The shorter tower of Douglas Keen Hall is now all-female due to an increased demand for female housing. The dorm was previously all-male in both towers. 

Housing and Residence Life made the announcement over the summer and many students have welcomed the change.

Brian Kuster, executive director of HRL, said Keen’s design made it ideal for the change to be made.

“It has two towers separated by a common lobby,” he said.

Some, like Bowling Green freshman Steven Curry, are looking forward to the idea of connecting with different people. 

“It was exciting knowing that if I wanted to hang out with the opposite sex I could because they were across the hall,” Curry said. “I don’t click well with straight guys because I’m gay.”

Cynthiana junior Cory McCauley, a desk clerk in Keen, said the change was surprising to him at first, but he thinks it will be a good move for the dorm. 

“I worked here last year as a sophomore, and we found out a month before we had to be here that it would be two-sided,” he said.

Kuster said males that had reserved their rooms in the smaller tower were assigned to the taller tower of Keen or other dorms such as Barnes-Campbell Hall or Poland Hall.

The dorm is technically co-ed, but the visitation rules haven’t changed.  Visitation hours are from Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m to midnight, with weekends being 24 hours.

Females can’t enter the male side unless they get checked in by a male student and vice-versa.

Some students, like Beaver Dam freshman Madeline Young, aren’t enthusiastic about that change.  

“I think tensions would be lower if it was all girls,” Young said. “It’s hard having to deal with the other genders seeing you, it makes me a little nervous they are in here.”