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College Considers Making All-Male Zeke Co-ed

by Alyson Dame

Safe Space? Zechiel House, the last all-male dormitory, might become co-ed next fall. (photo courtesy Oberlin Online)

Next Thursday the Housing and Dining committee will discuss a proposal to make Zechiel Hall co-ed. If the proposal is passed, Zeke will open its doors to women next fall.

Assistant Director of Residential Life and Services Sandra Hougland wrote the proposal. "It's been my experience over the years that the male-only sections fill last, even in buildings other than Zeke, whereas the women, for the most part, seem to be happy with being placed in same-sex areas," she said.

The opening paragraph of the draft said, "Based on historical occupancy data, on-going lack of interest in all-male housing options and past and present programmatic issues, I [Hougland] am proposing that Zechiel Hall be designated upper-class co-ed housing by floor."

Dec. 7 will be the first reading of the proposal. "According to the charter of the Housing and Dining committee all proposals must have two readings before taking effect," Hougland said. The proposal must pass the Housing and Dining committee, the Student Life committee and the General Faculty committee - in that order - before it takes effect.

Making Zeke co-ed has been proposed two times in the last decade. "The discussion of making Zechiel Hall co-ed has been ongoing and continues this year as well," Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith said.

In 1995, the group making the decision felt that one of the major problems with attracting students to Zeke was the physical condition of the building, and decided to wait and see if renovating the building would draw more requests. '"Give them another chance,' is basically what they said," Hougland recounted. In 1997, a similar proposal failed again.

This year, 17 students requested to be in Zeke. Over the past seven years, an average of 21 students each year have requested Zeke. There are 43 beds in the hall. "This lack of interest makes it extremely difficult to do any constructive programming in the hall," the proposal said.

Junior Phillip Grasso said that students who did not want to live in Zeke shouldn't be placed there, but added, "that goes for all program houses."

Grasso lives in Zeke this year, and does not support the proposal. "I've read the proposal and I think it makes a lot of assumptions," he said. "I believe that if there is going to be a space for women only, there should be a space for men only. Part of the proposal says that making Zeke co-ed would build community. I say there is a sense of community in the building."

Grasso described Zeke as having, "a different sense than the rest of campus," but added, "I would say that about Baldwin or Barrows even. But Zeke definitely has a different character." Grasso chose to live in Zeke because he could get a single there and because, "I thought it would be more fun. I knew exactly what I was getting into."

A former Zeke resident, who wished to remain anonymous, supported the proposal but saw the importance of an all-male space on campus. "There is a need for an all men's house, I think that definitely is a value. But it is a poor disguise to say that Zeke is a space for men. It's obviously dominated by jocks." This former resident did not apply to be in Zeke. "By and large, [Zeke residents] are not there by choice," he said.

The former resident said that he had been kept up by early morning parties on weeknights. "If it was co-ed, the whole environment would be different, I think [residents] would have a lot more respect for women. I think they would respond to women more than they would to a guy, or even security," he said.

David Lightfoot is a first-year who also chose to live in Zeke Hall. "When I came here on my recruiting trip I had a lot of fun here. It seemed like I had a lot in common with the people. There was a lot looser of an atmosphere," he said.

Lightfoot thought the atmosphere of Zeke was misunderstood. "I think some people are afraid to come here, honestly. But that's mostly people who haven't been here. People who have been here know it's cool," he said.

Upon hearing about the proposal, Lightfoot said, "Would any girls want to live here? I'm not against it really, but I don't see any good reason to [make Zeke co-ed]," adding, "It's the only sanctuary for testosterone left on campus."

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Copyright © 2000, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 129, Number 10, December 1, 2000

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