Students enjoy co-ed living experience, for the moment

Due to overbooking in the Gibbs Hall dormitory, up to 50 incoming male freshman were placed in Diamond Hall for several days until there was availability elsewhere.

While the males were in the dormitory, they shared the building with female students living in McGuinn Hall.

The majority of the rooms in the dormitory were ready for occupation, but some were not. According to Crumity, Diamond is undergoing renovations and will remain vacant this year.

Lenard Dawson, a freshman student from Jacksonville, was one of the males temporarily placed in the female dormitory.

“My room was fine because the room was spacious and pretty clean, but I did hear of people getting rooms with the door hanging off the hinges, broken window frames, or no mattress at all,” said the 18-year-old pre-med student.

After 3 days of co-ed living from August 19-21, the males received memos stating they needed to be packed and ready to move. On August 22, they were relocated to Palmetto North and South, Phase III, Paddyfote, and Gibbs Hall.

The males had few permanent housing options after the temporary placement. Interim Housing Director Oscar

Crumity said anyone who was unsatisfied with his housing had the opportunity to relocate on September 1.

Although this was the first time a traditional female dormitory was co-ed, Crumity said co-ed dorms is not new at FAMU because Paddyfote, Palmetto North and South and Phase 3 are co-ed.

Some students enjoyed the co-ed living situation.

Kyle Washington, an 18-year-old freshman, made new friends during his stay in the dorm. “Living in such close quarters with the females allowed us to develop a sense of maturity and responsibility.”

“We made new friends that we probably wouldn’t have made if we were placed in traditional male housing,” said the music student from Tallahassee.

Freshman and resident of Mcguinn Hall, Nadia

Laing was not bothered by the temporary co-ed living

situation.

“It was nice having guys staying in Diamond because of all the new friends I’ve made and because we felt more like a family,” said the 17-year-old theatre student from Winter Park.

contact Yewande Addie at famuannews@hotmail.com.