Plans are underway to address elevated noise levels in the dining room of the Sharpe Refectory - an issue students and workers have noticed since the building underwent renovations this summer.
"(The Ratty) is a cacophonous mess," said Elizabeth Inglese '08, who eats regularly at the dining hall. "With the clinking of cups and tray racks, it's deafening. ... The Ratty is a sensory overload. ... It's just overwhelming."
Brian Becker '09, chair of the Campus Life Committee of the Undergraduate Council of Students, said he has also noticed the problem since he returned to campus in September. He said he is aware of students' concerns about the noise and has met with Director of Dining Services Gretchen Willis, who assured him the issue was being addressed.
"(Dining Services and Facilities Management) have already got a team of engineers," Becker said. "They knew (about the problem) for a while before I even approached them."
Facilities Management Project Manager William Gaudet said acoustical engineers have been working with Facilities Management to rectify the problem, which he noticed after the dining hall re-opened after summer renovations. He said he is hoping to meet with the engineers within the next week.
Gaudet said summer renovations to the Ratty initially began as "a fire code project to provide protection in the building." He said new "protection sprinklers impacted the existing ceiling," necessitating a change to the ceiling's design - which, at the time, was a combination of perforated metal and insulation.
Because the Ratty was already closed for renovation, Gaudet said a new lighting project was then initiated to improve the space, resulting in the removal of the existing ceiling.
Gaudet said the lighting designer who was consulted for the project "was adamant about having a hard, rigid, smooth surface ... for it to be her canvas, if you will."
Gail McCarthy, a cashier at the Ratty, said she also perceived the difference in noise level when the fall semester began.
"I could tell almost immediately (when the students came back)," McCarthy said. "I find it extremely loud. It's hard to hear others."
Gaudet said, "We're hoping (to fix the problem) over winter recess, but things are progressing more slowly than we thought they would."
Microphones have been installed recently in two locations in the dining room to assess the noise level, according to Gaudet. He said he hopes to decrease the noise to a set "optimum" level or below once the ceiling is redesigned.
For now, Gaudet said Facilities Management is doing its best to make a smart decision in order to correct the problem as soon as possible.
"(We have had) design recommendations," he said. "But we don't feel comfortable until we have a better understanding (of how they will affect the noise)."
Some students, however, said they have not detected any acoustical changes.
"I don't pick up on those things," said Jamie Kendall '08, who dines at the Ratty three times each day. "I'm not annoyed by (the noise) ... I notice things like the temperature in the Ratty. ... I'm here all the time, maybe that is why I don't notice anything. I'm acclimated."
