While the University of Iowa battles the Coralville City Council over whether to allow smoking in U of I residence halls, Iowa State residents and officials are giving the issue little thought.

Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence, said ISU is in the “minority” by allowing smoking in some of the residence halls.

“A majority of the [universities] in the Big 12 don’t allow smoking anywhere — period,” he said.

Barton, Lyon, Larch and Westgate Halls are all smoke-free buildings. In total, there are about 40 smoke-free houses in the ISU residence hall system.

Alexander said suggestions for eliminating smoking in ISU’s residence halls have been considered, but the issue has not been pursued.

The cost of refurbishing the rooms every semester is an concern in maintaining the smoking rooms, Alexander said.

“People who don’t like [smoking] really don’t like it and don’t want to be around it,” he said. “It is hard to keep smoke from traveling.”

Alexander also said he has received complaints from students at the beginning of the semester who are required to live in dorm rooms that used to belong to smokers.

“We have had to throw out mattresses because of the smell, and people don’t want to be in there,” he said.

Virginia Arthur, associate director of residence life, said there is “potential” that smoking could be eliminated, but she does not think it will happen.

“I don’t think we would unless students wanted it that way or if it was mandated by the state,” she said.

Non-smoker Emily Goble, Storms Hall resident, said she did not mind that her roommate at the beginning of last semester smoked.

Goble, freshman in finance and marketing, said her roommate was respectful about her habit.

“She didn’t smoke in our room very often, and if she brought over friends who did smoke, she always asked first,” she said. “She respected my decision to not smoke.”

Goble’s situation of being paired with a smoker is rare since all residents are given the option to select a smoking preference when they fill out a housing application.

“We put smokers and non-smokers together if they indicate they don’t care,” Alexander said.

Arthur said the department does occasionally deal with the issue of pairing a smoker with a non-smoker.

“[If it does occur], the [resident assistant] or hall director will work on a contract between the two roommates about not smoking in the room,” she said.

Accommodations such as a room change also are available through the front desk if the contract does not work.

However, some students do not think about the consequences of living with a smoker because they want to be paired with a friend.

“I received a non-smoker for a roommate, but it didn’t bother me because he was a friend from high school,” said Matt Kenoyer, Wallace Hall resident. “I tried to smoke outside when it was possible.”

Kenoyer, freshman in journalism and mass communication, said his roommate moved out at semester. However, he said he has not received any complaints from his surrounding neighbors.

“There are probably five or six rooms that have people who smoke in them on my floor,” he said.