Pass: Baker becomes more transparent

I’ve been reading a lot about NIU President Doug Baker, and it looks like he’s made an effort to be more transparent with the NIU community.

He’s sending emails about the state budget, as well as starting a podcast so he can discuss topics with students and faculty.

Baker seems to be putting his students and staff first, which is a great start to the academic year. I look forward to the progress he will make.

Fail: No smoking law extends to city

NIU wants to extend the smoking ban to streets that run through and are adjacent to campus. This means even less places for students to smoke.

I’ve seen people smoking on campus without an repercussions and I’m sure it will be the same if the ban is extended. It’s understandable to ban on-campus smoking in accordance with the law, but now NIU is just being unrealistic.

Students are going to find a way to get around any smoking ban.