78 r Se. - YF SUSQUEHANI Vol. 78, No. 21, May 24, 197. RAL R . 1) . MOU ve Susquehanna Times & The Mount J MARIETTA & MOUNT JOY, PA. JOY ' ie yD WOR 1040 PA FIFTEEN CENTS A smouldering issue Massive crackdown on student smoking at DHS involves locked bathrooms, federally-paid “sniffers’’ prowling the halls. The kids still smoke. American public schools have been trying to prevent students from smoking for at least a hundred years. Tom Sawyer played hookey to smoke his pipe, and most grandfathers can remember how they or their friends lit up behind the outhouse near a one-room school, or sneaked a smoke in the lavatory in the new consolidated schools. In those days, smoking was considered a foul- smelling but relatively harmless vice, and arbi- trary rules like the smoking ban were not questioned by anybody—not even by the puffing students. Things have changed. Secretary Clifano’s anti- smoking campaign has brought to the news media a growing debate between those who see smoking as a right and those who want to ban it as a menace to non-smokers as well as to those who smoke. Smoking has become an ‘‘issue’’ everywhere, in- cluding the schools. Some people think the students have a ‘“‘right’”’ to smoke. Other people think that teachers, as well as students, should be forced to give up the smoking habit. This issue has been smouldering at Donegal High, as at most high schools, for years. This last year the administration launched a new attack on student smoking with two federally-paid CETA work- ers, who are technically secretaries, but who are universally referred to as ‘‘sniffers.’” The sniffers hang out around the lava- tories, where students smoke, and try to catch violators of the cigarette prohibition. In addition, the school has taken to closing lava- tories which are not watched by sniffers. De- spite these vigorous mea- sures, smoking continues in DHS. Several local schools have set up smoking lounges to solve this universal headache. There is a state law against any minor smoking on school property, but the law is never enforced. These smoking lounges at other schools have worked out fairly well, although they cause the school district some pro- blems. For example, parents sometimes blame the school if their child starts smoking. Other nearby schools have banned smoking for everyone, including the teachers. This causes pro- blems too. The local teachers’ union generally protests, and nicotine- addicted teachers become indignant, uncomfortable, and unable to concentrate on their work. They may even start sneaking into the lavatories to smoke, which is hardly a good example for the students. Last week the Times spoke to students, teachers and administrators at DHS. Opinions were sharply divided. Most of the teachers and administrators were oppos- ed to establishing a smoking lounge. Most of the students were in favor of one, many pointing out that the teachers and administrators can smoke if they choose to. ‘‘Teachers can burn down the building just as fast as we can,” said student Jenny Freed. Other, non-smoking -stu- dents, also wanted a lounge, because they don’t like being exposed to the smoke and soggy butts that now fill the lavatories. Student Pat Kenney III told us that a lounge ‘“‘would be a good idea. When you go into the lav you can’t breathe, and when you come out you smell like smoke. It’s unhealthy for every student who doesn’t smoke.’’ Another student said, ‘‘Get the smokers out. It’s a mess in there.’’ Most of the pro-lounge students (mostly smokers) simply felt it is unfair that teachers can smoke and not students. Several students we spoke with were against the lounge idea. ‘‘I feel that any money used for a smoking lounge would be foolishly spent,’’ said a student council member. ““The money should go to our education.’”’ Student Vickie Fogie noted that a lounge might increase smoking among students by ‘‘making the non -smokers feel left out.”’ However, the majority of students wanted a lounge either to smoke in, because of fire hazards and mess in the lavatories, to unlock the unpatrolled lavatories, and to reduce friction between students and teachers. A student who transferred here from a school with a lounge said that ‘‘it worked out very well’’ at her old school. Teachers tended to be split down the middle on the issue. Some came out strongly against permitting smoking, like Jack W.W. Loose, who said, ‘‘I am totally against any kind of smoking in the school. It should be stopped by everyone in the school.” ‘“‘Sniffer’” Carol Jackson said, ‘‘I don’t feel that there should be a smoking lounge, because it encour- ages smoking, and smoking is bad for your health.” An administrator, who asked not to be quoted by name, said that the lounges in other schools caused trouble when ‘‘the novelty wore off.”” Kids began making trouble, he said, and students took to forging the parental per- mission slips that gained them access to the lounge. According to the BOCCA Code, students caught smoking can be fined. The district was considering this earlier this school year as part of the war on cigarettes. Planned tax hike is 3 mills in preliminary budget for Donegal school district Last Thursday the School Board met and gave approval for preliminary adoption of the 1978-79 school district budget. If finally adopted, the tax rate will rise three mills, from 103 to 106. Most of the costs of the various aspects of running school district have increas- ed by a few percent, which can be accounted for by inflation. The new budget will raise the cost of administration by .1%, for example, and the cost of instruction by 7.0%. Oper- ation, and maintenance will go down 18.5%, and capital outlay down a whopping 60.6%. The cost of roof repairs and heating system repairs at DHS and Beahm will be covered by a $200,000 loan. Last year the board estimated the amount to be borrowed at $250,000, but the repairs cost less than anticipated. The loan will be paid off in four years, with the first payment next year. The budget shows a balance from last year of $366,752. The proposed budget shows local incom- ing revenues up 8.9% over last year to $4,410,290; state monies up 10.1% to $1,725,921; and federal dollars rising 34.9% over last year to $106,611. Final adoption of the proposed budget is slated for the June 15th board meeting. The budget will be advertised and will be available for inspection in the district office at the Washington School until then. . Donegal’s share of the Vo-Tech budget is estimat- ed at $153,330.06, and the diversified occupation bud- get share at $7,143.13. In other action the board re-appointed National Cen- tral Bank as district [continued on page8] Rev. Steedle of Maytown Reformed by Linda Good On Sunday, May 12, Reverend Mr. Edgar Steedle of the Maytown . Reformed Church celebrat- ed his tenth year in the ministry. He was presented with a plaque honoring him for serving the United Church of Christ since 1968. Mr. Steedle is the son of Mrs. Steedle and the late Elroy Wilson Steedle. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1950, and received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Degree. On May 27, 1968, he was granted the Bachelor of Divinity Degree by Lancas- ter Theological Seminary. Prior to attending the University of Delaware he served in the United States Navy from March 1942 until June 1946. Following college he was employed as a mechanical engineer for fourteen years. Mr. Steedle and the former Mrs. Carolyn C. Nye of Millersville Pa. were married on July 9, 1977. Their combined fa- mily includes six children and six grandchildren. Rev. Steedle served as, pastor of The Trinity U.C.C. in Glen Rock, PA. prior for nine years to coming to Maytown. He was installed as pas- tor of the Maytown Re- formed Church on February 12, 1978. We are happy to, welcome him into our: 14 community.
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