Reporter: Amber Van Wort
Shards of glass are scattered throughout the townhouse parking lot near the Avenue of Champions, and almost every morning the sharp hunks of glass litter the front steps to the front door
These broken pieces are a danger not only to people’s feet, but to their car tires as well. Music Business Management student Fallon Miller, a resident at the Avenue of Champions townhouses, agrees that a glass bottle ban is needed. “I think it looks disgusting and makes everyone look irresponsible,” said Miller, “It makes me angry because no one removes it and I am not putting myself in danger to do so.”
Though she hasn’t stepped on any broken glass yet, it is a constant annoyance having to cautiously maneuver her way around the pieces each day. Miller’s roommate Sarah Hoskins is equally annoyed at the constant sight of broken glass. Hoskins made the mistake of walking out on her front porch one morning in her bare feet. She said there was glass everywhere, and she was scared a chunk would pierce her foot. Needless to say, she always wears her shoes now.
Many students chose to live in the townhouses because of their proximity to the school. In theory it should be a safe place to live. However, the amount of broken glass that’s scattered all over the area takes away from the safety of the building.
A campus-wide glass bottle ban needs to be put in place. There is already a no-glass-bottle rule in the student residences, so this rule should expand to the rest of campus.
Now, this glass bottle ban is not suggesting someone take away the college and university students right to party (The Beastie Boys wouldn’t have it.) But keep in mind, beer does come in cans, and you can even purchase coolers in plastic bottles—the need for glass simply isn’t there. Switching from glass bottles to beer cans has the added benefit of returning the empties for money (something every student can appreciate.) The Beer Store pays 10 cents for every beer can less than or equal to one liter and 20 cents for cans over one liter. While, you can return glass bottles as well, you can’t return them is they’re broken.
Although most of the broken shards of glass is found around the townhouses, that is not to say that this is the only area where people enjoy smashing bottles. Broken glass can sometimes be found in between the residence building and cafeteria, and on occasion in front of the Pub. This is not only a danger to anyone walking by, but allowing it completely defeats the purpose of having a no-glass-bottle rule in the residence buildings. That rule is set in place to keep students safe; it only makes sense that this rule be extended campus wide in order to protect everyone on campus, no matter where they are walking.
