2008 Woodie Awards
Fire risk at Winthrop smoking section
Matt Montgomery
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: Opinion
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I do not know a lot about specific things, but I know little about a lot. For one thing, Coca-Cola tastes best on US Air flights. The second, if ever four guys are together hanging out, it should be assumed that each one will take-on a role from the HBO program "Entourage," assigning the following characters to each of the buddies: Vinny, E, Turtle and, of course, Drama. Lastly, you will see Scandal's bartender Eddie without a hat exactly one time per year given two bar appearances a month.
But aside from television and the location of a soft-drink's reaching of maximum taste potential, an issue has been waving to me, begging for attention. That issue: the smoking section outside of Byrnes auditorium across the street from the front porch of Thurmond.
If ever plumes of smoke are billowing up among the top branches of Winthrop's beloved Oaks, you'll know why. It is because that smoking section is a fire hazard.
I'm talking about dry pine-needles. The same pine-needles that column after cartoon after verbal-complaint joke about. The same landscape accent that is commonly seen being delivered in bundles and spread by the maintenance men. Those needles have become a staple at our university - a staple that could burn us.
Consider nonchalant flicking of smoked cigarettes - the butts of those Parliaments and Newports that are thoughtlessly tossed on to the ground - and factor in the surrounding area of the section. If you never pass that hotspot that could be dubbed the center of campus, or if you are an art student living on Ebenezer who only goes to Rutledge, home and Toyo, allow me to describe the setting.
There's a bench, barely big enough for Forrest Gump's ignorant butt to sit in, resting atop a concrete portion about 6'x3'. One cigarette butt-depository is beside the bench - one. Surrounding the area of concrete are those pine-needles.
I believe Smokey the Bear would be turning in his public service announcemented-grave if he were to lay eyes on that benched-island among sea of dry pine-needles, because even you with the ciggy-bone can prevent a campus fire.
But aside from television and the location of a soft-drink's reaching of maximum taste potential, an issue has been waving to me, begging for attention. That issue: the smoking section outside of Byrnes auditorium across the street from the front porch of Thurmond.
If ever plumes of smoke are billowing up among the top branches of Winthrop's beloved Oaks, you'll know why. It is because that smoking section is a fire hazard.
I'm talking about dry pine-needles. The same pine-needles that column after cartoon after verbal-complaint joke about. The same landscape accent that is commonly seen being delivered in bundles and spread by the maintenance men. Those needles have become a staple at our university - a staple that could burn us.
Consider nonchalant flicking of smoked cigarettes - the butts of those Parliaments and Newports that are thoughtlessly tossed on to the ground - and factor in the surrounding area of the section. If you never pass that hotspot that could be dubbed the center of campus, or if you are an art student living on Ebenezer who only goes to Rutledge, home and Toyo, allow me to describe the setting.
There's a bench, barely big enough for Forrest Gump's ignorant butt to sit in, resting atop a concrete portion about 6'x3'. One cigarette butt-depository is beside the bench - one. Surrounding the area of concrete are those pine-needles.
I believe Smokey the Bear would be turning in his public service announcemented-grave if he were to lay eyes on that benched-island among sea of dry pine-needles, because even you with the ciggy-bone can prevent a campus fire.
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