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Same-sex dorms less popular

South Campus is finally getting an all-female dorm.

Starting this fall, Hardin Residence Hall will switch from co-ed to all-girls.

This will replace Parker Residence Hall, which is a mid-campus all-female dorm that will become co-ed starting in the fall.

Hardin will be the first gender-specific dorm on South Campus.

The change will give freshmen females a same-sex housing option on South Campus, said Rick Bradley, an assistant director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education.

“Most first-year students live on South Campus,” he said.

“We had not previously had an all-female hall on South Campus, and it’s posed some challenges.”

Bradley said Hardin was chosen because it is close in size to Parker.

He said switching the genders of the dorms will not cost any money because the facilities won’t be changed.

There are two other all-female dorms at UNC: Aycock and Kenan Residence Halls, both on North Campus.

There are only two all-male dorms, also both on North Campus: Graham and Mangum Residence Halls.

Over the years, Bradley said he has seen a significant decrease in the number of students looking for single-sex halls.

Most of the requests are from freshmen, he said.

“The number of students asking for a single-gender hall as a top preference is a very low number,” he said.

“I would say for male students we probably get five requests for first year students. For females, maybe a dozen to 15.”

Freshman Anna Johns lives in Parker and said she has grown to love the dorm even though she didn’t pick it for the all-female aspect.

She said her experience living in an all-female dorm has been pleasant.

“It’s nice because I don’t have to worry about guys walking in from down the hall when I’m not looking my best,” Johns said.

“It makes for a really comfortable environment.”

Sophomore Susan Rich lives in Manly. She said before moving in, she had some reserves about living in a same-sex hall.

“I knew there were pros and cons … There’s a lot more freedom in an all girls dorm,” Rich said.

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“But you don’t get to know as many guys, and that part isn’t as appealing.”

Bradley said that most people who ask for a same-gender hall do so for religious reasons.

“There are more and more Muslim students who I think have a stronger desire to be with all female students,” he said.

Bradley said that in the 1990s, other buildings were changed from single-gender to coed, and people reacted with an uproar. But changing the gender of a dorm is nothing unusual, he added.

“This is not the first time we’ve changed the gender of a building,” he said.

“It’s not an uncommon move.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

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