A construction worker whistles, signaling a truck to back up, which beeps along the way. Another man hammers next to his coworker, who is welding. All of these noises have become commonplace for some students who live on campus.
Construction and the resulting noises have become a daily reality of being on TCU’s campus, especially for students living in P.E. Clark Hall and Marion Hall.
“I appreciate the work they’re doing with the new building moving forward, but they’re really loud,” said Brien Twomey, a sophomore supply chain management major.
While a new dining facility and additional housing in Worth Hills will benefit students, the process to complete these buildings causes some difficulty in the meantime.
“At this point I’m so used to it that it’s background noise,” Leigh Parrish, a sophomore nursing major, said. “They’re in full force by 8 a.m., and it goes on all day.”
Twomey and Parrish both said that the biggest issue is how early the crews begin working.
“When I’m up until 2 a.m. studying, then am guaranteed to be woken up at 6, that’s a little rough,” Twomey said. “I understand why they start early, but in an ideal world it would be nice to start just an hour later.”
Craig Allen, director of Housing and Residence Life, emphasized the need for students to see the big picture of how this short-term construction will benefit future Horned Frogs.
“Building the Commons did not come without certain growing pains, but look how great that area is now,” Allen said. He also said that they aim to balance the final goal with keeping disruption to a minimum.
In addition to noise, the close proximity to construction workers provides an added issue for some students. A large window in Parrish’s room faces the new building, and she can see workers easily from the short distance.
“It’s kind of awkward when you wake up and there’re guys out the window,” Parrish said.
Parrish and her roommates even made a sign wishing the workers a “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Twomey managed to find a positive among the construction noise.
“The construction noise has me up, so I don’t even need an alarm,” Twomey said, laughing.
