My latest Ka Leo editorial
It is about the need for one person-dorms. The copy editor did a screw up in the title by putting "one-man rooms" instead of the preferred "one person rooms". After all, females are dorming too, and some might have the same thought as I. The preference over the words "one-person" over the words "one-man" isn't "political correctness", it's about respect!
Anyways, here's the editorial
http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/06/03/40be69c8cd586
UH needs additional one-man rooms
By Pablo Wegesend
Ka Leo Staff Columnist
June 03, 2004
I understand the university and the state of Hawai'i are in financial crisis. But once both reemerge, housing needs to be changed.
We need to build dorms made up of one-person rooms. The main reason why I don't live on campus anymore is because I am tired of sharing a room with another human being.
Some buildings have one-person rooms, but they are very limited and very hard to get. Some students try to become resident advisers just to get the one-person room -- which I tried without success.
If we had more one-person rooms, there would be more people living on campus. I know I would still be there.
I liked living on campus, occasionally chatting with neighbors and the front desk folks. The lack of privacy that is inevitable in two-person rooms drove me insane.
Some will say that sharing a room with another person is a good way to get to know people. I disagree.
If someone wanted to meet people, they could just join a campus club that interested them -- like I did -- or just hang out in the lounge or on the balcony -- which I did -- or work at the front desk of the dorm buildings -- which I also did.
But sharing a room forces people into paranoid about putting up with roommates who don't share the same values or habits.
Sharing a room forces people to be paranoid about not doing certain private things just to avoid stupid and intrusive questions.
Sharing a room forces people to hide parts of themselves to avoid conflict. Being in that situation isn't a healthy way of meeting people.
Some say that having one-person rooms will cause some to be reclusive and miss out on socializing.
So what? Let' em! That's their lives, not yours! If someone regrets not socializing enough in college, that's their problem, not yours!
But no one should be put into a situation of 1) long commutes; 2) staying home with family members one doesn't get along with; or 3) give up all privacy to live in the dorms just to avoid a time-wasting commute!
