"Gay before May"...and it's okay

By KC Cohen

BEACON HILL—During her freshman year at Emerson College, Janie Olson decided she no longer wanted to keep her sexual orientation a secret. Olson decided to come out to her friends—that she was straight.

“They were like, ‘Wait, you’re not even bisexual?’” Olson said. “They couldn’t believe I only like men!”

At Emerson, students have learned not to assume heterosexuality. In fact, Emerson students have adopted the phrase “Gay before May,” joking that if they’re not gay when they apply, a student will be by graduation.

This summer, the 2009 edition of the Princeton Review named Emerson College the most gay-friendly college or university in the country, placing it at the top of the review’s “Gay Community Accepted” list.

The ranking is based on an 80-question survey that asks students at 368 schools to rate their college on several topics, such as condition of residence halls, availability of financial aid, and overall quality of life.

“I definitely notice a lack of straight men here,” said Megan Blanchette, a senior at Emerson who also said she gets hit on more often by women than men. “It’s good that everyone is so accepting, so I think it’s worth it.”

The “Gay Community Accepted” list and the alternative list, “Alternative Lifestyles not an Alternative,” are based on students’ answers to the statement, “At my campus, students, faculty and administrators treat all persons equally regardless of their sexual orientations,” said Jeanne Krier, a publicist for Princeton Review Books.

“[Emerson] students’ answers to that question indicated the highest level of agreement with that statement,” said Krier.

The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., holds the No. 1 spot of the “Alternative Lifestyles not an Alternative” list.

EAGLE, Emerson’s Alliance for Gays, Lesbians, and Everyone, provides a voice for students of all sexual orientations, according to the alliance’s website. The group sponsors events such as “Dragtoberfest,” hands out pins brandishing “I [heart] boys,” and puts on an annual “Gayla” for homosexual, bisexual, and transgender advocacy.

The college also has an active Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender section of its Student Life office, which provides educational resources and support for students.

The alliance and the Emerson Student Life Office both did not return phone calls.

“We’re pleased to be recognized for being friendly to all different kinds of people,” said David Rosen, vice president for public affairs at Emerson. “It’s part of our culture and tradition at Emerson to be accepting of people as individuals.”

The “Top 20” Princeton Review lists are published annually in The Best 368 Colleges. The information the company gathers has an 80 percent accuracy rating, said Seamus Malarky, senior editor of the book.

“The better educated a student is, the more likely they are to find the best fit,” Malarky said. “We’re dedicated to helping them find that.”

Emerson also ranks No. 1 on the “Best College Radio Station” list and No. 12 on the “Dodgeball Targets” list.

Beacon Hill-the new Allston?

By KC Cohen

BEACON HILL—The apartment buildings on
Joy Street look like many other Beacon Hill homes: antique molding lines bay windows, surrounded by a smooth brick façade.

But something’s different about this street.

“The majority of people around here are Emerson or Suffolk students,” said Meghan Blanchette, a senior at Emerson College who lives on Joy Street. “My whole building is full of college students.”

More students are seeking off-campus housing on Beacon Hill because of the neighborhood’s proximity to Suffolk University and Emerson College. In a neighborhood with a median household income 167 percent higher than the rest of Boston, according to the US Census, the influx of college students is changing the feel of the neighborhood.

“Someone was throwing pumpkins on the street the other night,” said Suzanne Besser, executive director of the Beacon Hill Civic Association. “The homeowner called the police.”

The young residents do not cause an increase in crime, said Besser, but they often do not consider neighborhood etiquette. Older Joy Street residents deal with littered trash and late night noise, both uncommon on other parts of the hill.

Suffolk uses a video to educate students on off-campus life and courtesy, said Besser, who added that Beacon Hill residents have a better relationship with Suffolk students because of the university’s efforts.

Emerson College does offer workshops to educate their students about moving off-campus, but the programs do not emphasize etiquette.

“Students do their own thing sometimes,” said Brian Rosenthal, who works for Emerson’s Off Campus Student Services.

Despite occasional annoyances, Joy Street residents live harmoniously. Blanchette said she doesn’t know her neighbors very well, but she never feels unwelcome.

Students seeking off-campus housing have avoided Beacon Hill in the past because of the high price of real estate in the neighborhood. The average home price in Beacon Hill is $975,000 and the average monthly rent is $2,500, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Because students attempt to divide the high rent between as many roommates as possible, apartment overcrowding has become an issue on Joy Street, Besser said. The Beacon Hill Civic Association monitors the street for landlords who house more than the legal number of residents.
In December 2007, the Boston City Council passed a petition to make it illegal for more than four students to live in one apartment.

“There is legislation in Boston that does not allow more than a certain number of unrelated people in one unit,” said Vera Schneider, Director of Investigations for the Boston Fair Housing Commission, who has had neighbors inquire about the number of students packed into a single apartment.

While the proximity to campus is alluring, Beacon Hill is not all cobblestones and ivy.
“You may think living in Beacon Hill is nice,” said Janie Olson, a senior at Emerson, “but there are mice and cockroaches that are basically impossible to get rid of!”