Kresge and Barker Halls will be coed next year, and students andparents can’t wait … to support or condemn the change.

Some think coed halls will allow more interaction and beeye-openers when it comes to the other gender.

“Having coed dorms is a good idea,” freshman Kristy Prescottsaid. “Intermixing the sexes will give more chances for people tomeet the other sex. This way, people will get to know morepeople.”

Prescott also said her parents think it’s a good idea because ithelps the two sexes intermingle.

On the other hand, there are some who simply think coedresidence halls are a bad choice.

“I think it’s a dumb idea,” freshman Jeff Liggett said. “Peoplewill not have any time to themselves, and there could be a lot moresex which would mean more teen pregnancy.”

Senior Lindsey Ingles thinks coed residence halls are a greatoption.

“I lived in Picken my freshman year and thought it was greatbeing able to have guys there,” Ingles said. “When we are in highschool, we socialize with guys, so I have many guy friends. Mysecond year I was in Kresge and hated every moment of it – way toomany girls.”

Ingles also believes that two bedroom apartments should be coedif there is two of each sex.

For Kayleen VandeKamp, a freshman at Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead, the coed housing system makes her life moreinteresting.

“I think it’s fun as hell,” VandeKamp said. “There’s alwayssomething to do”

Mixed-gender halls are the norm at Moorhead, much like they willbe next year at Simpson.

Universities and private schools in Iowa such as Drake andDubuque Universities as well as Luther College have alreadyimplemented this a housing system.

Simpson’s administrative personnel is willing to see if havingcoed residence halls would work here.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with [coed dorms],” saidBecky Beaman, secretary to the academic dean.

She said it seems to work for the upperclassmen, and that itwouldn’t hurt the majority of the student body to “just try and seehow it is.”

Some students, although they feel coed living is a good idea,think mixed-gender halls will limit housing options.

“It’s a good idea, but it leaves less options for students whowould prefer to live with their own sex,” freshman Amanda Bellsaid.

Some are quick to point out that there are already liberalvisitation policies that allow guests of the opposite sex to visitand stay in rooms.

The change to coed residence halls was prompted by the need formore space and the desire to limit temporary housing.