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ONE OF 73 >> Local man is a freshman at Randolph College Former women's college welcomes first male students

Randolph College welcomes men for the first time, including Adam Brown of King George County

Date published: 8/21/2007

BY JEFF BRANSCOME

LYNCHBURG--On move-in day at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Adam Brown wore a small black earring, a blue wristband and black jeans with a chain attached to a pocket.

The King George County High School graduate's long, sandy brown hair was tinted green.

After making his bed Sunday, he unpacked an assortment of stuffed animals, including a teddy bear with a red bow tie and Kermit the Frog.

He wasn't afraid to make random jokes. Standing in a silent elevator, he said, "Some good music in here."

Brown, 18, said his personality set him apart from many others at his high school.

But how would he fare as just one of 73 men at the newly coeducational Randolph College, formerly Randolph-Macon Woman's College?

Brown had watched some videos on YouTube in which students protested the school's decision to accept men. He's one of four males in the Fredericksburg area to enroll there.

"You have to change at some point because the same thing doesn't work all the time," Brown said. "In essence, I want what they're going for, which is an education and a place to make friends and have a great life."

Brown and his roommate in Main Hall, Michael Potapoff, 18, of Raleigh, N.C., are the only two men on their floor, called Peace and Diplomacy. Students interested in politics and international affairs applied to live in the wing.

Potapoff will play for the school's first-ever men's soccer team.

"Did you say the only guys on this floor?" Brown asked another student after hearing the news. "There are no others? I must see this."

His mom, Ainsley Brown, replied, "Remember, dear, that's not why you're here."

Later, Adam Brown confirmed, "That's a fantastic bonus but not why I'm here."

As he straightened out his room, a young woman peeked inside and introduced herself as Nicole.

"I'm across the hall," she told him with a smile.

Not a bad start.

Soon after, Kate Descoteaux, 21, stopped by and mentioned a sensitive topic for some of the hall's women.

"We're going to have to talk about bathroom policy tonight so everyone is comfortable with it," she said. Students in the hall share a bathroom with two showers.

Randolph-Macon Woman's College was named after John Randolph of Virginia and Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina, both prominent politicians. The current student body is made up of 665 undergraduates. About 227 are new students, 73 of whom are men. The college boasts seven local students--four men and three women.

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Date published: 8/21/2007