Westco Café: a four-piece band kicks off with a heavy bass riff. Two floors up: in a balconied bedroom, someone’s speakers blast Under Cover of Darkness, the new Strokes single. Even in the libraries, there is little solace from the noise—whispers echo across Olin’s main floor and it is hard to escape SciLi’s constant background chatter. Quiet space is rare real estate on this campus.
According to Ariel Schwartz ’12 of Wesleyan Students for Disability Rights (WSDR), that endless flow of noise can be more than just bothersome for students who have sensory difficulties.
“‘Sensory difficulties’ may include hyper/hyposensitivity to anything really—sound, light, touch, smell, etc.,” Schwartz said. “For some people this can be extremely distracting or even painful. When we talk about being hypersensitive, it might not just be that a roommate’s music is bothersome, but that the noise of ‘silent’ lighting feels quite loud and disruptive.”
To help such students cope, a quiet hall to be located on the fourth floor of Butterfield A, has been established and will be an available housing option next fall. It will include a mixture of seven singles and two doubles, plus one room for a Resident Advisor (RA). Quiet Hall is considered a community based living option.
Director of Residential Life Fran Koerting said the new hall will most likely be filled next year due to student need and/or interest for the living option.
“[WSDR is] confident that there will be enough interest from the first year students to fill any spaces not taken by upperclassmen, just as is the case for the substance free floor,” she said.
While no specific programming has yet been arranged for it, whoever is chosen to be its RA will design message-specific programming for its residents.
Some students have their doubts about the effectiveness of establishing the new program hall.
“I lived in the Butts freshman year. If it was any quieter it wouldn’t exist—I don’t see why it is necessary to set space aside just to ensure that one hall is quiet, especially since noise from people passing through or from other halls could still bother those residents,” said Sam Hecht ’12.
Schwartz said that although Quiet Hall might not solve all the issues students with sensory disabilities might have, she hopes it will be of some help.
“[I]t is just a place where everyone will agree to respect each other’s desire for a quiet atmosphere.”
Quiet Hall is accepting applications until today at 11:59 p.m. For those of you looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of campus, take a look—but do it silently.
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