The perpetual quiet hours of campus residence halls signals the dawn of Dead Week.

It’s here. It officially began at 11 p.m. Sunday night, when residence hall residents had 23.5 quiet hours a day forced upon them. Residents have a half-hour, know as the “Rowdy Hour,” every night to cut loose.

The week is designed to be the calm before the Finals Week storm, a time when there are few meetings and fewer activities — other than academics.

Susan Lammers, a resident assistant in Oak Hall, said even though students can be rowdy for a half-hour, all-day “courtesy hours” are still in effect.

Certain residence hall floors and greek houses serve nighttime study treats during the next two weeks. Lammers said her floor is enjoying junk-food snacks during its half-hour break.

Angie McRell, a senior in engineering science and president of Cranor House in Maple Hall, said residents on her floor plan to have treats every night and plan to play “vator ball” — soccer between the elevators — to vent frustrations. McRell said women became quite vicious as finals loom. Sometimes they tackle one another.

For stress relief, not everyone has the option of tackling the residents living around them. Even those who do, still struggle with the a heavy workload.

Bridget McKean, a junior in political science who plays vator ball in Maple Hall, frowns at her schedule. “I hate finals. It’s just a really bad time for me,” she said.

“I feel like I am under the gun and I’ve 1,001 things to do,” added Todd Van Ahn, a senior in speech communication.

“I’m really excited about getting out of here.”

Faculty and staff, too, are not immune to the heightened pressure of the next few weeks.

Thomas Baker, professor and chairman of entomology, agrees. “It has been a horrendous couple of weeks,” he said.

Although he has spent his semester researching, Baker said his department has been preparing for a national meeting.

“You can never anticipate who is going to be on the phone and what they are wanting,” Baker said. “But we deal with it. I don’t put anybody off.”

McKean said she doesn’t know what gets her through Dead Week and finals.

She said she gets upset and sick, but she survives. McKean suggested one way to find sanity: “Remove yourself from the situation.”

Others find this time tolerable. Justin Peters, professor of mathematics, said he has a lot of grading to do but, “I don’t find myself overwhelmed.”

Carol Cordell, program coordinator in the Student Organization and Activities Office, said it’s relatively calm in her office. “Pretty much everything has already happened,” she said.

Cordell said only a few events speckle what’s left of this semester’s calendar, including fund-raising activities by design students and the Block and Bridal Club, the Stress-Free Zones and SADD is setting up a booth in the Memorial Union to remind people not to drink and drive during the holiday season.

And don’t forget vator ball.