An extended thumbnail description of Smith

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
1

<p>Another parent had a daughter who seemed a good fit for Smith and I wrote the following, which I'm putting here for general use as well. Had to break it into two posts...darn 10,000 character post limit.</p>

<p>====</p>

<p>Smith College: Part I of II </p>

<ul>
<li><p>Smith is part of the Five College Consortium that also includes Mount Holyoke, Amherst, Hampshire, and U/Massachusetts-Amherst. After the first semester, students may register for classes at any of the other four colleges. (Smith is the biggest net importer of students.) A free shuttle bus runs among the colleges. Amherst and U/Mass are about 20 minutes away, Mount Holyoke about 25, Hampshire is on the way to Mount Holyoke.) </p></li>
<li><p>The Orchestra is smallish--the top level (of five) at D's high school was larger--but is filled with a lot of non-Music majors and is pretty darned good. Last year they played Beethoven's Ninth at Carnegie Hall (with U/Michigan's men's chorus), this year they concluded by playing Mahler's Second, importing the chorus from the US Naval Academy for the occasion. The performing arts in general are strong at Smith; D is a serious ballet dancer and one of the reasons she chose Smith over Wellesley was that performing arts were more peripheral at W, treated seriously at Smith. There is also a wind ensemble.</p></li>
<li><p>Smith has D3 athletics, and they also have serious club teams, as with fencing. The teams include those who have never participated before to those, like your daughter, who are quite good. Rugby and crew have passionate followings (I think you have to be masochistic for either). I suspect the Smith website could fill you in on the other sports.</p></li>
<li><p>Smith has an undergrad population of approximately 2650, making it one of the largest LAC's. (There are a few dozen grad students, including men, in the Social Work program, which runs classes during the summers. One of my friends has his Ph.D. from there and is one of the few male Smithie alumni.)</p></li>
<li><p>Dorms at Smith are <em>amazing</em>, rating either #2 or #3 (<em>cough</em>...ahead of Scripps) in PR's "Dorms Like Palaces" ratings and rates #2 in the overall "Quality of Life" rating. [The dig aside, Scripps was designed to be the Smith of the West Coast and is a very good school. Was never on D's radar screen simply because it was too close to home.] On-campus housing is guaranteed for all four years. Smith uses a Residential Housing system. Incoming students are assigned to a House...you generally have a preference as to which part of campus you want housing on and Green St. rocks and don't pay any attention to what the Quad bunnies say...housing preference are one of the most fiercely debated topics on campus. Students may change Houses and some do but most stay with their House for all four years. </p></li>
</ul>

<p>I've found that it's a great thing that students for all four years live together instead of there being things like "freshman dorms." My D has made friendships that I suspect will be "lifelong" with classmates of every year. The interactions between all years is great and many find it useful to pick the brains of upperclass students about profs, classes, etc. </p>

<p>In some ways, the Houses are like sororities but without the icky rushing/rejecting and emphasis on clothes & appearance in selection. D's house is a four-story Victorian house built in 1878; Julia Childs once lived in hers. The Quad is newer and even many first-years can get singles there. My D had a double her first two years but the second year it was a fourth-story room approximately 600 sq. ft. with a view. One student got assigned to another house after pleading that she wanted to be in the house (Chapin) whose staircase inspired a scene in "Gone With The Wind."</p>

<p>There are speciality Houses that students may tranfer to after first year, including French-speaking, seniors-only, kosher/halil, and a co-op (this last with a waiting list). Dining has been consolidated--all Houses used to have their own dining--but there are still a <em>lot</em> of dining options, with many different kinds of food being offered, including one dining room that is Vegan/Vegetarian.</p>

<ul>
<li>Fabulous professors who want to get to know their students + small class sizes. Some gateway or very popular classes like American Presidency may be larger (50-75 students) but even where there are classes with discussion sections, professors teach the sections...no TA's. The head of the department was the TA for one of D's first-year Government classes. Most classes are in the 12-20 mode, though that depends on the department: language classes are capped fairly small, science and math classes are small, classes in the social sciences run larger. Smith will make a class run if even as few as four students sign up for it. I think that in two years D has had two professors who she'd rate as merely "Good," all the others being "Very Good" or "Excellent."</li>
</ul>

