard the same thing about every other house thathas modern [construction]."

Zachary T. Buchwald '96, president of theCurrier House Committee, said the masters'decision is a "fair compromise."

"It should appeal to the vast majority of thehouse," he said. "It's going to make most of theinvolved parties happy."

And William A. Blankenship '96, a smoker wholives in Currier House, said the compromise is"fine."

"I don't think that's a concern for mostpeople, anyway," he said.

But William C. Donahue, a resident tutor inCurrier House, said he believes the compromise "ismore than kind to the smokers."

"I think it's a way of moving toward anon-smoking house, but I'm not sure," he said."Maybe it will come to the point where smokerswill have to live in a place like a co-op oroff-campus or something."

In a recent survey of Currier residents, Grahamsaid, only five to seven students among 150respondents identified themselves as smokers, withthe "vast majority quite-averse to smoking."

But Buchwald said his estimate of the number ishigher than Graham's but he said he still believessmokers are a minority.

"It's fair to say that 50 percent of Curriermay be smoking or doesn't mind smoking," he said.

Room Selection

Buchwald said students who dislike cigarettesmoke should take this factor into considerationwhen choosing their rooms and avoid selectingrooms in Daniels or Gilbert Halls.

"I don't think students who are severelyopposed to smoking should be living in one of thetwo towers that are considered a smoking tower,"he said. "That's going against the whole purposeof having a compromise of this nature."

But some of those students who have beenbothered by smoke in the past said yesterdayBuchwald's suggestion may not be an option.

Jay Kurt Schumacher, Jr. '96, Matthew B. Emans'96 and Evan J. Eason '96, who is a Crimsoneditor, have selected the only three-person suitein the house, which happens to be in Gilbert Hall,Schumacher said.

"The Currier House administration has stakedout an untenable position by forcing us to choosebetween spending our senior year in a smoke-freetower with a floater or taking the onlythree-person suite in the house, which happens tohave been included in the smoking area,"Schumacher said. "For us this was the only logicaloption. We hope it won't be a problem."

Schumacher said if second-hand smoke becomes aproblem, his group will likely complain.

"We'll have to look at the specific situation,"he said. "If it's bad enough, I would think thatwe will."

The Law

And the group of three may have a legal rightto a non-smoking room in Gilbert Hall, regardlessof the compromise, said Joseph Nicoloro, seniorsanitary inspector of the Cambridge Department ofEnvironmental Health.

"Smoking is one's own privacy, unless oneaffects somebody," Nicoloro said. "Then we've gota problem--it's a shame, but that's what happenswhen you've got poor exhaust systems."

Nicoloro said Harvard may be "responsible to apoint to take corrective measures" to protect thehealth of non-smokers.

And Sue R. Kane, Harvard College's housingofficer, said house masters must restrict smokingif the smoke enters the hallways.

For now, Currier residents and masters say theyare hoping the current compromise will suffice

"The rule is the same as anywhere else atHarvard--if smoke disturbs someone, then thesmoking has to stop," he said. "It's still not alicense for smoking to disturb."

Without designating non-smoking towers, theproblem of travelling smoke is inevitable, Grahamsaid.

"With this architecture, smoke can pass fromfloor to floor, along the pipes," he said. "I'veheard the same thing about every other house thathas modern [construction]."

Zachary T. Buchwald '96, president of theCurrier House Committee, said the masters'decision is a "fair compromise."

"It should appeal to the vast majority of thehouse," he said. "It's going to make most of theinvolved parties happy."

And William A. Blankenship '96, a smoker wholives in Currier House, said the compromise is"fine."

"I don't think that's a concern for mostpeople, anyway," he said.

But William C. Donahue, a resident tutor inCurrier House, said he believes the compromise "ismore than kind to the smokers."

"I think it's a way of moving toward anon-smoking house, but I'm not sure," he said."Maybe it will come to the point where smokerswill have to live in a place like a co-op oroff-campus or something."

In a recent survey of Currier residents, Grahamsaid, only five to seven students among 150respondents identified themselves as smokers, withthe "vast majority quite-averse to smoking."

But Buchwald said his estimate of the number ishigher than Graham's but he said he still believessmokers are a minority.

"It's fair to say that 50 percent of Curriermay be smoking or doesn't mind smoking," he said.

Room Selection

Buchwald said students who dislike cigarettesmoke should take this factor into considerationwhen choosing their rooms and avoid selectingrooms in Daniels or Gilbert Halls.

"I don't think students who are severelyopposed to smoking should be living in one of thetwo towers that are considered a smoking tower,"he said. "That's going against the whole purposeof having a compromise of this nature."

But some of those students who have beenbothered by smoke in the past said yesterdayBuchwald's suggestion may not be an option.

Jay Kurt Schumacher, Jr. '96, Matthew B. Emans'96 and Evan J. Eason '96, who is a Crimsoneditor, have selected the only three-person suitein the house, which happens to be in Gilbert Hall,Schumacher said.

"The Currier House administration has stakedout an untenable position by forcing us to choosebetween spending our senior year in a smoke-freetower with a floater or taking the onlythree-person suite in the house, which happens tohave been included in the smoking area,"Schumacher said. "For us this was the only logicaloption. We hope it won't be a problem."

Schumacher said if second-hand smoke becomes aproblem, his group will likely complain.

"We'll have to look at the specific situation,"he said. "If it's bad enough, I would think thatwe will."

The Law

And the group of three may have a legal rightto a non-smoking room in Gilbert Hall, regardlessof the compromise, said Joseph Nicoloro, seniorsanitary inspector of the Cambridge Department ofEnvironmental Health.

"Smoking is one's own privacy, unless oneaffects somebody," Nicoloro said. "Then we've gota problem--it's a shame, but that's what happenswhen you've got poor exhaust systems."

Nicoloro said Harvard may be "responsible to apoint to take corrective measures" to protect thehealth of non-smokers.

And Sue R. Kane, Harvard College's housingofficer, said house masters must restrict smokingif the smoke enters the hallways.

For now, Currier residents and masters say theyare hoping the current compromise will suffice