<p>I was accepted to many women's colleges, i.e. Smith, wellesley, Bryn Mawr, and Mount Holyoke, but was wondering how prevalent lesbianism is on campus. I read the account of two smithies raping another, and that straight girls just don't fit in at women's colleges. Anyone know how accurate this is?</p>
<p>i second that question....answers would be greatly appreciated</p>
<p>
[quote]
In Massachusetts, two Northhampton women including a Smith College student are being held on charges that they raped and handcuffed another female Smith student and slashed her with knives. Rachel Ann Klobertanz, 22 (left), and Augusta Claire Kendall, 22 (right), are facing two counts of aggravated rape, three counts of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault and battery. Prosecutors say the three met at a bar, went to Klobertanz and Kendall's apartment, consumed several bottles of champagne, then engaged in sex that began as consensual, but ended as rape. "There are some significant issues with respect to consent," said David Roundtree, who represents Kendall. Klobertanz and Kendall maintain it was consensual.
[/quote]
<p>I would not base my college decision on the criminal behavior of one or two students. Pretty much every college in America has had a student who engaged in a sensational crime.</p>
<p>As I recall, TheDad thinks the percentage of lesbians at Smith is about 25%. (TheDad can correct me if I am wrong).</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that straight women don't fit in at Smith. You will meet quite a few people who do not date women. I think sometimes people get a false impression of how many lesbians there are at Smith in comparison to other places because the ones who are there are often more vocal than at other places and get more attention. Also, many many many students at Smith are not committed to a particular orientation. Chances are you will fit in well with people of all orientations unless you don't want to.</p>
<p>I second to august. It can be very scary trying to fit in and finding your niche in the dating scene. It is true that I need more than my two hands to count off my lesbian friends and less than two hands for my straight friends. But some of them just go back and forth, taking in whatever's available to them.</p>
<p>Northampton is boasted as the #1 Lesbian Capital in the U.S. I am not so sure- yes it is lesbian friendly but I don't see tons of lesbian couples hand in hand downtown. Makes me go, hm.</p>
<p>But the thing is, people are too busy forming new friendships at women colleges that they just don't really think about what else is available out there for love and hugs. </p>
<p>As for the rape story, believe it or not, many Smith students are angry about this action because they're worried that this publicity will ruin Smith's image. The President promptly kicked the Smith student out. Smith is NOT like that at all. Students do not rape each other. We have a very strict honor code so we pretty much behave ethically and morally and we religiously follow the code. People are scared of facing the Judicial Board because no one wants to leave Smith! :)</p>
<p>Remember that in the general population, there are four times as many gay men as lesbians. Couple that with the best Lesbian/Gay studies program in the country, and I am certain you will find more gay people at Yale than you will at Smith.</p>
<p>Having said that, however, if the idea bothers you, don't go to Smith. What is different at Smith (and all the women's colleges) are that folks are open and honest about their orientations, or at least a lot of them are (according to my d.), and thus can freely be vocal about it.</p>
<p>put in northampton,ma lesbian and you will have plenty of information on the gay community in northampton..</p>
<p>4 times as many gay men as lesbians? wow...as a lesbian, that's pretty depressing</p>
<p>Been out of town, sorry for any delay in responding.</p>
<p>Depending on which survey you believe, Smith is somewhere around 25-35 percent lesbian. Hard to determine precisely--and it didn't matter in D's case--because a) it's a fairly vocal group that probably stands out more than true numbers and b) the numbers include a fair number of switch-hitters and/or dating opportunists. Certainly, I've heard of LUG and BUG (lesbian until graduation, bi until graduation). </p>
<p>My straight D wanted to see how she would be accepted at Smith and that was one of the positives from her visits...no problem. And she has experienced no problems due to orientation in her almost-year there...has experienced more (but still relatively little) friction on issues of general PC than orientation (zero). </p>
<p>TMP captures the sense of the rape incident: Smithies of all persuasions were outraged.</p>
<p>Speaking as a father, I would not be so enthusiastic about Smith if I thought it were a problem to be a straight girl there.</p>
<p>I have heard sad things, like the bi girl who didn't feel as if she was straight enough for her straight friends and wasn't gay enough for her gay friends. Small sample size, n=1...my D hasn't observed any of that at all. I suppose there are bound to be a few of the "hyperfeminist ideology" that says you can't be feminist unless you're a lesbian but, hey, what the heck, there are conservative Republicans on campus too.</p>
<p>Then there's the [what I find] funny, like "Sessions [house], where not even the walls are straight." My D's house is about 50/50 and I can say that there has been more friction over loud music than orientation.</p>
<p>Any organization can have individuals with problems. Sometimes a depressed student doesn't get the help they need and there is a suicide, sometimes their are crimes against others. What is important is if and how the organization reacts to these problems. Some colleges have tried to cover up rapes (especially if it involved sports team members) while others show zero tolerance. I think Smith appears to have handled this situation reasonably. To your question, I have known straight girls who enjoyed their college years at women colleges.
You decide where you will be comfortable and go there if it is comfort you seek.</p>
<p>Students and parents have to make
decisions within the next 21 days
relative to where their daughters
are going to school. Negative stories
are not good for Smith's, or any schools
image. It bestows a feeling of uncertainty,
and yes, fear onto one's state of mind.</p>
<p>My D was waitlisted, but yet still is being
recruited as an athlete by the school.