<p>Smith has no required courses except for a first-year writing-intensive course of which there are several dozen options focused on dozens of academic fields. Some of the options are to drool over. However, if a student is pursuing Latin Honors (laude, magna & summa), then distribution requirements must be met. Seniors may enroll in a senior thesis class.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Northampton is a <em>great</em> college town of about 30,000 that's very student-friendly. Boston is about two hours away, New York about two-and-a-half; D has made several trips to both. D is a big city kid and one of her concerns before applying was that Northampton might be too small. When she visited, she found it to be hip & happening, with enough music, art, theater, restaurants, etc. to keep things interesting. She and her friends will sometimes go into town--a five-minute walk--for Thai, Japanese, Italian, or Indian food either as a celebration or just for the heck of it. Herrell's Ice Cream is a local landmark not to be missed.</p></li>
<li><p>As for competition, Smithies seem to be competitive with themselves. I've not yet heard anyone obsessing about their GPA relative to someone else. My D was rejected by HYS (she really liked Y and I thought that <em>not</em> being in the top of the class might be a good experience for her) and based on a scholarship was probably in the top 5 percent or so of Smith's class; I had some concern that Smith might be not challenging enough for her. The concern has proved to be ill-founded. Smith does very well in terms of students going on to graduate and professional school and is consistently among the leaders in numbers of students being awarded Fullbright Scholarships...16 this year, I think.</p></li>
<li><p>The language departments are very strong. Smith runs four Junior Year Abroad Programs in Florence, Paris, Hamburg, and Switzerland. In addition to Italian, French, and German, the East Asian languages seem to have a good reputation and many students certainly feel "pushed" in the year-long Intro. Latin & Greek classes; some go on to take advanced courses while majoring in Classics. Because of the JYA programs, the language classes are reputedly pretty tough...they want you in good shape when you go over there. </p></li>
<li><p>Art. Smith is one of the few LAC's with its own art museum. (My opinion is that it has third-class works by first-rate artists and first-rate works by third-rate artists, but still...for an LAC, it's impressive.) Art students take regular field trips to the MFA in Boston and the Met in NYC. The chair of the Art department came out here to speak to a gathering a couple of years ago and he was so enthusiastic about the program that I wanted to go and start taking art classes there immediately. I don't know as much about the studio art side as I do the art history side. I have heard that it's a danger to take too many art history classes at the same time because of the number of papers required.</p></li>
<li><p>Science & Engineering. Smith is one of the very few LAC's with its own Engineering school. They are breaking ground for a new science center with state of the art facilities. Biology and neuroscience are strong at Smith and one of the nation's leading experts on genomics and genetics is on the Smith faculty...his class is reputed to be a bear. Physics has a rep as being a tough major as well. I don't know anything about Chem except that it's sufficient for the pre-meds and the Bio students without any complaints.</p></li>
</ul>

2

<ul>
<li>Other notes. The advising has been absolutely first-rate. Pre-major advisors, class advisors, major advisors...you'd really have to actively work at it to really screw up. One of the pieces of Smith propaganda says something about "Four years where it's all about you" and I think it's true. The advisors look at students as individuals. E.g., they looked at my D's pattern of courses and grades and invited her to skip a "required" course for one of her majors. The subsequent course was a challenge (she handled it) and this ultimately leaves room for one more advanced class in the major.</li>
</ul>

<p>Smith's Praxis program gives <em>every</em> student $2,000 towards the cost of a summer internship, most being taken in the summer between junior and senior year. The CDO (career office) helps with resumes, has write ups from students about various internships they've had, and provides some pretty decent guidance. The student herself is expected to do the leg work on getting the internship, in and of itself a good learning experience, though again the CDO can help.</p>

<p>The Government department has its own Picker Internship program in Washington D.C. and the American Studies department has another internship program specifically with the Smithsonian Museums. Internships in the Picker Program include placements in the White House, Senate, House, and various organizations such as the Brookings Institute, NOW, the NRA, People for the American Way, etc.</p>

<p>In addition to running its own Junior Year Abroad programs, Smith participates in others on a co-op basis. My D is planning to spend one semester in an English-speaking program in Budapest studying Mathematics. I know another student who spent a year in China. Others in South America. There are literally dozens of options. About 2/3 of the junior class spends at least one semester in an off-campus program.</p>

<p>Between semesters, Smith offers a three-week J-term in January, where students can explore various interests, often on pass/no-pass basis.</p>

<p>Smith also offers a non-credit class in Finances for Women, covering everything from credit cards to mortgages and investment; I've heard this strongly recommended several times.</p>

