WSHU Public Radio Group at Sacred Heart University hosted the "Join the Conversation" event at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Feb. 16. The keynote speaker was Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps.     StoryCorps is an oral history project that Isay started eight years ago.

On Jan. 1, Sacred Heart University installed a smoke-free policy in order to ensure a healthier environment and to reduce the amount of litter on campus.

Members of the Sacred Heart community have noticed that there are people who have not been abiding by the new campus rules.

Administrators are aware of these violations.

"One of my concerns is that there needs to be additional signage," said Larry Wielk, dean of students. "We've talked about this administratively."

Senior Jennifer Allinson objects to the manner in which people smoke on campus.

"I don't mind people smoking, since a good number of my friends do," she said. "However, my friends have the courtesy to not blow smoke in my face. Not everyone is that respectful."

Visitors may sometimes be unaware of the smoke-free policy. Therefore, Wielk proposes more signs and additional information, indicating where people are allowed to smoke and where they are not, in order to ensure that the policy has as much impact as possible.

One issue that smokers tend to have with the policy is that there are sometimes no convenient places for them to smoke.

"I was talking to one of the bus drivers about the policy a few days ago," said junior Michael McCain. "He was upset because by the time he walks over to the designated area, he hardly has enough time to smoke even half of a cigarette before his break is over."

Wielk has heard this complaint and empathizes with it. But he still feels that the policy is worthwhile.

"I understand this problem," he said. "But it still comes down to what is the healthier choice for the university. If you choose to continue smoking, that's fine. But if we are even going to allow smoking on campus, I think that we reserve the right to say, ‘This is where we are going to designate the area where you can do it.' "

Temporarily, members of the administration, Residential Life, and Public Safety are giving verbal warnings to smoke-free policy breakers. However, when more signs are up and the policy is more familiar, there will be more penalties for violations.

"There will ultimately be fines," said Wielk. "Public Safety will begin monitoring it on a ticket-based level, but first we need to make sure that all the pieces are in place."

As of now, the policy is still in an early phase. Improvements are being made, but it has already made a noticeable impact.

"When I'm walking to class, I can hardly see any cigarette butts lining the sidewalk," said Allinson. "It's so refreshing, and nice to see our campus so clean."

Sacred Heart University alumnus Jeff LeBlanc isn't using his Masters in teaching in the traditional way.     The singer and songwriter never expected to be playing his music on a tour to about 75 colleges throughout the east coast of the United States.

Athlete Auction to Benefit Lisa Moray Foundation

In the summer of 2008 the Sacred Heart University athletic community suffered a heartbreaking loss. Four-year member of the women's basketball team, Lisa Moray, lost her life in a car accident. Lisa was an incredibly important member of the women's basketball team during her four years here at Sacred Heart.

 One autumn morning in Buffalo, N.Y., a college student named Adeela Khan logged into her e-mail and found a message announcing an upcoming Islamic conference in Toronto.     Khan clicked "forward," sent it to a group of fellow Muslims at the University at Buffalo, and promptly forgot about it.