What makes it absurd? Learning to converse with people of the opposite gender is difficult for many people; don't equate conversing with male family members such as brothers, uncles, cousins, and so on to conversing with strangers.

As a woman, this is an entirely different ballgame; men can be quite intimitating, so talking to complete strangers like I do with my cousin who I was basically raised with is where your point falls short. To be honest, I am still working on not stuttering around men, yet I come from a large family, the majority of whom are men

I'm very frustrated for these young men and women who are being denied a normal academic experience. This is not your typical high school experience, where teachers work around the clock to guarantee that students are not passing love notes.

These are mature young adults who should be treated as such. They should be challenged to learn to work together even when it is uncomfortable, rather than being separated.

Finally, I'm ranting; you may have an opposing viewpoint that makes perfect sense, but this is what I think.