Housing a Mistake: Co-ed dorm rooms

Lizzy Menzer | Contributing Writer

Co-ed dormitories were first established in the 1970s. Today, they are the norm; a significant number of colleges and universities offer co-ed dorms to students. They have even begun building co-ed bathrooms in some colleges, but the biggest cultural shock might be the recent development of co-ed dorm rooms.

That’s right, about two dozen colleges are now offering the option of males and females sharing a single living space.

I currently live in a co-ed dorm at UNCW. The male species and I are separated by a common room area; the girls are on one side of the floor, and the boys are on the other. Thankfully, I am not the victim of co-ed bathrooms (not sure how that works out in favor of anyone).

Just the other day on my floor I witnessed two male students engaged in a game of Frisbee with a stale bagel. It reminded me a lot of when you watch a small child playing with a box, and you wonder how great it must be to be entertained by something so dull. They were full of such joy and, although I’m sure the activity annoyed some, their joy gave me joy.

I grew up in a house that had a great male presence so it’s refreshing for me to still have that male presence nearby. However, the thought of sharing a room with a guy is a little too nearby for me.

I, like many other female students, probably get along better with guys. Overall I find boys more manageable as friends. I can confidently say with this mind-set that co-ed dorm rooms are a mistake.

A big argument for the case of co-ed dorm rooms is that they will make transgender and gay students feel more comfortable. Some colleges are even creating housing specifically for these students.

I think that creating separate housing for these groups of students is encouraging isolation. Transgender and gay students shouldn’t be estranged from the rest of the students at colleges just because they would be more comfortable with people they can relate to. In the real world, there are not separate jobs for transgender or gay people. Colleges should encourage a unity based on the integration of all kinds of students living among one another.

College is not all about being comfortable. There are few options presented to someone in the real world with genuine concern of a person’s comfort level. People have to learn and adapt to people they may not initially get along with.

I roomed with two other girls this year and had my fair share of issues. At times I’m sure it would have been easier and more comfortable living with a male student. The fact is that I am eventually going to have to deal with girls I may not get along with, whether it is in college or in the real world. My rooming experience taught me that.

I encourage students to get out of their comfort zone and college is a great time to do this. Roommates are not always compatible, but sometimes this works out better in the long run because students are able to learn real life lessons about dealing with other people.