Thank you for publishing Mark Sonnick's article about the double standard in men's and women's dorms ("Resolve the double standard," April 24) Though Notre Dame has come a very long way since accepting girls in the 1970s and many positive changes have been made, I think this issue reflects how Notre Dame still has not fully evolved to the point of treating both genders equally.
It is not fair that it is so much harder to have a party in a women's dorm than in a men's dorm. It is not fair parietals are way more strict in girls' dorms and that only girls' dorms have their side doors locked on football weekends. I understand the concerns about a "safety issue," but why does the University treat girls differently than guys when it comes to safety? I'm definitely not advocating for guys' dorms to have their side doors locked too, but I think the University needs to change its policy to make things equal across the board. There is much more of a culture of trust in guys' dorms than in girls' dorms between the students and the hall staff, and we girls deserve the same degree of trust. We are all adults here.
If the University is going to have a rule like parietals, at least trust us to follow it instead of walking around with ear-splitting jingles at midnight when we are trying to sleep, study or hang out with friends. The trusting and more relaxed environment in guys' dorms creates a much more welcoming atmosphere, as Mark says in his article, and we women deserve to have as much of a welcoming home as the guys do.
Charlotte Anderson
freshman
Pasquerilla West
April 25
