<p>Three years ago my son turned down the Presidential scholarship at AU. We really liked the school so we visited again with our daughter. When we visited we were astounded by the number of smokers on campus. There were more smokers at AU than at any other school we visited - even down South. Has anyone else noticed this?</p>
<p>We visited on President’s Day and I don’t recall seeing anyone smoking the whole day.</p>
<p>We have visited several times (granted one visit was during the “snowcopolypse” winter of 09/10) and we (non smokers all) never noticed a difference with other schools. We found the dorms/buildings clean and the campus clean and well kept as well. This question came up once before since my D enrolled and I asked her. Her response was Yeah there is more smoking than she expected with college students. None of her friends smoke and since she take voice lessons, she is careful with her health as are many of her classmates. </p>
<p>So, perhaps because the campus is compact you noticed it more?? but per my D there is no difficulty being around nonsmokers and she has never had an issue with it.</p>
<p>NJM: Did you turn down the scholarship based on the smoking issue? Can’t understand this. Your college student will be faced with many choices while they are away , it is up to them to choose wisely. Smoking , drugs , sex , drinking, happens on most college campus ,Participation is not mandatory.
I don’t condone smoking and think it is self destructive , but last time I checked smoking is not illegal.</p>
<p>My son did not turn down the scholarship because of the smoking. He was admitted to a school that he felt was better for him and he made the right choice for him. We did not notice that many smokers back then. However my daughter noticed the smokers this November (she is a HS senior) and it does bother her.</p>
<p>We noticed this too, and it surprised us. I thought college students would be bright enough to be aware of the health threats associated with smoking! On our tour, there was a frat raising money by giving people time smoking a hooka. I had never even seen one before! Opened my eyes, as well as my daughter’s. She knows that things like that take place at many colleges, and will find people who share her interests, etc. She does have asthma though, so a non-smoking room mate will be very important wherever she goes to school.</p>
<p>We didn’t notice that when touring American last spring. We did notice an unusual amount of smokers at Bard, though. </p>
<p>In general, smoking seems on the rise with college students, and hookahs are hip now. Hopefully the cigarette smoking will be a short-lived fad.</p>
<p>Our D also has asthma and she did let housing and dining know that she could not have a roommate who smoked even if she did not smoke around her. It was not a problem. She is a senior this year and has not reported a problem with smokers except her first year when someone in a room below hers smoked. They talked to their RA and it was dealt with effectively.
Our older D visited Bard and Reed and was amazed by the number of smokers at both of those schools though that was in 02 and 03 so things may well have changed.
Ellen</p>
<p>Our D also has asthma and she did let housing and dining know that she could not have a roommate who smoked even if she did not smoke around her. It was not a problem. She is a senior this year and has not reported a problem with smokers except her first year when someone in a room below hers smoked. They talked to their RA and it was dealt with effectively.
Our older D visited Bard and Reed and was amazed by the number of smokers at both of those schools though that was in 02 and 03 so things may well have changed.
Ellen</p>
<p>I’m verrryyy sensitive to cigarette smoke and odors, and have never been uncomfortable anywhere at AU. I could be wrong, but I don’t think smoking is allowed indoors there at all. The truth is that a lot more college students than you would think are smokers–if my S and his friends were typical, it’s temporary thing that disappears once they hit the real world, realize smoking doesn’t denote coolness, and find more interesting ways to waste money.</p>
<p>I also was struck by the number of smokers at Bard as well as at Emerson–kind of a hipster thing, I guess, along with wearing a lot of black.</p>
<p>Sorry, duplicate post–site has hiccups today.</p>
<p>To echo other posters, my son also has asthma and I am very sensitive to smoke, I am pretty much an anti smoking nazi and I didn’t notice any smoke on the times i have been on campus.</p>