Despite my lack of musical, artistic, and theatrical gifts, I am a Meadows student. I study art history and love the arts, even if I cannot directly contribute to their production.  Consequently, I love, support and appreciate artists. I admire the work that they do.  I also know that having a forum for an exchange of ideas between artists is crucial to the success of an artist’s work.  Sadly, however, it appears as if this forum at our University is mantled in a haze of smoke.

If you have ever hung around outside of Meadows, you have seen it.  Our beloved community of visionaries has quite the strong rapport among them, as evinced by the hours upon hours of time they pass in each other’s company sharing laughter, ideas, music, art and, less impressively, a chronic smoking habit.  It would seem that admission into the social milieu of this vibrant arts community requires not only a sharp wit and a marked individuality, but also a lighter and a pack of Virginia Slims (apologies—what are people smoking these days?).

I do not mean to over generalize—I am well aware that there are many folks running in the aforementioned circle that never touch the stuff.  But it would be absurd to deny that there is a salient smoking culture dominating the Meadows benches.

I understand the appeal of smoking; I spent a semester in Spain and realize that there is a certain allure to tobacco that is difficult to satisfy outside of tobacco use. 

I also understand that it looks cool and artsy to smoke, and, let’s be honest, most all of us are trying to look cool in one way or another on this image-dominated campus.  But this type of mutually-reinforcing destructive addiction is not worth the camaraderie it engenders, nor is smoking the only way to achieve such group cohesion.  In fact, in many ways, such a habit precludes the occurrence of potentially fascinating conversations because non-smokers shy away from what they perceive as the smokers-only club.  Indeed, although I know most would not admit it too loudly, there are people who smoke just so they can be friends with the smokers.

The slogan of the Arts Entrepreneurship program within Meadows is START A MOVEMENT.  The idea is to encourage artists to “create relevance in their artistic practice” so that they can better their communities.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we were to start a movement right here, right now, and cut back on all of those cigs?

Rebecca Quinn is a senior art history, Spanish and French triple major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].