GSU’s demographics are considerably diverse, so it stands to reason that the built environment of the campus should encourage harmonious relations between students. However, anyone who lives in Piedmont North can tell you how difficult it is to get along with neighbors when you can hear everything within a ten-foot radius of your dorm room. Not only is neighbor-noise an inconvenience to studying and an obstacle to friendly relations – it has also been found to correlate with medically diagnosed illnesses (Maschke, C., Niemann, H. 2007). The implementation of paper-thin walls has certainly increased animosity among residents.

Two residents (Cedric – 4th floor; Ashley – 5th floor) were briefly interviewed on the subject. When asked how often they hear outside/neighbor noise, they responded like this:

Cedric: “Literally every day. Quiet hours are supposed to be from 10pm to 9am, but I hear people yelling in the middle of the night pretty frequently.”

Ashley: “Approximately every 15 minutes. It’s either our neighbors loudly playing video games, sirens and tire screeches from outside, or somebody arguing in the hallway.”

 

 

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