<p>Smith top applicants are awarded STRIDE or Zollman Scholarships that include part-time research positions the first two years, offering the kinds of research opportunities often open primarily to grad students in larger universities. (My D was tail-end Charlie on her research team her first year but still was credited as part of the team in a paper presented the at a Mathematics conference during her first semester.) Students awarded the research positions have dozens of choices and almost always get one of their top three. [Some positions are nothing but grunt work and "slave" labor...it does pay to inquire about the professor, etc., through various channels, but most are bona fide great opportunities.] In my D's case, her position the first year led to an eight-week on-campus summer job founded by the National Science foundation.</p>

<ul>
<li>Student body. Most Smithies are both bright and quirky. As with many LAC's, the student body is predominantly liberal in outlook. My D is culturally more moderate (not conservative at all, but moderate in context of Smith) and sometimes just lets the PC-ness roll off her back. Otoh, she has found a very warm attachment to her campus religious community (Catholic) and was very touched when non-religious friends came to witness her Confirmation and when an atheist and a Jewish friend accompanied her as part of group spending a weekend at the Maryknoll retreat house in upstate New York. There is a vocal group of campus Republicans. </li>
</ul>

<p>Approximately one-third the of the campus is gay or actively bi. If you are not gay-tolerant, Smith is not the place for you. However, while the gay community is vocal and casts a large shadow, straight students are not pressured or made to feel uncomfortable. There are fewer unwanted advances than there would be at comparable co-ed institutions. </p>

<p>Socially, Smith stands out in that compared to many other LAC's and universities, it's rate of binge drinking and other drug/alcohol-related problems is very low. </p>

<p>Meeting guys. For some, a problem. Some guys to attend Smith classes or participate in Smith EC's, such as the orchestra. Many Smith students meet guys while taking classes at one of the other Five Colleges. And then there are the parties on the Quad that draw guys from the surrounding colleges to Smith. I've also heard of Smithies making connections in town via interests such as theater, music, church, etc. But for it shouldn't be downplayed; there aren't the same level of girl-guy opportunities as there would be on a co-ed campus. My D may be in a minority but I think it's a sizable one: she says that Smith doesn't leave her time to sustain a relationship and she's not interested in the casual hook-up scene. I suspect this may account for <em>some</em> of the popularity of the junior year off-campus in a co-ed environment.</p>

<p>My D's experience at Smith so far, in her words, has been "two absolutely wonderful years."</p>

<h1>#</h1>

3

<p>
[quote]
you generally have a preference as to which part of campus you want housing on and Green St. rocks and don't pay any attention to what the Quad bunnies say...housing preference are one of the most fiercely debated topics on campus.

[/quote]

Ahem......Definition of "quad bunny!" Cute, friendly, cuddly, and because they attend Smith...very, very intelligent. My D will be a "quad bunny" next year, so the title doesn't exactly thrill me by its intended definition. No matter which house or area you choose to live just make sure that its a good fit "for you." There are smart, articulate Smithies everywhere you look on campus, but not all houses are equal in stature and inhabitants. Take the time to talk to current Smithies, visit, and find out for yourself.</p>

4

<p>Good post, TD! Very helpful info for incoming or prospective students. Just wish we'd get off the "gay" thing, and concentrate on what Smith really is about: A great, empowering experience, and a tremendous education for women! Anyway, very informative none the less. :)</p>

5

<p>[ There are fewer unwanted advances than there would be at comparable co-ed institutions.]]</p>

<p>I can’t speak for TDs daughter. I can, however, speak for my daughter, her friends, my wife, and alumnae friends. </p>

<p>Gay women don’t make unwanted advances toward straight women, much less fewer. They know who’s straight and always act respectably and courteously toward their straight peers. </p>

<p>It’s disingenuous and insulating to the Smith gay community to insinuate they are, at the minimum, disrespectable and make unwanted advances toward their straight classmates.</p>

<p>There are a substantial number of gay men at Yale, Vassar and other colleges. I’ve never in my life witnessed a parent insinuate should someone's son attend the aforementioned colleges they would experience unwanted advances by a gay male.
Smith is no different. Rest assured, a straight woman at Smith is safer from advances by a gay woman than they are on many city streets.</p>

6

<p>BJM, I noted that the disputes about areas to live is among the most ferocious disputes on campus. Quad bunnies vs. "Green St. people don't know the meaning of fun." Shrug.</p>

