For the first time in its 66-year history, Elizabeth Waters Hall is opening its doors to male residents.
When the dorm opened its doors on Nov. 2, 1940, Barbara Vergeront, vice president of the UW System Board of Regents, dedicated the hall ""to the women of the university, to all women students now here and to those who will be here in generations to come.""
But the majority of women in this generation favor co-ed housing to the traditional separate dormitories.
Facing the decreasing popularity of single-sex dorms, university Housing decided to make Liz Waters co-ed, while designating Cole Hall as the University's women-only dorm.
Elizabeth Waters is not the first dorm to make such a change; Chadbourne Hall and Barnard Hall also used to be women-only and now are co-ed.
This move opened up more than 250 beds for students wishing to live in a co-ed dorm beginning Aug. 30.
New residents in Liz Waters expressed positive feelings about the change.
""I think it's about time they opened it up to both sexes,"" said Erik Sorenson, a UW-Madison sophomore who is one of the male students to live in Liz Waters this year.
Sorenson said the high-quality rooms and cafeteria in the dorm made it one of his top choices this year. He also said female residents should not be concerned about guys moving in, because they know how to behave themselves.
""We're all adults, we understand,"" he said.
Natalie Fondell, a UW-Madison sophomore who lived in Elizabeth Waters for the 2005-'06 academic year, said there is a noticeable difference in the atmosphere of the dorm, now that there are male residents.
""Before if a guy was walking alone in the dorm, a house fellow would chase him out,"" she said.
While the old policy gave her a greater sense of security, Fondell said the positives of having men around outweigh the negatives.
""The dining hall is more lively and its not so quiet at night,"" she said. And, she noted, it is much easier to make male friends.
Upon Liz Waters opening for the 1940-'41 academic year, The Daily Cardinal said on Nov. 3, 1940: ""Not only its new occupants, but also the men in the dorms to the west, are looking forward to next fall when Elizabeth Waters opens.""
This fall, the men who are looking forward to Elizabeth Waters opening its doors just may be planning to live there.
