By Corinne Lestch

The Daily Northwestern

While walking to the Davis Street El station, a student with tie-dye glasses and curly hair loosely pinned up around her head gushes about her American Gay and Lesbian History class. Her outgoing, spunky girlfriend isn’t far ahead, giving students a mock tour on the way to the train stop.

The students were participating in Discover Queer Chicago, an annual event hosted by Northwestern’s Rainbow Alliance. The tour took students through Boystown, Chicago’s most well-known lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender neighborhood.

About 16 students took the tour, which included a stop at the newly renovated Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., a LGBT community center.

Rainbow Alliance co-President Kelsey Pacha said she has participated in the event since she came to NU but is still learning about the community.

“This is the first time I’m running the tour,” the SESP senior said before leaving campus. “I’m not an expert, I just know what I know.”

For Communication sophomore Mugsie Pike, the turnout of about five freshmen was disappointing.

“I thought I would see a lot more freshmen here,” she said. “(Rainbow Alliance) had a reception, a bonfire and a party, and I saw a lot more new students there.”

Weinberg sophomore and Rainbow Alliance Treasurer Will Pearse said he was happy to see some new faces, but that most of the time, people are too apathetic to get involved