Gender-Neutral Housing at UConn

The University of Connecticut's Daily Campus reports on a new pilot program at UConn that allows for "gender-neutral housing". Basically, the program lets students live in university housing without regard to their gender or the gender of their roommates. UConn decided to try gender-neutral housing to address concerns voiced by members of the LGBT community, as well as students who had cited religious or cultural reasons to live in the same room as members of their own family who happened to be a different gender. Students who opt to live in gender-neutral housing need not indicate their gender on the housing application form.

UConn joins numerous other undergraduate schools that have gender-neutral housing, including the University of Colorado, Stanford, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Pennsylvania and Wesleyan University.

New magazine for high school athletes

RISE magazine released yesterday a special issue called GIRL, the focus of which is the high school female athlete. RISE is a publication devoted to local (they have 25 cities around which they create editorial content) and national news about high school sports.

The cover of GIRL features UConn recruit Elena Delle Donne who will be playing her final year of high school basketball at Ursuline Academy in Delaware this year.

The issue also includes interviews with members of US national soccer team (currently starring in the World Cup in China--check out their semifinal game Thursday morning) and what Title IX has meant to them.

The magazine cover has the heading: "First ever magazine for the high school female athlete" and a special "Premiere Issue" sticker on it which implies GIRL will be a recurring publication, but the press for the release of the magazine is referring to it as a special issue. Whether this is a one-time only or a regular publication, it seems to be worth checking out.