The boys are back in town: Sweeney Hall last on campus to go co-ed
Sweeney Hall has been a sanctuary for Central Michigan University’s feminine side for decades.
But this semester, Sweeney got a Y chromosome injection.
“It’s still 258 girls to 88 guys but hey, at least it smells good.” Cory Mueller said.
Mueller, a Brighton freshman who lives in Sweeney, said he likes the hall’s new co-ed status because it is nice to have an extra hand with everything.
Rand Revoldt lived in Merrill Hall, formerly an all male residence hall, for two years and often visited Sweeney, an all-female hall at the time, because they were so close together.
“You meet some great people living in the residence halls,” the Grand Rapids sophomore said.
Joan Schmidt, associate director of Residence Life, said the change was made because less and less people had requested the single-sex residence.
She thinks the transition has gone well so far.
“It seems a bit livelier, people seem pretty happy there,” Schmidt said. “So far, it appears to have been a good change.”
Sheila Pichla, a Bad Axe sophomore, lived in Sweeney last year and said the hall seems to be more of a community now.
“It’s nice that it is much more social this year,” she said.
Schmidt said she was shocked not many people complained about the change before school started.
“There were a few residents from last year who were concerned because they were in the 12 percent that wanted to live in that environment,” she said. “I was honestly a little surprised that we didn’t hear from new freshmen and parents.”
Carleton sophomore Chelsea Culter lived in Sweeney last year and still does. She said it was strange to see boys come through the doors on move-in day.
“It’s been a lot more friendly and people have kept their doors open a lot more,” Culter said. “It’s weird how boys can affect that.”
-Senior Reporters Ryan Taljonick and Heather Hillman contributed to this report
