Need A Plan Of Action

[taylor413]

So, because of "NHT affiliation" hookahs are banned on my college campus. I would gladly smoke outside but doing so will result in me being disciplined so I usually cover the smoke detector and smoke in my dorm. Last semester my roommate carelessly left the sensor covered and we got caught but they never found out about the hookah and they basically dropped the matter due to his good academic standing. Frankly, I'm tired of skirting this; I'm of legal age to smoke and there are designated smoking areas outside my dorm. Does anybody have suggestions for bringing this matter up with the administration to get reviewed?

[FamiliarJoe]

Beat it into their heads that it is just tobacco and has nothing to do with NHT.

Good luck man, if I was in your situation I would be sooo pissed :|

[taylor413]

Thanks, I think I might have a chance since my school is fairly small. There is a large number of middle eastern students who smoke shisha which is how I found out it was possible to cover the sensor. I'm sure I can get a good backing on this.

[Tikhman]

First, check exactly what the rule book states about hookahs. After that, its not usually difficult to schedule meeting with you student representation group and mid-level administrators.

Generally, getting the school paper involved will allow you access to higher-ups at your school due to publicity etc.

[taylor413]

So far, I've only seen it in the occupancy agreement. It states hookahs before every single piece of NHT paraphernalia. I've emailed the president of the student government organization and I plan to speak with one of my professors who is one of the most respected professors here. The administration here seems better suited for a high school than a college campus. I'm hoping they'll at least humor me and discuss it face to face.

[newjacksm]

I see you're from Long Island and or Albany. Do you live on Long Island and go to school at Albany or vice versa with Albany?


I know Stony Brook tried banning Hookahs back in like 05 but it got overturned Edited April 22, 2009 by newjacksm

[taylor413]

I'm going to school in Albany currently but I grew up on Long Island and my permanent residence is there.

[delSol_si]

Damn, I feel bad for you. I live on campus as well, but am able to smoke. Hell, I take my 32" KM all the way from the 7th floor (where I live), all the way to the lobby where the front desk is, and into the smoking lounge to smoke(meant for ciggs, but I don't smoke ciggs). And, when I go to my buddy's place to smoke, I walk right out the front door with it and back in (they check IDs if you come in past 11:00pm), no questions asked or anything. I get the occasional "hey, awesome hookah" and "hey, COOL NHT"(from the morons of course). Sometimes I get a lot of looks too, but no one has ever questioned it. AND, I even light Johns instant light CH coals IN THE LOUNGE without complaints(they flame and smoke like a bitch, but are nice).

[newjacksm]

I'm going to school in Albany currently but I grew up on Long Island and my permanent residence is there.

That's cool I have a lot of friends that go to Albany University, I may take a trip up there one day to visit. They have a house off campus.

However I think some one told me that Hookah Smoke doesnt have enough smoke or CO to have the alarm go off. However when lighting coals, those will set the detectors off... Edited April 22, 2009 by newjacksm

[newjacksm]

Damn, I feel bad for you. I live on campus as well, but am able to smoke. Hell, I take my 32" KM all the way from the 7th floor (where I live), all the way to the lobby where the front desk is, and into the smoking lounge to smoke(meant for ciggs, but I don't smoke ciggs). And, when I go to my buddy's place to smoke, I walk right out the front door with it and back in (they check IDs if you come in past 11:00pm), no questions asked or anything. I get the occasional "hey, awesome hookah" and "hey, COOL NHT"(from the morons of course). Sometimes I get a lot of looks too, but no one has ever questioned it. AND, I even light Johns instant light CH coals IN THE LOUNGE without complaints(they flame and smoke like a bitch, but are nice).

Wow thats awesome, I wish my college had something that awesome. But unfortunately it's treated like a community school that's a 4 year school.

[taylor413]

Yeah I don't go to SUNY but I have plenty of friends there. I doubt the smoke would set it off but its a pain worrying about RAs and I have to burn marks in the carpet already . I actually go down to my friend's house on Hudson Ave. where a bunch of kids from UAlbany live and he has a beautiful KM that we smoke occasionally. Oh and I'm seriously envious of you delSol.

