Male, female undergraduates can now share dorm

[Inward Visionary]

Link (http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1653231,CST-NWS-mixedsex06.article)


Charlie Barlow plans to room with one of his best friends next semester at the University of Chicago: Lauren "Lulu'' Danzig.

The two are among 50 students who will take advantage of a new policy allowing male and female undergraduates to room together -- something that was forbidden throughout the 117-year history of the Hyde Park school.

For 19-year-olds Danzig and Barlow, it's not a romantic thing: She already has a boyfriend on campus. She says she simply prefers to live with men, and Barlow is a very close friend.

I didn't go to college so I don't have much of an opinion on this, but I thought it was interesting. I've stayed at girlfriend's dorm rooms overnight and known friends that shared co-ed apartments through college. I guess I can understand the University wanting to previously apply certain principles but this doesn't bother me, though the guy in that picture looks like a creepy pervert, and she would never go for him. Does co-ed housing bother anybody here?

[kristadb]

Doesn't bother me. They are adults. The university is providing housing, not morals. It's fine for them to have the option of same-sex housing (though, if it's for people afraid of others staring at them, they'll be shocked to find that they won't be safe from that in sane-sex dorms).

[Kraheera]

It doesn't bother me, but I do hope the University takes any sexual harassment claims (from BOTH sexes) very seriously. Mostly because of the inevitable rubber band effect.

(Whenever we have room that we didn't have before, we tend to over-react, at least here in the US).

But I think it is a good idea. It will help prepare our students for the real world, when it isn't so unusual to see a male and female rooming together without being in a relationship.

[ignescentphoenix]

I've got to be honest. Im not to fond of this idea.

Expect an increase in sexual harassment claims.

[Toby Stimpson]

I have the luck of working for my University in the Residence Life program, and this suprises me. In my rez last year we had several suite mates who were opposite gender, and even a GF/BF sharing a suite (a suite in my building was a kitchen with two bedrooms).

I dont think it;s a problem with York here in Toronto, but I do know of other residences where the majority of the population are first year students of between 17 and 18 years old and they did have policies like this. I don't think that its a problem if you request to be with someone, but I think that it would be ethically irresponsible to place opposite gender students together. I know there are certainly all female and all male floors on my home campus, but I dont think there are any problems with male or female guests staying over night (after all, what right do we have to say no?)

The sad fact about University residence life though is... despite many university students being adults, parents don't see it that way. Many times, especially now... parents want to still baby their children, and unfortunatly many 18 and 19 year olds are still financially dependant on their parents and will make choices heavily based on their parents opinions, or fear losing tuition money or income.

[evergreen]

I don't have an issue with it, but if I were to share a dorm, I think I'd prefer to have a female roommate.

If a student requests to dorm with someone of the opposite sex, then I don't see why not.

[Nox_Mortus]

I don't have a problem as long as it's completely optional and only done by request, I could see it being a major issue if dorm rooms where coed by default.
I've got to be honest. Im not to fond of this idea.

Expect an increase in sexual harassment claims.

I wouldn't expect it to be a major issue as long as it's completely optional.

[aranarose]

When I went to college and lived in a dorm, we didn't have mixed-sex rooms, but we did have mixed-sex floors. Girls at one end of the floor, guys at the other. I got my head shaved in the guys bathroom, and was better friedns with all the guys than I was with any of the girls.

I think, as others have said, that as long as it is by request and you don't have unsuspecting men and women thrown into the same room as each other there's nothing wrong with it.

[Heart of All]

We could share a room with the opposite sex at my college. But we had to have parental permission. The main purpose of the rule was so that students who did not identify as their birth sex could live with whichever sex they felt more comfortable with, but that wasn't always how the co-ed roomies were picked.

I'm sure it's not default. I'm sure that opposite-sex roomates have to request such.

[WitchJezebel]

If I was going to college and living in a dorm I'd pefer a male roommate; I don't like living with women roomies.

[Sionnach le Fey]

Oooooo, sounds much more fun to me ;)

I don't know of any UK unis where you share your room with someone, though...

[kristadb]

We could share a room with the opposite sex at my college. But we had to have parental permission. The main purpose of the rule was so that students who did not identify as their birth sex could live with whichever sex they felt more comfortable with, but that wasn't always how the co-ed roomies were picked.

I'm sure it's not default. I'm sure that opposite-sex roomates have to request such.

This just cracks me up. The idea of asking parental permission for an adult to do anything is too funny.

[Heart of All]

This just cracks me up. The idea of asking parental permission for an adult to do anything is too funny.

I know, right? It cracks me up too.

[Terra Mater]

This just cracks me up. The idea of asking parental permission for an adult to do anything is too funny.
I think it has to do with the parents paying for the "adults" education.

[Kraheera]

I think it has to do with the parents paying for the "adults" education.

And if they aren't? *shrugs* I knew plenty of people out of high school that worked their tails off to afford college on their own.

And I'm of the opinion that unless your parents are still supporting you, you are an adult, and they have no business dictating ANYTHING in your life.

[aluokaloo]

never been to college, i'll probably never go into it like that and no it doesn't bother me. they're adults.

[Seren_]

Oooooo, sounds much more fun to me ;)

I don't know of any UK unis where you share your room with someone, though...

One of my friends had to share a room at the university she went to (Bath Spa). One of the residences at Glasgow, where I went, also had some shared rooms. In both cases the shared rooms were same sex, but my friend's gay so she could just as easily been accused of harrassment if she didn't get on with her roommate.

I had a lucky escape and shared a flat with one girl and three other guys the first year, then the next year I shared with two girls and two guys. We never had any problems (we were lucky that we had two shower rooms and toilets, so we just had one each for 'girls' and 'boys'), except one time when one of the guys sleptwalked into my room stark bollock naked after a heavy night drinking. I made sure I locked my door after that :uhhuhuh:

Some of the flats in my block were for girls only, by request. I don't think there were any men only flats, but there could've been in other blocks.

[brymble]

I would have loved this in college, particularly the second time around. I can think of several platonic male friends who would have made the best roommates. And while I was married, before I had kids, it would have made it so much easier for both of us to go back to school when we wanted.

On the other hand, I can imagine the nightmare of sharing a dorm with my twin brother who is the religious, political, and aesthetic polar opposite of me. In spite of our differences were close as any twins (and still are, as long as there is a continent between us), and we would have been probably been stupid enough to try sharing a dorm if we could have, and then driven each other crazy. Thank the gods we went to different colleges!

[Xentor]

What's the big deal? Men and women together in the same room? That's a big deal? With all the ruckus about homosexuality lately, I'd have thought that America would've welcomed the option of forcing heterosexuality upon their students. If they'd want their students to be asexual, cloister cells would've been a better option.

[Toby Stimpson]

This just cracks me up. The idea of asking parental permission for an adult to do anything is too funny.

The thing with this is is that most university first year students are usually 17 when they enter, they gradually turn 18 over the course of the year but since they're not considered adults, the parents can make a decision for them. Ofcourse as soon as they turn 18 in Ontario Universities, they can make their own choices

[Glowy]

I agree with Nox- it should only be by request. I had several male friends I could have easily lived with and not worried they would want to sex me up or anything. I think that same sex is good for first years but they ought to have the option.