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THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY August 26, 2019
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The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Vol. 149 Issue 1
BRIAN BAUER THE DAILY ILLINI
A smoke-free campus sign is displayed in parking lot E2 by the Architecture Building on Aug. 28. To combat the rise in popularity of smokeless tobacco products among college students, the University has revised its campus policy to include all tobacco products and vaping devices.
University bans all tobacco products
BY CLARE BUDIN ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR
In a Massmail to University students, Chancellor Robert Jones announced the University’s smoke and tobacco-free campus policy is now officially in effect, banning all tobacco products and vaping devices on campus-owned property. While the University has been a smoke-free campus since 2014, the chancellor announced last fall the policy would be expanded to include smoke-free forms of tobacco such as chewing tobacco, snuff and dissolvable strips and orbs. “From an institutional perspective, since we now have a medical school here on the campus, as a role model nationally and worldwide in terms of good health, we felt it was important to add smokeless tobacco to the list of things we prohibited in our smoke-free policy,” said Michele Guerra, director of Campus Wellness Center. Guerra said the extension was a logical progression of the poli-
cy based on increasing evidence of tobacco’s health hazards, regardless of the form in which it is consumed. “From a public health perspective, as time has gone by, there has been more and more research adding to the concerns of just how deadly all tobacco and nicotine products, not just smoking forms, are,” Guerra said. Guerra said a particular concern on college campuses is the vulnerable age when students begin using tobacco and developing addictions. “We know that most people who use tobacco and nicotine products usually start sporadically in their teens and late teens and oftentimes develop what can be a deadly addiction that’s very hard to break by the age of about 26, so the traditional college years are a time when many people become addicted,” Guerra said. “We wanted to do what we could to encourage people to make healthy choices during that important time of life.”
Guerra said at a time when the use of vaping products has spiked among young populations, the University’s goal is to educate students that newer, more popular forms of smoking are far from harmless. “Many people on campus mistakenly think that vaping is just flavored water, but it’s actually a very potent nicotine delivery system, and it has its own health risks,” Guerra said. “We’re going to be doing a lot of informational programming to get the word out.” With the first death connected to vaping reported from Illinois, Cabral Bigman, associate professor in LAS who specializes in health communication, said it’s essential students are aware of the dangerous short-term effects of vaping that are harder to ignore. “It is important to realize that the health risks are not just longterm,” Bigman said in an email. “If the University finds that there is a lack of awareness of health risks, then an educational intervention
could be something to consider.” Bigman said the lax oversight and relative lack of information surrounding the rapidly growing vaping industry has contributed to its rise as an alternative to other smoking forms. “When compared to cigarettes, companies have been able to advertise and market vaping products without as much regulatory oversight,” Bigman said. “I believe that has contributed to the current trends.” Sonali Kumar, freshman in Engineering, said regardless of campus policy or enforcement, there will always be safe havens for students to use tobacco or marijuana on or off-campus. “You can just go to any place that doesn’t have as much University presence or an apartment where there isn’t an RA inspecting dorms,” Kumar said. “People can find a way to find devices or smoke no matter what.” Katie Lamarche, sophomore in
LAS, was also doubtful that the policy’s adjustments would affect the usage of tobacco, nicotine or marijuana among students. “I can see where the policy is coming from, but at the same time, that’s not going to prevent (smoking) from being on campus,” Lemarche said. “I’ve seen people outside of the (Undergraduate Library) or the Main Library smoking anything from a Juul to a cigarette to weed.” Bigman said even if changes are not immediately seen, more awareness will create a healthier campus. “As with any policy, some people may try to get around it,” Bigman said. “However, enforcement of a smoke-free campus helps to promote the health and well-being of the campus, and contributes to population-based approaches that have been effective in reducing smoking.” claredb2@dailyillini.com
Optimism may lead to better sleep Graduate students BY REBECCA WOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A fter four years of attending the University, senior in LAS Kathryn Lenz says she still sleeps better at home in Chicago than on campus. A recent study led by a University professor investigated if there is a positive correlation between being more optimistic and getting better quality sleep. “When I’m at school, I
always feel like I could be doing something else, like homework or studying, instead of sleeping,” Lenz said. “At home, I don’t have that pressing issue weighing on my mind.” Rosalba Hernandez, professor in Social Work and leader of the study, and her research team found evidence to suggest more optimistic people were reporting better sleep quality. However, because the
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSALBA HERNANDEZ
Rosalba Hernandez, professor in Social Work, recently worked on a study that investigated the correlation between being optimistic and sleep levels. Hernandez found other factors are linked to sleep quality in addition to optimism. DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS
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study is mainly observational, it is difficult to know for certain the correlation, Hernandez said. The study tested participants across the Midwest region to assess the correlation between optimism levels and sleep quality. “My research really focuses on the influence of positive emotion, what we call psychological wellbeing, and health in general,” Hernandez said. Optimism levels were calculated based on a sixitem survey called the Life Orientation Test-Revised, which has been traditionally used as a valid and reliable method to calculate emotion levels, according to Hernandez. The study found as each reported standard deviation in optimism score increased, participants’ were 78 % more likely to report better sleep quality. However, Hernandez warns the results do not prove a direct correlation with optimism to sleep quality, though it is a likely mechanism. She says there could be multiple pathways additionally correlated. “One is that people who are more optimistic tend to cope better with stress, and therefore, when they go to sleep, they’re able to sleep better and not think about stressors in their lives,” Hernandez said. She says another possible mechanism is through health behaviors, with research showing positive emotions can cause engagement in physical activity and a healthier
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diet. “The other is just physiological,” Hernandez said. “Somehow, optimism is able to better regulate hormones and things related to sleep.” L au ren Engel ha rd , senior in LAS, said she finds it difficult to determine what impacts her sleep levels at school because there are a variety of factors. “I’m so exhausted from classes, social activities and other obligations, so I might fall asleep faster,” she said. “However, I also stay up later, go to sleep at different times and drink more.” Engelhard said she thinks the less sleep she receives, the less optimistic she will feel on a daily basis. Hernandez said some do believe sleeping well makes you happier and can lead to more positive emotions. She said research shows people who sleep better tend to have decreased cases of chronic diseases, decreased risks of high blood pressure, decreased cases of diabetes and increased longevity. The study found with just one standard deviation higher, optimism scores related to betterreported sleep quality across five years, relative to those with persistently low sleep quality. Hernandez’s previous research has dealt primarily with optimism levels
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ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The graduate students of the Institute of Communications Research held an open meeting on Tuesday with Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College of Media, to discuss the process of selecting the next leadership team for the ICR. Members of the new leadership team will be chosen from among the current ICR faculty. The meeting was prompted as a response to an open letter, sent last June, from graduate students to the College of Media administration. “Our doctoral students reached out with questions about the process to select leadership and ways in which they can participate, and so the Col-
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lege of Media leadership team was pleased to meet with them today,” Sulkin said in an email. Graduate students were invited to the meeting to share their thoughts and concerns about the University ’s doctoral program. “The graduate program is a given, and the doctoral program is a given,” Sulkin said at the beginning of the meeting. “There is no question about the doctoral program being a priority here.” Sulkin explained the ICR has been a key component of the ollege’s past as well as a crucial part of its future. At the meeting, sev-
BY JULIE KANG
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