<p>As for the "gay thing," a re-reading of my post doesn't insinuate that gay-straight relations are a problem. However, the "gay issue" is one that comes up, whether some choose to believe it or not, whether some wish it to be mentioned. Mentioning it in one paragraph out of twenty-seven is hardly excessive and failure to remark upon it would, in fact be disingenous. </p>

<p>CC is not my D's thing but in this instance I asked her to vet my posts before I reposted them here from the Parents Board...if anyone really has time to waste they can compare the two versions and find four rather small edits.</p>

<p>A couple of weeks ago I did relate to my D a synopsis of the previous discussion about the impact of the gay community at Smith, including a digest of the observations that I had made and noting that one parent had taken vociferous objection. Her comment was: he doesn't know what he's talking about. That's from a Smith student verbatim, not "just a parent."</p>

7

<p>[[Her comment was: he doesn't know what he's talking about]]</p>

<p>Funny, I get the same response from /many/ Smithies, not just one, regarding a parent’s posts. It happened again today before I posted.</p>

<p>You realize by saying in the context of your paragraph " There are fewer unwanted advances than there would be at comparable co-ed institutions" you are suggesting gay Smithies make unwanted advances to straight women? That boarders on, or in fact can be construed as sexual harassment and should be reported immediately to a Dean. Whether it's only a small part of a post is irrelevant. It’s very serious.</p>

<p>By law, a college must report all instances of sexual crimes, or otherwise, to parents and students. I’d suggest to all applicants or parents they call admissions and relate the issue of unwanted sexual advances they read about on this thread to see what they have to say and what has been reported.</p>

<p>When you have admissions on the phone, I would also ask how <em>big</em> of a shadow the gay community casts over the campus. I mean, does the sun never shine, or what? That would suck. Mass has enough gray days. :)</p>

8

<p>Parent of a Smithie '06 here, publicly proclaiming that I happen to fully agree with TheDad that the issue of lesbianism at Smith is among the "bullet points" to discuss when suggesting the school -- and I don't hesitate to bring this issue up with any locals who are referred to me for feedback. I say something like, "I don't know what your position on the issue may be, but you may have heard ..... Here's my take, including some feedback from my D.. "</p>

<p>To me, it is simply part of an overall review of the "culture" of the school, just as if I were giving feedback on a Southern school I might address whether the campus is conservative, or on a school with an active fraternity/sorority scene, how that affects campus life.</p>

<p>To do otherwise is, to me, either avoidant or a "sin of omission."</p>

<p>Believe me, there are no homophobes in my house, just straight-talking (no pun intended ;)), open people striving to be honest in their portrayal -- both for the sake of prospective students and for the sake of the school. We do Smith no favors, IMO, "denying" a significant aspect of the campus culture. </p>

<p>Princeton prospectives may be interested in the pros and cons of the eating clubs. Williams prospectives are interested in the question of how significant athletics are on the campus. U Chicago prospectives want to know where the "fun" may live. To me, the active gay/trans scene at Smith is simply an aspect of campus life, and a significant one. </p>

<p>So I say let all voices be heard, respectfully, appreciate the feedback offered, and take from it what is meaningful to you.</p>

9

<p>While I don't have a child at Smith, I have one who was admitted to Smith and seriously considered enrolling, though opted to attend another school (Brown). She did two in depth visits. She also was selected as a Stride Scholar, as theDad's D was. In reading TheDad's synopsis of the school based on his D's experiences, I think it is an accurate overview with many specifics given. </p>

<p>I don't understand with all the descriptive parts to the post, to then react to the one small part about the proportion of the gay population in the student body. I agree with TheDad and with Jyber that to not mention the gay presence on campus would be an omission. My D is totally tolerant of gay people. But she was also totally aware that there is a significant presence of gay women on this campus. Like Jyber discusses, with any college, it is good to get a handle on the campus culture. It is merely a fact that that there is a significant gay/trans scene at Smith and in Northampton for that matter. To leave out that point would be misleading. It need not be an "issue" for an applicant but just a fact of campus life. There are gay people on every college campus. Simply put, the proportion of gay women in Smith's student body is higher than at some other colleges. Someone who did not visit would not be so aware of this. But on my visit, it was VERY obvious in casual observation. As well, the student paper at that time was quite focused on some transgender issues in the student constitution. None of this needs to be an issue but is just part of the essence of the campus culture. I think the analogies that Jyber made with some aspects of campus life at some other schools is an apt comparison. And IF this is an issue for some students, they should know it upfront. I know that the year my D was accepted, there was a parent on here whom we met at the open house for accepted Stride Scholars whose D had some uncomfortable (for her) experiences. Likewise, my D has a local friend who applied ED to Vassar and upon visiting, was not keen on the student population and opted to switch out of ED. For some students, like it or not, this aspect might matter to them. Some students would dislike a frat culture. Some liberal northeast kid might dislike a conservative southern school. Even if I, or someone else might not have a problem in such a situation, some might make another choice. </p>

