Email from Clark...

[orwhatyouwill]

help me formulate a response to the below highlighted line and the following paragraph(first years are second class citizens, gosh i'm so sensitive)-

Dear Anna:

You may have heard about Clark's decision to offer gender blind/neutral
housing to undergraduate students beginning in Fall 2007. This topic may arise
when you speak with prospective students

Comments

[orwhatyouwill]

what about 1st years?

[orwhatyouwill]

I just called DOS to ask about Dodd's status and find out about the historical roots of that choice.

-Yes, Dodd will remain "all girls"
-no one knew what the history of Dodd was.
-I emailed Judy Earls, in admissions, to suggest that alumni interviewing know that dodd will remain as it has...as that is also a selling point...I believe that space should be "women" only and include transexual and transgender women...Dodd should remain all "women" not all "female". I believe in the value of all women space(that's the feminist in me).
-I also asked for more information about Dodd and why "it is the way that it is".

my 2 cents

[sair207]

I applaud institutions who make gender neutral housing options available to any of their students. I think it is vital to the success (and persistence) of many students

Re: my 2 cents

[epeolatry]

Exactly what I was going to say.

Re: my 2 cents

[orwhatyouwill]

I wish I had the poster from...what was it...TIME(?) hanging in Kevin's office...of the two oscans

Re: my 2 cents

[epeolatry]

[youngstudlyboi]

I agree with your statement about first-years being treated as second-class citizens. I don't necessarily agree that genderblind housing should not be an option to them...however, it is a liability issue (shouldn't be, but it is). Parents still retain some degree of control over their kids when they live in the home, even if they're 18. They may deter/prevent their kid from attending Clark if they know about that policy. Once the kid leaves, there is less of a chance that they can do anything to prevent the kid from attending...unless they refuse to oay the tuition

[orwhatyouwill]

i always cringe at the notion that the oppressed, the othered, must do all advocay work. *sigh*

are you going to IMSL?

[youngstudlyboi]

IMsL?

I haven't made any reservations..wait where is it this year..?

(I know I am sooo out of the loop b/c of work)

[orwhatyouwill]

your neck of the woods
san fran.

[pinkunderwear]

anna... i may be a little late on this, and i didn't read all the comments so forgive me if i'm repeating something. And for all those i offend, i don't mean too.

but when i first got that email, i thought, well why can't the first years have the option as well. Then I thought it was obvious that it's because, they would never assign different sexed roommates randomly and that is the only way first years get assigned a roommate, unless they are part of an almost non existent percentage that know each other before coming and request to be roommates.

that was my basic line of thought....

[sunonyourface]

an extra two cents:

Sanford is now all first years as well, which allows for singles in the First Year Experience housing plan as well. I think we mainly ask what the student is most comfortable and try to house them accordingly, but I should be finding out for sure soon.