Recently, according to KDKA News in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon announced that they will have co-ed dorm rooms coming this fall. I find it interesting that such a reputable college has taken the step to finally make an arrangement where males and females will share a room. With the decision, itself, to launch at least 25 co-ed rooms it is nice to know that the college listened to their student’s proposals. The downside to this decision is that many parents may not enjoy the fact of their son/daughter living with the opposite gender. With the pilot program about to take effect, there are many pros and cons associated with this change.
Pro
Let’s face it, if you were in college living in the dorms you know that it is not unusual to see a male or female sneaking out of another gender’s room in the wee hours of the morning. Curfew has passed, in the dorms, and the person who should not be in the room they come out of is trembling in fear of getting caught in an “off limit” room. Consequences can be minor and eventually lead to being kicked out of the dorm completely. With this new rule in effect, there will be no sneaking around, and students will be treated as adults feeling free to be where they want, when they want. This will also eliminate some of the thrill associated with sneaking around, which in turn may not be as popular or often.
Con
In most cases, it is natural for men and women to attract to one another instantly, or after a period of time. If students are paired together by choice or by random, and start some sort of romantic relationship, what will become of the roomies when the relationships go bad? Freshman, in particular, enjoy the freedom of being single, so when a relationship ends, it probably will not end on a good note. This can cause constant removal and replacement through the dorm rooms, providing less stability and more discomfort.
Pro
In colleges, many curfews in dorms are in effect to prevent visitors from staying over the course of night. Because of the changes to make dormitories Co-ed, curfews may be lifted allowing students to enjoy company any time. This may mean that two people can study, and actually pull an all-nighter together in the comforts of their living space instead of in designated areas that are out of distance from the dorm, itself. Co-ed dorms may also decrease the amount of students that go out to un-safe parties in hope of meeting someone of the opposite gender. Like a rippling effect, it may cut down drug and alcohol use and other promiscuous behaviors.
Cons
Looking through a two-way mirror, co-ed dorms may also look as though it is o.k. to be sexually active in the school setting. Although, this is not why the decision is made to have co-ed rooms, many parents my feel that it may be a way that is influencing promiscuous behaviors. Although students are adults who are capable to make their own decisions, they are still often influenced by peer pressures and the newness of being on their own.
Pro
If you really think outside of the box, this is a good way to look and show that men and women are equals. Many have lived to tell about segregation between Caucasions and African Americans and also have had the pleasure in helping stop such creud behaviors. Many women, in general, have been around to tell the story of how their mothers and fathers were on such different levels, or how women and men still are not treated as equals (in some cases). Co-ed dorm rooms may be making another statement that will go down in history. By Carnegie Mellon making the decision to promote this idea, many colleges may follow their lead.
Cons
With most domestic violence cases and date rape cases being between two people of the opposite gender, is it possible that co-ed dorm rooms will up the quota on the number of reported cases? It’s sad, but true, that there are already too many cases of violence amongst college students. Unfortunately many are unreported and are often stimulated by drug and alcohol abuse. With males and females living together, while tension arises, the victim may not have anywhere to get away from the situation and if drugs and alcohol are present, the situation can get alot worse behind the closed door of the co-ed room.
Unfortunately, no-one can predict how Carnegie Mellon’s changes will pan out. There are many Pros and Cons as with any major decision, however this can either give a reputable college a better reputation or rip apart the university’s great publicity and credentials. Although this is only a limited amount of rooms in a pilot project, it may turn out to be influential to other universities who plan on taking the next step to create their own co-ed living environments.