[delSol_si]

Well, if you can't get them to lift the hookah ban, you could try the hobo hookah or leila portable hookah, both are inconspicuous. The hobo was introduced by different member (I would give credit if I remembered who it was). And I am sure the Leila has been posted before by someone else.

[ZWAN]

I'd recommend writing a letter to who ever is in charge of these ridiculous rules stating what hookahs and shisha actually are and request an appointment to go in and show them exactly what it is. If there are a lot of middle eastern students i'd also consider circulating a petition.

and if all else fails you could try to cool their icy hearts with a warm island song

[taylor413]

Thanks for the suggestions. I may have to consider those or maybe even a QT for next year. I was supposed to be living off campus which would have solved all of this but my roommates backed out and I didn't really like the idea of living by myself so it looks like I'll be stuck on campus for one more year.

[Bye bye now have fun]

depending on the wording id do it until i get caught then appeal it and win on a technicality or just use my free unlimited printing to litter the campus with informitive flyers if i couldnt catch them

[Karot]

Same thing happened to me on my campus. It was a new rule instated this year that they never told anybody about. They used the same "it's commonly used as an NHT device." What about ciggarettes? I talked to the head of housing, basically one of the heads of rule making commitees. Unfortunately he told me to go through the school council which absolutely didn't work because the council said they weren't the ones to go through. The rules were essentially unchangable and even with maximum effort it would take a mimimum of six months for something like that to go through. I said to hell with it and did the same as you, covered detectors and smoke in my room while I wait to move off campus. It's a bullshit rule made from complete ignorance. I made a list of reasons why they shouldn't be against the rules if you're interested, including the US code § 863. Drug paraphernalia which lists
f) Exemptions
This section shall not apply to—
(1) any person authorized by local, State, or Federal law to manufacture, possess, or distribute such items; or
(2) any item that, in the normal lawful course of business, is imported, exported, transported, or sold through the mail or by any other means, and traditionally intended for use with tobacco products, including any pipe, paper, or accessory.

[Vladimir]

Get the students involved. Whether the campus likes to admit it or not, you are paying customers and you always end up getting your way.

[srawas89]

Hey I go to Xavier University here in Cincinnati. Hookahs used to be banned but I helped remove that ban by talking to the administrators at my school. They thought it was drug paraphernalia and that issue was cleared up. Also get a good backing by some of the middle eastern students and throw in culture as well. I can almost guarantee that by the next semester the ban on hookahs will be lifted.

[taylor413]

Thanks for the tips, I'll let you guys know how it works out.

[taylor413]

Woops, double post. Edited April 22, 2009 by taylor413

[Hookie The Hookah]

Same problem at my old school (Hofstra U ironically enough). People would just smoke at this outdoor hidden area where everyone was doing NHT stuff anyway; double irony.

[delSol_si]

Same problem at my old school (Hofstra U ironically enough). People would just smoke at this outdoor hidden area where everyone was doing NHT stuff anyway; double irony.

Not sure I would do that if I were you. That just ads reason to THEIR argument of it being NHT. One more reason for them to ban it. Hell, if I was in charge of a university and hookah smokers were regularly smoking with NHT smokers, I would ban it too. Keep your distance man.

[hookah hippie]

I'm going to school in Albany currently but I grew up on Long Island and my permanent residence is there.

That's cool I have a lot of friends that go to Albany University, I may take a trip up there one day to visit. They have a house off campus.

However I think some one told me that Hookah Smoke doesnt have enough smoke or CO to have the alarm go off. However when lighting coals, those will set the detectors off...

Just for the record you can set off a smoke detector with a Hookah I have done it myself. When SMoking in my dorm which wasn't allowed I just took down the smoke detector

[taylor413]

Just for the record you can set off a smoke detector with a Hookah I have done it myself. When SMoking in my dorm which wasn't allowed I just took down the smoke detector

They can actually detect that in my building and security will be at your door within minutes. Covering it works fine for me though.