We are confident that she could get in
if she wants to. Unfortunately, my D
has become collateral damage resulting
from the lesbian rape story. She is not
interested in attending Smith College.</p>
<p>Any one else being swayed away from Smith
as a result of the untimely negative media
coverage?</p>
<p>BTW, Bryn Mawr College is on the list of her
top three schools that she is interested in
attending.</p>
<p>Do people stop flying if there's an airplane crash? Stop going out if they read about a mugging? Stop driving if there's an accident?</p>
<p>If anyone read beyond the headline, it was clear that this was a) an abberation, b) involved a pre-existing relationship and some extremely bad judgment, c) was roundly condemned by Smithies of all persuasions, and d) was dealt with quickly and correctly by the authorities.</p>
<p>It has made us research and look a lot harder at smith. My daughter is waitlisted too. </p>
<p>Anyone know where the rest of the March issues (online) of the Sophian (smith school paper) are?? ... The web site is has March 10th. Back issues show it it published weekly. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.smithsophian.com%5B/url%5D">www.smithsophian.com</a></p>
<p>Just like heterosexual rape is not about sex, the rape that occurred at Smith was not about sex either. It's about violence and power and it was criminal behavior that is being punished. It's unfair and shortsighted to hold this giant aberration against Smith or Smith students.</p>
<p>I went to Smith, worked at Smith for years, and now live across the street. I know many heterosexual students who have thrived there and would pick Smith again with hindsight. But, yes, there is a strong lesbian presence, and prospective students who are not comfortable with that may want to go elsewhere.</p>
<p>However, I think the REAL issue that straight young women need to grapple with when deciding whether or not to select Smith is how much coed social life they require. At Smith, one needs to work pretty hard to have one. Taking advantage of the Five-College Consortium can help, but its not a sure-fire way to meet guys and to interact with them outside of the classroom. Most of the Smith students Ive known in recent years who have boyfriends have imported them from home or met them during study-abroad programs, off-campus internships, etc. </p>
<p>When I was a Smith student (many moons ago), I missed daily interactions with guys and ended up spending a lot of time at Amherst College, juggling my schedule (and its certainly possible but it takes effort) to fit in lots of classes at Amherst and UMass. But thats not typical. On the other hand, while I did miss the men at COLLEGE, for seven years prior to that I went to an all-girls camp for two months each summer no brother camp across the lake, no bi-weekly dances, just girls, girls, girls. And I loved it. It brought out a side of myself that I didnt see in my coed high school, and I didnt miss the men at all. So, while I DID miss them by the time I got to Smith, I can certainly see the value in a single-sex experience for a young woman who hasnt already had it. The key, however, is to approach Smith with the understanding that, as a gay student, youll probably have plenty of opportunity for an active love life; but, as a straight student, youll have to stick your neck out (and maybe some other body parts, too :-) ) to meet any guys at all. So ask yourself if it really matters.</p>
<p>As additional perspective for SGM's post, would anyone drop a school from consideration if there had been a heterosexual rape? Is that "better"? Would any of the 17 schools in the country that hadn't experienced one be the best schools? </p>
<p>What twaddle.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post, Sally. "Having to work at it" describes it.</p>
<p>Just read the latest on-line issue of The Sophian. In an article about the problems of finding on-campus housing for visiting teams, e.g., debate, it was mentioned that a member of the Smith Glee Club had a close call with an assailant while at an event at the University of Virginia last year.</p>
<p>I suppose this means that either a) one should be fearful of joining the Glee Club or b) scratch the University of Virginia off the list of colleges to attend.</p>
<p>I doubt there are many colleges around the country that have no blots on their records. Kids in college comprise a vulnerable, risk-taking population, living in a violence-, alcohol-, and sex-obsessed culture. Bad stuff will happen anywhere. I will admit that when a student was murdered when getting into her car in a parking lot at Colby one morning last year, it gave me pause about applying to the school, but we ended up not crossing it off the list because we could see that the crime had nothing to do with Colby itself. Similarly, I don't think Smith in any way could be held accountable as an enabler of this rape. </p>
<p>Concerning the lack of guys: While this was a definite concern of mine when my D was putting her applications together, I'm seeing now that one benefit of not going to a co-ed school is that it is easier to form deeper friendships because people aren't so preoccupied with their heterosexual relationships. It's also easier to make the most of what the college has to offer when you're not using up your energies in relationship angst. Of course it's hard to appreciate this when you're 18 years old.</p>
<p>To everyone that I may have offended
with my previous post, please accept
my sincere apology. It was not my
intent to smear the good name of
Smith College. My D, her mom or I
are not homophobiacs. As her father
I am guilty of being over-protective
as such that I research the US Dept.
of Education's COOL web site pertaining
to crime statistics.</p>
<p>Once again, please accept my apology
for not considering the consequences
of my post. It just goes to show that
the college learning experience is not
over, even though I have been out of
college over 30 years.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Concerning the lack of guys: While this was a definite concern of mine when my D was putting her applications together, I'm seeing now that one benefit of not going to a co-ed school is that it is easier to form deeper friendships because people aren't so preoccupied with their heterosexual relationships. It's also easier to make the most of what the college has to offer when you're not using up your energies in relationship angst. Of course it's hard to appreciate this when you're 18 years old.
[/quote]
Great points, pesto, and so well articulated! Even though my (hetero, NOT that there's anything wrong with the alternative!) D is now finishing her third year at Smith, I still struggle trying to understand why single sex schools are special environments in this day and age. You figured it out. Thank you.</p>