On January 19th, third formers attended what seemed to be a normal form meeting in Getz Auditorium. However, toward the end of the meeting, as nervous students picked their nails, Third Form Deans Fran O’Donoghue and John Ford announced the longed-for news: Co-ed visits were finally permitted.

At Choate Rosemary Hall, coed visiting for third formers is a big deal. As the Student

Handbook states, “Coed visiting for third formers is not permitted fall term.” After that, “the Dean of Students will determine when, and if, coed visiting is permitted for third formers during the rest of the school year.” It’s no wonder third formers were initially so excited about the announcement.

After Fran declared the news, many third formers were so thrilled that they did not hear or pay attention to the rules—yes, there are rules—that Fran went on to explain. What some of us heard is that the coed that was granted to us is actually not coed at all: it is a different form of coed from the kind described in the Student Handbook that guides the rest of the school.

The rules for the modified coed that third formers were granted are as follows: no coed visiting during academic nights, when older students may have it from 5:30 to 7:15. Coed visiting is only allowed on non-academic Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 to fifteen minutes before curfew, only with other third formers, and with approval of a house advisor. The rest of the already-known rules still apply, of course.

Many third formers believe that it is not wise to allow a modified coed. Many think that, after all the waiting, this might inspire us to find new ways to bring students of the opposite sex into our rooms, an action which could end in expulsion. It is understandable that third formers find the situation desperate, for, as the Student Handbook says, co-ed visiting is usually granted to third formers at the beginning of Winter Term—and even when they gave us co-ed half a term later, it is not even full co-ed, but a more limited version.

So, what are we third formers left with? Well, we have what I would call a Fictional Co-ed, which is certainly not what we have so anxiously awaited. And let’s not forget the disappointment of realizing how foolish we were to be celebrating when the words co-ed and permitted had just come out of Fran’s mouth.

On the hidden bright side, it is better to have a fictional co-ed than no co-ed at all, even when it is practically the same. Right?