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However, during the summer semester, when fewer students are living on campus and attending classes, the average time spent is closer to six hours. This goes for times when the weather is not so permitting and welcoming as well.

Either way, a lot of time is spent picking up cigarette butts that could be put in the proper container instead of left on the ground.

The removal of the cigarette butts begins in the morning in conjunction with trash pick-up. Then rounds are made for the butts again in the afternoon when students have attended a few classes and they have accumulated again.

Both student and full-time employees from the Physical Plant are responsible for removal throughout the day.

According to Lead Landscape Technician Allan Miller, special equipment has been purchased for the sole purpose of cleaning up the cigarette butts. The equipment is similar to a leaf blower/mulcher. Miller said that it works pretty well unless the butts have made it into the landscaped areas or the cracks in the cement. When this occurs, extraction becomes more time consuming.

However, there have been noise complaints in regard to the new equipment being used. According to Miller, it is usually used during the morning rounds and can be quite noisy.

For this reason Physical Plant workers responsible for the task of removing the cigarette butts try to stay away from the dorms in the morning hours.

Miller said that the most problematic areas on campus for the butts are the Law School library entrance, Drew Hall entrances, the Heights Dorm entrances, the Plaza, and the south entrance of the Learning Center.

Almost every entrance to the campus buildings has a generous quantity of mishandled cigarette butts, but these are the worst for the Physical Plant.

Dehkes and Miller both asserted that the littering of cigarette butts on campus is a big issue which costs the Physical Plant a lot of money. They hope the message will get out