Marquette students have boogers. There, I said it. We all get them. What do we do with them? Some scratch them. Others pick them discreetly with Kleenex. Still others brazenly dive in wrist-deep. I am one of those who dive right in.

I'm not ashamed of my choice (and I stress that it is my choice) of booger extraction technique. What I am ashamed of is how afraid my school is of discussing proper nasal hygiene. The nose can be a source of great aromatic pleasure. It must be well taken care of in order to continue providing the greatest possible olfactory experience. It needs protection.

On this point, Marquette frankly stinks. Milwaukee is an odorous city. Between breweries, tanneries, the river and the people smoking all around, there are many elements detracting from the simple daily pleasures of smell. The university also fails to educate the student body on where to obtain such basic needs as tissues. They are not in classrooms and they are not provided at residence halls. This can lead to chafing and unsanitary hand wiping. Some have even stooped to using rough, unforgiving toilet paper or paper towels.

I mean it quite literally when I say that this blows. Tissues can protect us against infections that can deeply affect us and those dear to us.

I plead with the university to reconsider its stance on nasal hygiene awareness. And I ask all readers to remember: You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but never pick your friend's nose without proper protection.

Nelson is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences.