Years ago, all the dorms in West Circle Neighborhood were referred to as “The Virgin Isles,” because every dorm was all-female. Today Yakeley Hall, named after Elida Yakeley, MSU’s first registrar, is the only residence hall to remain all-female.
Several women were placed in Yakeley Hall unaware that they would be living in a dorm with one gender for the entire school year. While some are content with their living situation, others are dissatisfied.
"I think co-ed is better because there are so many different people you can meet. It’s not as awkward or stiff, people want to get to know each other. In the co-ed dorms people keep their doors open more often and talk to each other in the hallway that does not happen here usually."
Music performance freshman Emily Henley
Music performance freshman Emily Henley did not know anything about Yakeley before she moved there, but when she arrived moved in she said she did not like the all women enviroment.
“It’s supposed to be women empowerment based, but it’s more catty than it is empowering,” Henley said. “(On) our Yakeley Facebook page people make comments on the timeline unnecessarily being rude, (such as) ‘if you don’t know how to use the washer don’t use it.’”
Henley also said she feels like the women are difficult to get along with in person.
“I think co-ed is better because there are so many different people you can meet,” Henley said. “It’s not as awkward or stiff, people want to get to know each other. In the co-ed dorms people keep their doors open more often and talk to each other in the hallway that does not happen here usually.”
Journalism freshman Katie Schlafhauser and her roommate chose to live in Yakeley Hall, but they did not know it was an all-women dorm.
“I was a little disappointed,” Schlafhauser said. “I kind of wanted to make guy friends and I felt like that would prohibit me from doing that.”
Several of the women residing in Yakeley Hall said they would rather live in a co-ed dorm instead.
“I would like to live in Mayo or Landon just because I get a long with guys better,” packaging freshman Alice Pushman said. “Having guys on my floor or around me would just work — I actually feel more comfortable with that.”
Pushman said living in co-ed residence halls allows you to experience other genders.
“Girls have the same experiences, we talk about boys and periods,” Pushman said. “It’s different with guys, you get different view points.”
Graduate student and Yakeley Hall assistant community director Jealisha Calvert said the problems that occur in Yakeley Hall are just like issues that would happen in any other residence hall.
Calvert also realizes it may not be the best living place for all students. However, she does believe that the energy in Yakeley Hall is very different from the energy in other residence halls.
“The girls bond together,” Calvert said. “We have a lot of events that cater to girls (like) pamper parties. They take time to pamper themselves paint their nails and do each others hair — it’s a time for them to destress.”
Several students come from different parts of the world and practice religions which, would not allow them to live with males.
Calvert believes it is good to have that collective space where women don’t feel distracted by the opposite sex.
“Yakeley meets the demand of women who are coming from all around the world, we have students who can’t be in the same space as male students because of their religion or cultural differences,” Calvert said. “It’s a space where girls feel comfortable and they don’t believe they will infringe upon their (religious) beliefs.”
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