A new bill enforcing quiet hours in the Presidential Courtyard was presented in last week’s Freshman Council meeting. The new legislature aims to eventually ban skateboards, BMX bikes and other forms of non-traditional wheeled recreational vehicles in the area.
According to the bill’s description, it will eliminate the “egregious violations of quiet hours in Presidential Courtyard (by wheeled recreational vehicles) … that create significant noise pollution as well as property damage.”
The bill’s sponsor, Kendall Downing, a freshman in communications, says the bill is vital because it will cut down the current noise while also keeping the area surrounded by Humes, North and South Carrick residential halls and the cafeteria in good shape in preparation for the Campus Master Plan’s upcoming renovations. The plan, a collaboration among faculty, students, administration, trustees, alumni and the city of Knoxville, outlines a campus development initiative to take place over the next 25 years.
“Living at Presidential is an important part of the freshman experience, and once Presidential is renovated it will look really nice. The bill is important because there are people on BMX bikes and skateboards at 10, 11 and 12 o’clock at night and they are damaging the area,” Downing said.
If it passes, the bill will go in the hands of the Department of Housing, which will enforce quiet hours between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. It will also be the department’s responsibility to place more signs around the courtyard warning people of the new policy.
Debate ensued on the bill as the Council was split down the middle. Cory Hipps, a freshman in business administration, said the bill threatens students’ freedom.
“We’re in college. People should be able to skateboard and bike in the courtyard. I think (the bill) is pretty extreme and unnecessary,” Hipps said.
Mark Turner, a freshman in journalism and electronic media, said the bill as written discriminates against human noise while disregarding other natural sounds, which also could be considered pollutants.
“If this is enforced due to how loud it is, why don’t we kill the bats and the birds in the trees as well?” Turner said.
Proponent Jamil Price, a freshman in communications, said he agrees the noise needs to be kept down, but added that solving the problem would be difficult.
“This is a great idea, but it will be really hard to enforce it,” Price said.
Resident Assistant Andy Smith, a junior in retail and consumer science, opposed the legislature, stating several objections.
“I really do not think there is a problem with noise to begin with. And removing the BMX bikes and the skateboards is not necessary because they do not cause any damage. And even though (the bill) passed, I do not see how the RAs could enforce it or how it is their responsibility. Our responsibility is to our floor and not the courtyard,” Smith said.
The bill passed with 19 in favor, 12 against and one abstention. According to the bill, it will be passed on to the housing department on Aug. 1, 2007.
