Female dorm goes to bed

Last week, Residential Programs and Services decided to close the last all-female dorm on campus, Ashton-Stempel, in exchange for the creation of a much-needed coed residence catering to male and female residents older than 21. \nHaving an all-women dorm isn't a terrible option, but it's one we can live without, if we must. In an age of modernity, we can handle coed living. And tightly secured female floors are a sufficient alternative.\nFor those disgruntled residents desiring all-female camaraderie, several residence halls continue to offer female-only floors, accessibly only by key. We see little difference between designating entire floors as same-sex and offering entire dormitories divided by gender -- often, floors in residence halls have very little interaction. \n Stempel residents, upset by the change, are further assuaged by the fact they'll be given total preference concerning living options next year. They'll be able to choose an all-female floor, and move on. \n But the closure is a change some current Stempel residents protested vehemently. They claim they were never consulted by RPS, and Ashton president Kyle Campbell says the current all-female arrangement offers increased security and safety for residents, as well as heightened cleanliness. \n However, Nancy Lorenz, director of academic initiatives and services at RPS, consulted the community councils of every IU residence center concerning possible changes last semester. \n RPS must work to serve the interests of all students across time -- not a mere handful who hole up in University housing for a short, four-year tenure. Stempel will cater to the over-21 crowd for considerably lower prices than halls like Eigenmann, which offer substantial housing for older students, but at more expensive rates. \nFurthermore, Lorenz says she's never had students directly petition for same-sex housing. If the demand isn't there or properly articulated, the University can hardly be expected to presume what residents may or may not want -- it must act in the better interest of the RPS system as a whole. \nWe believe a little change is good. The University is proving through this action it's prepared to formally allow older students the freedoms their age permits while simultaneously acknowledging the ability of college students to live in a heterogenous setting. \nClosing Ashton-Stempel might upset conservative parents who insist their children only live in a facility with students of the same gender, but RPS has proven it wants to offer IU students of any age the most diverse living options possible. All-female floors should provide enough comfort and a good night's rest for all students.