Spring Break
Coed living creates social atmosphere
Tenth floor of Towers South first to offer mixed-gender living
Brian Reisinger
Issue date: 10/17/05 Section: Campus News
Sophomore Christine Galzki was surprised early in the semester when she left her room on the 10th floor of Towers South and saw two guys standing in towels, talking casually in the hallway.
"It's just something you don't expect," she said with a laugh.
Despite the shock, she decided to take the incident in stride as part of living on UW-Eau Claire's only "scattered living," floor, on which male and female students live on the same wing.
Though there is less interest in scattered housing than anticipated, residents and university officials say the initiative has been a success, creating a more balanced and sociable environment.
"It's nice," sophomore Danny Hubbel said. "It's a lot more social than living on an all-guys' floor."
Introduced by United Hall Council last spring and instituted this fall, the plan originally called for the possibility of scattered living on the 9th and 10th floors of Towers North and South, said UHC Vice President Kristin Krohmer.
The number of students who signed up for the option only filled one floor and are almost two-thirds female. All are sophomores or older, as stipulated by scattered living guidelines.
University officials credited the lack of interest to the short amount of time between when the UHC adopted the plan and when returning students began signing up for housing.
"I think the timing when we passed our bill was kind of odd because (University Housing) had to throw it together," Krohmer said. "It probably would have been more popular if we had gotten more people aware of it earlier."
Despite some initial discomfort, male and female residents agree scattered living creates a balance between the higher levels of "drama" on all-female wings and the often unsavory living conditions on all-male wings.
"The first few days, it was a little awkward walking to the bathroom ... but you don't really notice it after awhile" Hubbel said. "Here, it's a lot more pleasant (than on an all-male floor)."
"It's just something you don't expect," she said with a laugh.
Despite the shock, she decided to take the incident in stride as part of living on UW-Eau Claire's only "scattered living," floor, on which male and female students live on the same wing.
Though there is less interest in scattered housing than anticipated, residents and university officials say the initiative has been a success, creating a more balanced and sociable environment.
"It's nice," sophomore Danny Hubbel said. "It's a lot more social than living on an all-guys' floor."
Introduced by United Hall Council last spring and instituted this fall, the plan originally called for the possibility of scattered living on the 9th and 10th floors of Towers North and South, said UHC Vice President Kristin Krohmer.
The number of students who signed up for the option only filled one floor and are almost two-thirds female. All are sophomores or older, as stipulated by scattered living guidelines.
University officials credited the lack of interest to the short amount of time between when the UHC adopted the plan and when returning students began signing up for housing.
"I think the timing when we passed our bill was kind of odd because (University Housing) had to throw it together," Krohmer said. "It probably would have been more popular if we had gotten more people aware of it earlier."
Despite some initial discomfort, male and female residents agree scattered living creates a balance between the higher levels of "drama" on all-female wings and the often unsavory living conditions on all-male wings.
"The first few days, it was a little awkward walking to the bathroom ... but you don't really notice it after awhile" Hubbel said. "Here, it's a lot more pleasant (than on an all-male floor)."