<p>I think that these sorts of observations don't need to be agreed upon by everyone here. It helps for all students, parents, alums, visitors to share their impressions of a school. Most readers realize that these shared descriptions are from a person's perspective. Many perspectives are welcomed. I also think some shared things are factual. Some are opinions. It is a fact that there is a signficant percentage of gay students on campus at Smith. Whether that matters at all to you, is a personal choice.</p>

10

<p>I think the last two posts by Jyber and Soozievt sum up the mood of this thread very well. As the dad of an incoming first-year, I can attest to the fact that many on this site have been extremely helpful to us in making the decision to attend Smith. For that assistance, I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Rarely, have I found such generous, helpful people anywhere on the planet, willing to have their daughters meet mine to make her Smith experience more enriching and rewarding. For that I am forever grateful. Thank you. I do not wish to get caught in the middle of an arguement that seems ongoing about Smith and the Gay culture that exists. My only point, is that **WE<a href="all%20of%20us%20at%20times">/b</a> put way too much emphasis on the gay issues than we do about the school. I am not talking about TD's latest post, as the gay issue was only a very small fraction of his dissertation. </p>

<p>I started threads like "The Smith Game, "Why All-Women's Schools, etc. because I wanted other readers of the Smith threads and potential prospies to read about the wonderful things that Smith has to offer. There is so, so much more about Smith that is tremendous (way too many to list here, but have been listed numerous times on other threads) to lose sight of. Yet, we tend to concentrate on the gay issues and give everyone a good show when they come from all over CC to read the Smith threads about all the gay problems there! Although these issues come up at the other all-girls schools, they do not stand out as big of an issue, nor are they argued upon like here at our threads. I go to the Wellesley thread and read about their great profs and courses, their beautiful campus, how close their student body is, their advising system, the opportunities that their students receive. Come to the Smith threads, and read about the lesbians, transgendered, bi students who, according to some, are running amok and making everyone who enters those hallowed gates just like them. It just isn't true! There are gay/lesbian issues at every college, even YALE! </p>

<p>I wonder how many new students we have scared off by these comments? I wonder how many parents who read these threads refuse to have their daughters attend such a place? You can write whatever good things you want in a thread, but as soon as the reader reads the words "gay/lesbian" in a sentence, it catches the eye and the inagination. We are still a very homophobic society. Information is good, and TD's post was wonderful and helpful. Let's make a pact to always be honest about Smith and the campus so that others can make sound decisions about whether to attend or not, and in addition, to sing the praises of what this great school has to offer. It's human nature to dwell on the negative, or what we perceive to be negative. I simply want new students and prospies to get the full flavor of what Smith has to offer them as students (straight or gay)!</p>

11

<p>As a current student, I would say that TD's post gives a very accurate picture of "Smith at a Glance," including the issue of sexual orientation (which he did not highlight or underscore in any way).</p>

<p><strong>I don't understand with all the descriptive parts to the post, to then react to the one small part about the proportion of the gay population in the student body.</strong></p>

<p>It is because there are a couple of dads on the boards this year who like to dispute and argue, and in the case of one of them, especially with almost anything TD posts. Makes me wish there was an "ignore user" option like there is on The Jolt. MODERATORS -- are you listening??</p>

<p><strong>Gay women don’t make unwanted advances toward straight women, much less fewer. They know who's straight and always act respectably and courteously toward their straight peers.</strong></p>

<p>I am straight, but was on the recieving end of a few advances from gay women this year, especially at the beginning of the year when my sexual orientation was probably unknown. I did not find it disrespectful or discourteous and while the advances were "unwanted" I didn't expect the other person to automatically know that. In fact, because it was never discourteous or the least bit threatening, I found it somewhat flattering. One unwanted advance certainly does not rise to the level of "sexual harrasment", particularly if the person makes no further advances after being told that the attention is not welcome.</p>

