Dear Editor,

I remember a time when I could set my alarm with the knowledge that I would be woken by the gentle beeping of my phone at a reasonable hour of the morning. I remember knowing with assurance that I would be getting a good night’s sleep when my head hit my pillow at the end of a long day. I remember the simple joy of leaving my window ajar with my curtains splayed wide in order to feel the fresh breeze infiltrate my dorm room on any given day. Who would have known that such simple pleasures could be just as simply taken away?

The gentle beeping of an alarm is no longer the first thing I hear every day. Rather, my alarm is the loud, noxious beep of reversing construction vehicles and drills that bite down into the construction on Roberts Hall. I would love to sleep past 7 a.m. on a weekday, particularly as my assignments and day-to-day life get busier and busier with the closing of the semester. I would love to escape the hustle and bustle of college life and retreat back to the serenity of my quiet single. Unfortunately, such luxuries have been surrendered to the ultimate construction goals of the University. The simple act of opening my window to let in air has become near to impossible with the onslaught of noise pollution and construction directly outside of my window. A full night’s rest has become a thing of the past.

Our University handbook alleges that quiet hours are in effect between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays, and yet construction begins consistently at 7 a.m., waking up many of the residents in Trax and Kress Halls every morning. In the words of the University, “Excessive noise … or other behavior that infringes on a resident’s need for proper study or rest, or University operations, will not be permitted at any time of day.” Why then, has the University decided to defy the guidelines it expects of its own students and instead chosen to rob them of hours of sleep every day?

Sincerely,

Ellen Higbee ’17