Sophomore Erica Kane, a resident of Nemerov Residence Hall, says she can count on an early wake-up most mornings because of the construction on the new Eliot taking place right outside her window.

“It wakes me up at 8:00 a.m. every day,” said Kane.

As construction continues this fall on the replacement for Eliot, as well as Olin Library and the new Earth and Planetary Sciences building, students are finding their sleep and study habits interrupted by the noise it produces.

Another Nemerov resident, sophomore Elyssa Kahan, said that the construction is disruptive in the morning, despite the fact that she lives on the side of the building farthest from where Eliot once stood.

“We can still hear [the construction] all the way over here,” said Kahan. “I’m a light sleeper, so it’s impossible to get back to sleep once it wakes me up.”

Although 8:00 a.m. may seem early to those who live nearby, the construction on the new Eliot starts an hour later than the other projects taking place on campus, according to Ralph Thaman, associate vice chancellor for Facilities Planning and Management.

“Construction does not begin before 8:00 a.m. if it’s especially noisy or in a place where it would be especially disturbing,” Thaman said, referring to the site’s close proximity to another residence hall.

Otherwise, said Thaman, work begins at 7:00 a.m. at sites like Olin Library and the Earth and Planetary Sciences building, where, as he puts it, “The noise is not a problem if it starts earlier in the morning.”

For students who study in Olin Library, which has remained open during construction, the noise often makes it difficult to focus.

“I don’t know how bad [the noise] was last year, but it is kind of distracting,” said freshman Abigail Swain, “You look up every time you hear a saw.”

Sophomore Dan Daranciang also found it difficult to concentrate in the midst of the construction the last time he tried to study at the library.

“I was reading, and they started drilling, so I had to leave,” he said.

Students who attend classes in Crow Hall have encountered similar problems due its location near the site where the new Earth and Planetary Sciences building is being constructed.

For sophomore Michelle London, the noise here is more bothersome than the noise she encounters living in Nemerov.

“The construction going on [where Eliot used to be] doesn’t bother me too much,” said London. “But I have a class in Crow, and that’s more distracting, especially in the middle of a lecture.”

Although a nuisance to students, the noise caused by these construction projects has not produced any major problems or complaints, according to Thaman.

Moreover, students do not have to worry about the noise levels increasing as construction continues, according to Steve Rackers, manager of the Capital Projects and Records Division

“The heaviest construction [on Eliot's replacement] is over,” said Rackers. “The excavation is the heaviest part.”

Rackers also said that once the structure is enclosed, the noise levels will decrease even more.

The heaviest construction for Olin Library and the Earth and Planetary Sciences building has been completed, as well.

“The structure is all there, and we’re getting ready to enclose” said Rackers.

He added that any complaints regarding excessive noise that do arise will be dealt with in a manner appropriate for the problem.

“If there’s a complaint, we try to assess it,” said Rackers. “If the problem involves a short-term activity, we try to get it done as quickly as possible, or we do it in off-times when it will be less of a problem.”

Rackers said that the University has always tried to do as much construction as possible over the summer to cut down on the noise produced during the school year.

A certain amount of noise, however, is an unavoidable consequence of the improvements that need to be made on campus, according to Catherine Powers, of Planning and Development Services for the city of Clayton.

“Construction by its very nature is noisy,” said Powers. “It has to be to get the necessary work done.”

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