There are a few exemptions to the law, such as outdoor portions of restaurants, but this should greatly help the state of Virginia as far as health is concerned.  It is not only a sanitation issue within the establishments, but it is just a matter of respect for others.  If you wish to smoke, you may still do so, but this legislation does not force the family of five in the booth across from you at Applebee’s to inhale your cigarette’s smoke.  Approximately 3,000 non-smokers die every year at the hands of lung or bronchus cancer caused by secondhand smoke, and you aren’t helping by puffing a drag each minute into the face of an infant who is strapped into a highchair and has no chance to avoid the smoke.  Most smokers don’t realize where it is tailing off to, but usually it is right into someone’s face.

            Emory & Henry transfer student Ellen Smith says of the new law, “I think it is great.  I know that Virginia is practically the tobacco state, but personally, I don’t like tobacco, and just because I live in Virginia doesn’t mean that I should have to deal with it.”

            The American Lung Association issues grades to each state every year in the categories of smoke-free air, cessation coverage, tobacco prevention control and spending, and cigarette tax.  The Old Dominion State received Fs in all four areas in 2008.  This means that Virginia was one of the most lenient states in prohibiting smoking in public areas, offers no state funding for those who would like to use a drug such as Chantix or Zyban to quit, spent over $90,000 less than the ALA’s recommended input for prevention of excessive tobacco use, and has among the lowest cigarette taxes in the country at 30 cents per pack of 20.

Other states have put similar laws into place as long as 11 or 12 years ago.  Virginia is so behind in this aspect of awareness.

California implemented no-smoking laws in 1998 and has some of the cleanest air of any state.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, California ranked in the lowest intervals in both lung or bronchus cancer incidence rates and death rates in 2005.

New York, home state to New York City, one of the largest and most industrialized cities in the world, waited until 2003 to prevent restaurant and public smoking and was right there with California in rankings not even a full two years afterward.  In fact, New York was the only state to rank in the lowest interval east of the Mississippi River in 2005.  Currently, of the 26 states on this side of the Mississippi, only 11 have placed such restrictions on smoking.

Are these changes going to immediately place Virginia in the same ranks as California or New York?  They absolutely will not.  Cutting down on smoke-related disease and death is a very tedious, gradual process that is going to require much more legislative action to fully execute.  However, this is certainly a step in the right direction for the state of Virginia, and it is wonderful that Gov. Kaine squeezed this into his agenda before leaving office.

Moore also mentioned that the swine flu is being handled so seriously because of its trendiness in young adults, including college students.

There are no specific procedures that the College could carry out to immediately eliminate the virus on campus, but Moore explains that the department is treating every reported illness as if it was H1N1, because the usual flu viruses have not surfaced yet this season, so it is likely that a current case of the flu is H1N1. The department would also rather be excessively over-prepared than not be well prepared enough, according to Moore.

“We are concerned,” Moore explains, “but we do not want to panic. You can never tell how threatening each individual case can be. Some recuperate in days, some take weeks. People with pre-existing conditions, such as AIDS or diabetes, tend to struggle more with recovery.”

The new flu vaccinations are expected to become available in late September or early October, according to Moore. He says that the swine flu inoculation will be free, whereas the standard vaccination will cost around $12.

Until then, however, the Public Relations Department at Emory & Henry suggests that everyone on campus should take very careful sanitary measures to insure that the virus is not spread anymore than it has to be. Such measures include monitoring yourself and those around you, sneezing into your elbow or sleeve, and frequently washing your hands with soap and water.

As Dewey joins head coach Trey McCall, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies as the 16^th overall pick in the 1985 First-Year Player Draft, and assistant coach and recruiting coordinator T. C. Calhoun, the Wasps’ coaching staff is now second to none when it comes to experience.

            Dewey, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., was drafted in the 23^rd round by the San Francisco Giants just a couple of years later in 1987, and he spent nearly a decade of his life playing professional baseball.  He made his Major League debut on August 24, 1990, coincidentally facing the Phillies, Coach McCall’s former club.  During Dewey’s stint in the Majors, he played for the Giants, the New York Mets, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, beginning and finishing his career in two separate tenures with San Francisco.

            Dewey graduated from Grand Valley State University, where he pitched for four years for the NCAA Division II powerhouse.  His impressive performance as a member of the Lakers even earned him a spot in GVSU’s Hall of Fame in 1995.

            In college, Dewey majored in communications with an emphasis on broadcasting.  Until he was drafted and started to play baseball professionally, he took part in radio shows and analysis for the university’s radio station.

            This is not Dewey’s first coaching opportunity.  He served as a pitching coach in the minor leagues for the Kingsport Mets, and he also coached in an independent league in South Carolina.

            Dewey is an ordained minister, and he practices at a local Presbyterian church, occasionally filling in for the regular pastor.  He is also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

            One thing is for sure, though, Dewey’s intentions and beliefs were never in doubt in his six year career.  On July 28, 1996, he headlined a controversy involving the league-wide “Until There’s A Cure Day,” which supported AIDS research.  During the pregame ceremony, each player was given a red ribbon to wear on their jerseys, and Dewey decided to turn his sideways so that it would resemble a Jesus fish symbol.  When asked about this event, Dewey laughed, saying “It was funny in some ways.  I got to be public enemy number one for about 72 hours.”

            Retiring from Major League Baseball at a very young age of 31, Dewey explained that he “just felt like it was the right thing to do at that time… I had three children at that point, and another one was on the way… Family comes before any profession, no matter what that profession may be.”

            With the help of Coach Dewey, the Wasps’ pitching staff showed great progress throughout the 2009 season, and he is certainly well-liked among the student-athletes.  The Emory & Henry baseball program is on the path to success, and that is even more possible with Dewey’s presence.