I take issue with several aspects of Pacific’s approach to the building of a new dorm hall.
I do not, as a rule, have a problem with broken things begin fixed. I do, however, have a problem when the fixing involves nearly twelve hours of daily construction for the majority of the school week.
The proposed times of construction are between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.
It is my experience that most students with 8 a.m. classes do not wake up at or before 7 in the morning; many want to sleep in as late as possible before class. Students that have 8 a.m. classes or later throughout the week may also want to be able to sleep in late, and in peace, during the weekend.
Further, those students who do not have class until late morning or early afternoon will be the most disturbed by the constant noise of heavy machinery. The students I am most concerned for are those who currently live in Clark Hall. Because of their proximity to the construction site, there is no way to avoid the noise.
The students in Clark are not, however, the only ones who will suffer. All the dorms that line University Avenue will be subjected to the loud rumblings of trucks going by at all hours of the day. This annoyance is not unknown to these residents, but that does not lessen its disruptiveness.
My apartment in Vandervelden is closer to the athletic center than it is the road, but the trucks are so loud they sound as if they are driving directly under my window.
While no one can expect to live a completely distraction-free life, I do not think it is ridiculous to expect there not to be planned disturbances until at least the time that our earliest classes start.
This experience has lead me to feel even worse for those who are going to actually be living with construction that is going on directly underneath their windows all through the morning.
Leave a Reply