<p>There is no "gay problem" at Smith. I don't personally know ANY Smith student who thinks it is a big deal, but there IS a very open and fairly numerous population of gay and bi-sexual women at Smith. If stating that drives prospies or their parents elsewhere, then they probably are making the best decision to attend a different school.</p>

<p>BTW TD, I think you should start including Jazz Band in your section on musical groups. :-)</p>

12

<p><strong>My D will be a "quad bunny" next year</strong></p>

<p>They sent out housing assignments already?? Dang! I'm in the summer lottery and I haven't heard anything yet. They didn't come out until much later last year.</p>

13

<p>Laureldj...another CC'er who doesn't entirely read the post she disagrees with. Pease take the time to read my latest post, and please describe what it is you do not agree with in it? I thought I was pretty much to the point, clear, and trying NOT to argue!<br>

[quote]
There is no "gay problem" at Smith.

[/quote]

Then we do agree! Great!</p>

14

<p>There is no "gay problem" at Smith]]</p>

<p>I'm with Bjm8. Then we do agree. Great!</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
If stating that drives prospies or their parents elsewhere, then they probably are making the best decision to attend a different school.

[/quote]

I wonder how admissions would feel about that comment? I would hope that Smith wants to be known more for its genuine desire to provide the best education for young women anywhere in the world! I would think they'd rather talk about their great housing, smart student body, numerous opportunities for research, no core curriculum, and great profs. But hey...what do I know, all I want to do is argue.</p>

16

<p><strong>Laureldj...another CC'er who doesn't entirely read the post she disagrees with.</strong></p>

<p>Why do you so often accuse people of that if you don't like their post? </p>

<p>On the contrary, I did read your entire post along with every other post on this thread. You're just misinterpreting what I posted or perhaps you didn't read it fully or carefully. My comment regarding argumentativeness was in response to the statement that I quoted:</p>

<p><strong>I don't understand with all the descriptive parts to the post, to then react to the one small part about the proportion of the gay population in the student body.</strong></p>

<p>You clearly were not the person who posted the negative reaction to TD's orignal post and I was not referring to what you had posted. However, your defensiveness and insulting attitude in applying the label of "another CC'er who doesn't entirely read the post she disagrees with" might make someone unfamiliar with this forum mistake you for one of the argumentative dads that I was referring to. ;-)</p>

17

<p>
[quote]
It is because there are a couple of dads on the boards this year who like to dispute and argue

[/quote]

[quote]
You clearly were not the person who posted the negative reaction to TD's orignal post and I was not referring to what you had posted.

[/quote]

Make up your mind. Since I was one of only two other dads responding, then what else am I to think? If I'm not one of those two dads, then who are they? I have no desire to argue with you, but I will not sit idly by as you throw derogatory comments around.</p>

18

<p><strong>I wonder how admissions would feel about that comment?</strong></p>

<p>I don't speak for the admissions department, I speak from persoanl experience. Smith is a great school with all of the positive qualities you and I have both mentioned many times. However, as Jyber stated (and you said you agreed with):</p>

<p>**it is simply part of an overall review of the "culture" of the school, just as if I were giving feedback on a Southern school I might address whether the campus is conservative, or on a school with an active fraternity/sorority scene, how that affects campus life.</p>

<p>To do otherwise is, to me, either avoidant or a "sin of omission."**</p>

<p>So yes, I stand by my statement that if mentioning this fact along with all of the other great things about Smith drives prospies or parents away, then I think they are making the right decision to go elsewhere. I'm sure that the admissions department would have no problem with me saying so as a matter of my opinion and I'm a little baffled why you think they might.</p>

<p>Honestly, the other thing that baffles me is why some think that it would drive people away rather than attracting them. Many students, myself included see the open gay culture and population as a positive aspect of Smith. Personally, I think that the openess about the issue attracts more students than it drives away.</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
Many students, myself included see the open gay culture and population as a positive aspect of Smith. Personally, I think that the openess about the issue attracts more students than it drives away.

[/quote]

We agree again! I hope you're right! :)</p>

<p>I do agree with what the other posters had to say, and I do agree that communicating everything about Smith is very important to new students and prospies. I just do not think that the "gay" issue should be made as the headline when Smith is mentioned, as it has so much more going for it; don't you agree? (and before someone accuses me...that is not what TD did in his statement!)</p>

20

<p>Yes, it would be rather ironic to argue about being argumentative wouldn't it? :-) And yes, I think we agree on most things.</p>