The State College Borough Council is expected to vote tonight on Penn State's noise waiver request for six events scheduled on the HUB lawn this year.

A proposed permanent stage has caused concern among State College residents because it would face downtown and possibly project more noise across the area.

As a result, the university is asking the borough to grant waivers for six nights of the year, which must be Fridays, Saturdays or days before holidays.

According to the waiver, if noise exceeds 70 decibels at specified downtown monitoring locations, the university will be notified and the noise level at the HUB event will be reduced.

The waiver is by no means an unreasonable request.

While State College residents would have a logical complaint if the university wanted noise waivers for 100 nights out of the year, Penn State is not doing so, and residents should just bite the bullet.

This is a college town, after all.

If there were a direct correlation between a noise ordinance and safety in the borough, it would make sense that some residents and council members may oppose this proposal.

While council exists to act on behalf of residents, it seems as though its actions regarding this issue are in response to complaints from a few individuals and not the masses. Let's be realistic -- how many residents actually have entire evenings ruined because of a HUB lawn concert?

As it stands now, the proposal includes a provision that would allow council to review the waiver on an annual basis in the event that any changes need to be made. If, for whatever reason there were a problem, council still has the ability to amend it, which should allow them enough leeway to make the appropriate adjustments.

Council has supported recent plans to promote growth throughout the region, specifically through the a plan to construct downtown condominiums and a 10-screen cineplex, so it seems as though developing a good relationship with the university would work to attract national performers to the area.

It would be in the best interest of the residents to support endeavors that will bring more people and more revenue into State College.

The tumultuous relationship between Penn State students and State College residents will never improve if the parties cannot reach a compromise on such petty disagreements.

The sentiment among students will most likely never change -- State College is a college town, and whether residents like it or not, students aren't going anywhere any time soon.