A new University noise policy, approved by the Campus Council, will go into effect for a trial period starting today and ending Thanksgiving break.
Trinity senior Peggy Cross, Duke Student Government president, said that she hopes the new policy will create a better balance between increased social activity and student enforcement of the undergraduates' own community standards. The new policy should promote greater interaction, and at the same time should not create uncontrollable noise and activity, Cross said.
The new policy targets three separate areas: residential quads; Central Campus; and non-residential areas, such as the Intramural Building and Von Canon Hall, Cross said. During the trial period, students in residential quads will be allowed to sponsor large-scale social gatherings on weekdays from 5 to 11 p.m. Under the current policy, quiet hours must be maintained all day during the week. The new policy will still permit groups to sponsor events on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays from 1 to 11 p.m.
Some students who were involved in the discussion from which the idea for temporary implementation emerged said they felt that the former policy stifled social activity on campus during the week.
"The noise policy has been a hindrance to planning social options," Cross said. She added that in the past, because groups could not officially register weekday events, dorm events became much more exclusive and prohibited interaction.
The former policy also limited almost all on-campus social activity to the weekends, said Trinity senior Lex Wolf, president of the Interfraternity Council.
The policy is a dramatic change for Central Campus residents who will now be able to hold large-scale social events every day of the week from 5 to 11 p.m. Such restrictions are designed to coincide with those which Durham residents must follow, Cross said. On weekends, there is a possibility that some registered Central Campus events will run until 2 a.m. Previously, Central Campus residents were subject to all-day quiet hours, seven days a week.
Although this new policy will allow greater freedom in Central Campus programming, engineering sophomore Nick Gelber, a Campus Council representative, said that he is uncertain about the effects that the new policy will have on Central Campus interaction. As the weather turns colder, Gelber said, the opportunities to hold large-scale events on Central Campus will decrease because of the lack of common areas such as those in the residential quads. Thus, Central Campus residents might have to wait until spring to see how the decreased number of limitations affects programming.
Non-residential areas, which include the IM Building, Von Canon Hall, The Kudzu Tavern and the Blue and White Room, will be available for events from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. every night. Each of these areas is a licensed facility that would allow groups to sponsor parties where alcohol is served under the guidelines of the alcohol policy.
With the potential increase in the number of weeknight activities during the next month, some students said that increased is a distinct and unwanted contingency.
"I'm optimistic [about the changes], but some girls in my dorm do have concerns [about the noise]," said engineering sophomore Kim Rushmore.
Alana Ennis, director of Public Safety, also said that her office expects to get more noise complaints as students sponsor more weeknight activities.
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