Students demonstrated overwhelming support for a gender neutral housing policy in a WSA poll conducted over the past 10 days. Of the 1,170 votes tallied, 1,071 supported implementation of the WSA-sponsored housing policy. Of the remaining votes 66 went against the proposal, while 20 students chose to abstain.

The WSA poll comes after a resolution was passed on Oct. 3 in protest of the Administration’s decision to revoke the policy drawn up last spring, which would have allowed any students to room together, regardless of gender identity.

The change in the gender-neutral housing policy occurred over the summer amidst confusion regarding the terms of the policy. The misunderstanding surfaced in July when a number of incoming frosh, who had chosen the “gender neutral” housing option, contacted the office of Residential Life with concerns about being paired with a roommate of the opposite sex.

Many thought gender neutral meant that students of the opposite sex would be on the same hall or in the same dorm. Instead, gender neutral housing, as understood by the administrators and student representatives who conceived the policy last spring, means that ResLife is not to consider the biological sex of a student when making assignments for freshman doubles.

As this confusion arose among some incoming frosh, members of the Administration realized that they, too, were not in agreement on the details of the policy. Interim Dean of the College Peter Patton, who reported to President Bennet on the issue, said that he was not aware that two students of the opposite biological sex could be placed together as roommates under the policy.

The WSA believes that with the results from this poll, they will be in a better position to persuade the Administration to reverse its decision.