In response to several complaints about noise on campus, the Committee on Campus and Community Environment has established the Noise Work Group, an ad hoc committee to examine and identify noise problems at UCSD.

Allen Ryan, professor of surgery at the UCSD School of Medicine, chairs the group. He said the committee was looking to better understand noise at UCSD.

“”What we want to do is to make recommendations for the campus that would allow the campus to understand the advantage of noise in the best possible way,”” Ryan said. “”Certainly the committee realizes that there is bad noise and good noise.””

There have been around 150 responses to the CCCE’s initial e-mail to the UCSD community regarding noise. These have cited construction sites, televisions in dining halls, skateboards and leaf blowers as sources of noise, among others.

“”There were lots of complaints on various sources of noise, and they were very broad,”” Ryan said. “”There were a few people who either were not bothered or felt there wasn’t enough noise on campus. They felt this campus is dead.””

Ryan stressed that students need to feel free to make noise.

“”In my personal view, students need to have noise; they need to have the ability to make noise,”” he said. “”What we don’t want is to have a locked down campus where students don’t feel free to express themselves. Noise is an important part of student life.

“”On the other hand, there are times in which noise is inappropriate, especially around dwelling areas and offices,”” he said.

Ryan emphasized that students are not the only source of noise.

“”There are a lot of other sources of noise that have nothing to do with students,”” he said.

The Noise Work Group, which can only recommend policy, will forward its findings and conclusions to the Academic Senate and the administration, which ultimately makes policy.

Emily Mah, an Eleanor Roosevelt College junior, is unconcerned about noise on campus.

“”I think the campus is fairly quiet with the students and everything because everyone’s pretty mellow here,”” she said.

Warren sophomore Robert Barreca agreed.

“”I don’t think there’s any noise. There are no people making noise,”” he said. “”No one on campus is doing anything super crazy.””

Ultimately, Ryan underscored the intentions of the committee to help manage future campus growth.

“”What we want to do is help the campus … provide recommendations that will help the campus manage noise so that it doesn’t become a problem in the future,”” he said.