classroom loud gum-chewers?

I apologize for asking about this, but is there some way to get a message to loud gum-chewers who sit either beside one or behind one, and who keep cracking their gum-chewing during class lectures (that they are annoying and hopefully will stop doing this)?
This is happening in one of my classes, and it is so rude and irritating to hear this gum-cracking during class, coming from one person.

Can't you just change your seat? I mean, I agree, I also find it annoying, but if all of a sudden there's a big space around them, maybe they'll shut it. i'm sure other people want to kill... er, I mean, silence the gum-cracker also.

It's difficult to change seats in this particular classroom, because of
the seating arrangements (it's not desks in rows), so the seats are
basically taken in this small classroom. I think that I face the entire
duration of this class being seated at the same table with this
chewer. Thanks for the idea. If this was a different classroom, then
it would be easy to just move to somewhere else, but unfortunately
it's not that kind of seating.

Because you are in a small classroom, please consider saying to the chewer: Excuse me, but you are probably not aware how loud cracking gum is in this small classroom. Could you please not chew gum? I'd say it in front of the instructor. I am contending with a chronic, constant SNIFF!!!!er and a couple who eat a plastic container full of carrots and hard pretzel nuggets from a rattly package during every class.

yeah, i'd out-crazy her. you can TRY politeness, but that never works, imo.

First I'd politely ask the loud gum smacker if they'd mind not smacking their gum because it makes it difficult for you to hear and/or concentrate ...

If that doesn't work, then I'd LOUDLY state in an assertive manner to the instructor ... Excuse me Mr. / Ms. (Name), Would you mind repeating that? ... I can't hear you over the loud mouth gum smacker back here ... Thank you ...

Good Luck & Best Wishes ... !!!

theres a lot of problems in the news about how angry students end up doing such things as violently acting out on college grounds against their fellow students and professors. the colleges around here address it by holding seminars and having a saying /rule among college students and professors around here where I live and work -

you cant change others but you can control your self. if you're having a problem with the class, its material, the instructor or classmates bring the problem to the instructor before, or after class and the instructor will be glad to help.

When I have this problem in class I make a point of being the last one out of the room and then discuss the situation with the instructor.. I explain the problem to the instructor then the instructor makes a public generalized statement about food/drink/gum and candy in the class addressed to the whole class. this way the offending student isnt being confronted in ways that the offending student may become offended, upset or consider rudeness by their fellow students. Then if the offending behavior continues it is the instructor that pulls the offending student aside and lets them know they are breaking one of their class rules.

besides the fact that this approach is less rude and offensive its also a part of college life.. theres no way to please everyone. but it is the instructors job to make sure all students have an equal opportunity to learn even if it is to settle problems with a gum smacker so that others can concentrate on the classwork.

Thank you for the ideas.
Just to elaborate on the other student's other behaviours - after the slobberysounding gum-chewing, then she starts biting her fingernails loudly so that
every breking piece is loudly audible. Then she starts making mouth clacking sounds (that seem to have something to do with her lip jewellery). And at the end of the class, she states to me abouit the noisy drilling from out in the hallway that's bothering her. Actually, in other classes - students have been told "no eating" in the room, plus no cell phones. Maybe there's a workable solution through this?

It's not specific to class, but all of the sounds you're describing drive me mad to the point of anger, tears, and having to leave the room. At uni I avoided entire lectures because I knew there would be people eating, biting their fingernails, chewing gum, or whatever.

You could look up something called 'ear guards'. They're designed for people with autism who are seriously sensitive to noise. You could also try earplugs, sometimes they will block sound just enough to help but not enough that you can't hear speech. And if you're flush with cash, noise-cancelling headphones are AMAZING. You'd have to tell your lecturers why you're wearing headphones in class, though.

Maybe I'm naive, but I would politely mention it to her first. If she gets snippy and doesn't stop, then I would bring it up to the professor. I was a college prof for many years, and my reaction would be if someone complained to me is "Have you mentioned it to her?" Poor thing. She sounds like she could use a visit to a counselor for some anxiety issues. That said, you shouldn't have to put up with her distraction.

Do people really hurt people these days over being told that their gum-chewing is distracting? Good grief! Methinks the mental illness problems in this world are definitely escalating!

I've never had good luck asking people (even in my very self-effacing and quiet British manner) if they could pretty pretty please stop doing something extremely distracting. Got yelled at for asking somebody to stop making bird noises (yes, bird noises) in the damned library once.

I tell you, bird noises in a library! And I thought that was a place where librarians are trained to say "Shh," glare at offenders, and, if need be, march over to tell them to hush or be booted out!

I actually see nothing really wrong with telling the prof first. If the prof wonders why the person who is being offended doesn't say anything to the offender, then the person can explain. I vaguely recall having to tell somebody to stop chewing their dang gum so loudly while I was proctoring a MAJOR professional exam session for future teachers. Of course, I quietly went up to the person and whispered in her ear.

I wrote two of my bar exams sat next to people who were noisy gum chewers. I wish we had invigilators as good as you!!