Issue with one of my instructors and vaping, please I need your input!

[Mr.Cho]

Just as a warning its a little long but if you do take the time to read and listen to the video and give me some input into what to do I would highly appreciate it. Thank you.


Hey guys so I kinda have a problem with a instructor in my college. On 5/7/14 I was doing my hw inside of a lounge, there's a decent amount of students that group there and my girl friend and I were minding out own business and I was approached. I have had this instructor before and he seems to dislike me, he mugs me every time I see him. Because of this I try and avoid him yet he continues to find reasons to bother me as coming into the computer lab and checking if I have water bottles or food and then leaves. I note he only checks me and my girl friend and leaves.


Our college gives away free things ever semester and during this I received a nice yet dusty mug. I go and wash it out in the bath room to put into my back pack and work on a lab, but I got really got into the lab and it stayed on the desk instead of going into my back pack. Of course this Dr. Lewis walks in when its on the table while I work on my lab and makes a huge outrageous deal about left over water inside the mug from washing it stating there's no drinks or food in here and that hes going to kick us out.


So on 5/7/14 inside the lounge I was doing my work silently with my gf not bothering anyone or anything. I took out everything from my back pack as I need many pens/colors to draw complex circuits in a arms reach not to get lost in my own work. There's my mod and some e liq stuffed in-between my papers and also my laptop. He comes straight to our table and asks me for my e cig bottle and turns around and looks at it to look at me and scold me in front of 20+ people that I cannot smoke this in here because it smells. I never took a hit since I got there, its finals and in a computer science major theres not even anytime to take a bathroom break. He states it smells and he smells it but when I ask him he flips out satisfying his ego that he has a phd in the video. So hes here scolding me as a owner scolds his dog after taking a piss on the carpet and I just agreed with him to satisfy his ego and get him to shut up honestly. He stood in front of my table for 3-5 mins lecturing me about how he will kick me out and so on.


I go to talk to him the next day (5/8/2014) during his office hours and is the recording. In colorado its a one party consent and guess what I'm the one party . I called the aurora police department and asked about recording laws before this conversation and they gave me a green light. I put it into a youtube video as photobucket wont accept only audio files.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiaWw5VatYg&feature=youtube_gdata


This is the schools policy on e cigs and he surly doesn't know it.


Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes):
The use of e-cigarettes is distracting in the classroom environment not only to the instructor, but to other students. The use of e-cigarettes during all classroom activity is prohibited. Any student who does not comply with this rule will be asked to leave the classroom immediately so as to not disrupt the learning environment.


When presented it to him he nearly threw it back at me. The smell isnt whats distracting but the actual vapor is in my opinion. I am using a trident rda at.8 ohms paired with a VTD5 so I do get some nice vapor and it does smell if I hit it ten times in a minute but no one has ever said my cotton candy e liq smells bad or even complains. He seems to just love bothering me or hassling me when all I'm trying to do is get an education, I need some advice on what to do.... I could easily lay him out but we all know that's not right. Thanks guys I'm a bit frustrated and tired of this.

 

[txskimo]

What you wrote sounds backwards to me. You sounded like you were coming off as a cocky student trying to stir things up...but hey that's just me but it could possibly explain why you think he singles you out.

 

[Burn_notice_fan_NY]

I think it is more of a cultural misunderstanding than anything else. It appears that both he and you concede that there is no vaping within the classroom. He was intending and attempting to remind you of the university's policy regarding vaping by stating do not do it within the academic environment. The study lounge is no less of a classroom environment than the classroom. With that said, it does not appear that he accused you of using it inside. He simply reminded you to not use it inside. You might have mistook this as an accusation that you did use it inside. The recording of the conversation makes the professor appear to be calm and collected while making you out to be the bad guy. You appear to poke and prod the subject while trying to get the professor aggravated. Additionally, the intonation you use appears condescending and almost nervous. He already admitted that he never saw you use it there, why continue with the accusations?

 

[Stag]

Normally I'd be fully on your side about this, but you kinda came off a little too firm. He's a guy in a position of authority and he's going to want to flex it. I feel like if you thought about your words a bit better before you said them you may have had a better outcome. Your intentions were good, even if your instructor handled it in public immaturely, but you're not going to get anywhere with dealing with him like that. I really understand what you where trying to do by recording your conversation etc. If you really want to get back at him, start carrying air freshers of strong scents, etc. Then play this game with him. Let's see what he does with your new car smell, and if he's really just picking on you.

 

[chapeltown]

Okay....I listened to your vid and read your greivance up there.
I will be honest with you. I am all for standing up for the rights of vapers everywhere.

But the fact that you went back and engaged this instructor in this way shows a lack of maturity on your part. You say that he is always singling you out, but here you have done the very same thing to him that you are accusing him of. You sounded like a jerk.

Here is the bottom line:

The purpose of e cigs is Harm Reduction. To ourselves as well as to others. If we want to be taken seriously, we need to stand up for ourselves if there is a true infringement of our rights, but also use some discretion in knowing how and when to deal with people.
I know that there are certain eliquids that I use that are highly aromatic. Others are not. Those that I can smell outside the bottle, I tend to throw it in a plastic snack sized bag, even when using it for the day, so that I don't offend or nauseate anyone else.

Be polite and respectful to others, regardless of how you are treated. Anything else just gives the other side fuel for their fire.

 

[Megan4233]

Wow I completely feel the opposite of the posters above me.

I think him calling you out in public was plain disrespectful. You, as well as that professor, are adults. If he gets to confront you publicly, the least you could do is confront him privately(which you did). I found no disrespect about you handling it the way you did. In fact I believe it was more mature for you to do that privately than encourage making a scene when he did confront.

He has no right to say he is basically the boss. Just because he is a teacher doesn't mean crap. And as another adult, I would go above his head and get a clarification on what the rule is about e-cigs and who has control outside of the classrooms. Usually campus security deals with all that crap.....not some teacher.

And I don't think you were being a jerk in the audio. It may sound like that to some, but to me I feel like you were wanting to get clarification that he did actually smell it versus him just really wanting to call you out. His response of "oh I'm not going to tell you what I smelled...blah blah blah" is evident that he was only calling you out. I highly suggest you EMAIL someone above him about clarifications on the rules of e-cigs and what areas the school policy covers beyond classrooms. And I would mention this incident as well. Then print out the response and carry it around with you in case this happens again. If this guy gets away with doing it now he'll only push it further. He seems to be the one with the issue involving e-cigs. There was no mention of it disturbing anyone else.....except him.

And, to be honest, teachers like him need to understand that YOU are the customer. College is a business. You pay to go there. Not the other way around. I really hate when people think their so smart just because they have a degree. If he tried doing that in any other profession I bet he would've gotten an earful from the "customer"....or the boss.

 

[txskimo]

*they're

Sorry I just couldn't help myself.

There are two sides to every story and from the audio it seems like the op is exaggerating things to sway people to his side. I'm not saying that's true but just how it comes across.