On a campus with students as dynamic as Duke's, two things are certain--at any given time, there will be people studying, and there will be people partying/hanging out. Unfortunetely, students doing one have the tendency to get in the way of those doing the other.
As a result, several students have asked Residential Life and Housing Services and Campus Council to put a more stringent "quiet hours" policy in place to regulate noise and disruptive activities in the residence halls. While it is reasonable for students to expect a certain level of respect from their peers, a formal policy is unrealistic and unnecessary.
Currently, University residential policy states that students have the right to study anytime they wish, and that their dormmates should be courteous to those doing so. However, this is a college campus, and students should be prepared to encounter loud music and boisterous activities on a regular basis. It is unrealistic to ask students to leave their dorms every time they wish to study, but it is equally absurd to prevent individuals or groups from interacting socially in dorms and commons rooms.
There is little that could accomplished by a formal quiet hours policy that a combination of increased communication between students and more active involvement by RAs could not achieve. If a student feels that another individual or group is being too loud or distracting in the dorms, they should approach those students and ask them to be respectful. Most students at Duke can appreciate how hard others have to work, and will do their best to accommodate classmates. In cases where the noise continues, or someone feels intimidated to walk into a fraternity section and ask them turn it down a notch, RAs should step up to shoulder the burden. RAs should not necessarily make an effort to crack down on dorm parties and social gatherings altogether, but they should not be afraid to act as the their residents' voice when necessary.
Again, it is essential that quiet hours be viewed in a realistic context. Sunday thru Thursday evenings, students can have a reasonable expectation that they will be able to study or sleep in their dorms without significant impairment. Weekend nights, however, are a different story. If you really need to get started on a problem set or reading assignment on Friday night, head to the library. Mandatory silence, or close to it, is enforced in most libraries and study rooms. Picking up your books and heading to Perkins is not a difficult task.
Quiet hours are in place for reading period, and should be formally enforced during that time. During the rest of the year, however, dorm residents should work with one another and with their RAs informally to create an environment that accommodates learning and socializing.
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