Students should not need earplugs to sleep, study
Even during Quiet Hours the noise level in a freshman dorm still seems unbearable.
COMMENTARY
Becky DeHaro

As I sit typing this, I can’t help but concentrate on the continuous hammering that seems to be taking place on the floor above me. You might guess that for some unknown reason, I was typing in a building under construction. But that guess would make too much sense and therefore be incorrect. Instead, here I am in Colby Hall where I reside this semester. I never would have imagined what kind of noise 350 (mostly freshman) girls could stir up every hour of every day.

At the start of this semester every resident of a residence hall at TCU was required to attend a meeting reviewing safety issues, rules, visitation hours and quiet hours. So unless you chose not to attend the meeting and were fined $50, you should be well aware that there are certain hours where residents are to refrain from making any noise detectable outside of their room. For residents in Colby Hall, these hours are from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Despite these set hours, every night without fail there is some sort of disturbance that keeps everyone else from getting the sleep we strive for.

One could think the amount of noise that enters my room is due to the paper-thin walls, but other times I am most certain that no matter how thick my walls could be I would still be disturbed by the random noises that occur daily. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having a good time within reasonable circumstances. However, rollerblading down the hallway at midnight is not exactly what I call reasonable. Absurd as it may sound, this is actually something that I saw with my own shocked eyes one Thursday night.

As far as I am aware, college students tend not to have problems with hearing due to their young age. Yet, every night someone in my hall feels the need to turn up their computer speaker volume all the way and continuously send and receive instant messages. Sure the sound the ever-so-popular AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) sends off is pleasant, but only to the person using it at the time. I guarantee it doesn’t sound so cheery when it’s late at night and you’re stressing over a test for the next morning.

The strange thing about the noise in Colby Hall is that everyone seems to notice it, but no one seems to be making it. I realize the scary fact is that all 350 girls contribute in some way to the everyday loudness that rings through the hallways. But some simply contribute more than others. Even if I do in invest in some earplugs, the noise is so excessive I will probably still not garner a peaceful night’s sleep. I mean honestly, this is not “Tool Time.” Save your endless hammering for construction class.

Becky DeHaro is a freshman business major from Round Rock.