Outgoing president announces position on eve of last day in office
Student Body President Kenny Tracy “cannot support a completely tobacco-free USC,” but he believes it is the right time to move forward with a tobacco policy with a compromise, he said in a Monday evening release.
The outgoing president said he came to this decision after the student senate failed to pass any legislation regarding the impending Healthy Carolina tobacco ban, which would bar everything from cigarettes and cigars to hookah and chewing tobacco from all university grounds, 24/7.
He also cited his visits to student organizations, results from Blitz Week surveys and “anecdotal research” as contributing factors to his decision.
The announcement came after Tracy voiced his concerns in a Monday morning meeting of SG’s Tobacco-Free Task Force. He did not state his position earlier to avoid swaying senate legislation regarding the ban, which was voted down March 6, during the last student senate session of this Student Government term.
Tracy’s last day of his presidential term is today. President-elect Chase Mizzell will be inaugurated Wednesday afternoon.