Editor:

Most people would agree that life in college is far from domesticated bliss. Still, a stroll around Loyola’s Freret Street Garage is truly a walk on the wild side.

Anyone suffering from an irrational childhood fear of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” should stay clear of the Freret Street Garage.

The fourth floor has been taken over by hostile, screeching birds. Anyone near this area on campus is familiar with this highly unpleasant sound.

But like all good Hitchcock movies, there is a twist: the bird screeching from the garage is actually a recording.

That’s right – this loud, nerve-wracking sound is actually a device intentionally installed by the Physical Plant to keep pigeons away and thus prevent them from “messing up” the floor of the garage.

In my opinion, the powers that be have succeeded in creating a noise that is far more annoying than any mess left by pigeons.

The recording (of eagles no less) is so loud that it can be heard from the path leading from the Danna Center to the New Residence Hall to the other side of Freret Street on Tulane’s campus.

The offense of the sound is compounded by the fact that the recording is activated so frequently (less than 1 minute in between screechings). Because of this extreme attempt to ward off pigeons, the Wolf Den sounds more like a bird’s nest.

To campus visitors and passers-by, the garage sounds like a zoo. This is not the impression this University wants to make on prospective students.

Loyola’s faculty and student body would be better off co-existing with pigeons on the fourth floor of the garage than ever having fake birds disturbthe peace on campus again.

Tharren Poplion, Jr.Assistant Director of Admissions