Clothing optional dorm?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wesleyan University
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We were surprised to have recently heard that Wes has an officially clothing optional dorm (WestCo) for freshmen and sophomores. Is that in fact the case? There is a 2014 Argus article that seems to confirm that is the case, and that naked parties are “reasonably frequent”.

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Are masks required :slight_smile:

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The joke is that there is no rule in the Student Handbook that requires clothing be worn at all times in any of the Wesleyan dorms. Therefore, technically speaking, every dorm is “clothing optional”. This particular set of dorms has a long legacy to live up to that includes pulling the leg of a New York Times reporter who visited in the 1990s, resulting in a front-page story:
Naked Dorm? That Wasn’t in the Brochure - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

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They must have a HUGE heating bill for the dorms! It can get quite cold in New England in the winter. But I guess that it’s an alternative to installing air conditioning for late August/September, and even May. Not to mention that summer program attendees would probably be much more comfortable in the dorm, if there’s no A/C.

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Wesleyan is famous for its balconies.

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Although, TBH, the main library can get quite hot:
“So This Is Wesleyan’s Clothing-Optional Library…” | Wesleying

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It might further your question if you indicated whether you might regard this, to the extent that it would be impactful to any particular student, as liberating or concerning.

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Move-in day could be interesting. Imagine if you checked the wrong box on the housing application.

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Don’t panic. Grab a bedsheet or something and wait. I’m sure the university would help you find a naked dorm.

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Oh, the scandal. :rofl:

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Joe Constanza comes to mind in that cold winter…

All joking aside… Is the bottom line that if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in an environment at which naked parties occur with some frequency then you should not go to Wesleyan? Or is it safe to assume that these situations should be easily avoidable?

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Well, you should also be aware that whether or not to be clothing-optional for the year (and, AFAIK, there’s only been one such vote in West College’s recorded history), is probably of secondary importance to the question that occurs every September or as soon as move-in day will allow, which pertains to whether the one bathroom on each floor should be single-sex or co-ed. The co-ed bathroom vote wins every year.

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Are the coed restrooms towel/robe optional too?

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FYI, I think you mean George Costanza.

Learned something new today.

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SHRINKAGE!!

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For greater perspective, you may want to read the relevant chapters in One Hundred Semesters, written by a former president of Wesleyan, William Chace. As I recall it, some of the more conventional students at Wesleyan complained that they were in an uncomfortable minority at times. Personal safety was not of concern, however.

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You may occasionally see a guy (or girl) in boxer shorts brushing their teeth. But, I’ve been chastened in the past for discussing what college-aged humans do and don’t do in the privacy of their dorm rooms:

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Bill Chace was an old fool:
The End Of The Affair Jeffrey Sonnenfeld’s battle with Emory University is finally over, but the question remains: Why on earth did Emory’s president accuse Sonnenfeld of vandalism? - September 4, 2000 (cnn.com)

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