Reed College Top Questions

We're pretty open around here. There's a sign on the door to the women's center: "Reed women's center, all genders welcome." I love that they say "all" instead of "both." It's little touches like that that can make you feel welcome. There is a lack of racial diversity, and some African-American students feel alone in a sea of milk, but probably the people who would feel most out of place here are fundamentalist religiosos. If you aren't willing to debate your beliefs, you won't be happy at Reed.

Most of student body spends far too much time in the library, but somehow, amidst the bookwork people are able to operate clubs and have events they are passionate about. Dinner conversations come in almost all flavors imaginable: from Foucault to P-diddy. I almost always come away having learned something and enjoyed myself. Campus events are numerous and turnout is usually modest. Sport event turnout is close to zero with what few sports are on campus. The larger turnouts are usually for dances and parties on campus on friday and saturday nights.

Every person is completely different, there are some stereotypes but for some reason nobody discriminates anyone for what they do and say... everybody is very respectful.

Diverse in some ways. I don't want to run over the stereotypes again, but of course at every college there are certain groups; there are the theatre kids, there are the kids who never leave the library, there are the frisbee team, there is senate. But honestly, these groups blend in and out of each other, and Reed is so small, I have seen little evidence of cliques alienating certain people. Perhaps this is because there is a certain fundamental similarity between most Reedies. In general, they like to talk, about everything from sex to drugs to philosophy and academia. You can find the people you will love, and then of course, you will also find the people who you merely interact with because you have to. But I feel a lot o goodwill and community at Reed, generally, if you put a smile on your face, you'll get a huge one back :)

As I said, Reedies are very creative and industrious. They will spend days on projects to make campus better or more interesting. Plus there is a lot of funding for these projects available through Senate. However, there isn’t as much effort put into projects aimed at bettering the world outside of Reed’s “bubble”. There are political groups or groups for human rights but these groups are frequently not as well attended as the joke communist group aimed at distributing communal small bikes around campus or free stimulants in the library lobby during finals week. Another important point about the students is that we are all governed by the honor principle. It’s not a joke among Reedies. Profs trust you to take a closed book test anywhere on campus, including your dorm room, and know that you will not cheat. Students leave their laptops in the library while they grab a snack from commons all the time and stuff is rarely stolen.

See above

Reed students come from all over the place. We are primarily a liberal, and somewhat agnostic school...well let me just quote the historic school slogan...Atheism, Communism and Free Love. This motto was of course born in the sixties, but some of the spirit has remained.

I would like to say that Reed students are diverse, original, colorful, creative, interesting. I would like to say that Reed students are politically active, internationally aware, environmentally friendly. And, for the most part, those things would be true. The Reed student body is made up of an eclectic mix of unique individuals, each with their own call to learning and passion for life. I have met the best artists of any art I've ever seen, the most dedicated and knowledgeable political activists, the most life-experienced, the most poetic, the most graceful, the most travelled, the most comfortable-with-who-they-are, and the most honest and honorable people I have ever met amongst Reed students. I have fallen in love with girls, dorm mates, house advisers, and drug addicts, none of whom I ever kissed or who even ever knew I loved them. I think the pure, unadulterated spirit of Reed comes alive when a student or group of students lets go, smiles at people, takes their clothes off and/or costumes ridiculously, climbs to the top of Eliot Circle in front of the library, plays, sings, or performs loud music and dances around, vocalizing. If you can't see yourself fitting into this, you will feel uncomfortable at times, and possibly never feel like a true Reedie. Reedies also have a committed dedication to that O Holiest of All Things that Come on a Golden Tripod, Time, with an accent above the e. That is to say, Greek honor. Reed has an Honor Council, a Judicial Board, and honest peers. When you take a test, even a final exam, there is no professorial supervision, no qualifier of Non-Cheater, not even a ceiling-installed surveillance camera. You are an adult, and you are honorable. If you take a test on which it is not honorable to read from a book or look over your friend's shoulder, you will not. The same is true for any act of honor or dishonor, and periodic discussion groups appear across campus at which such acts are defined in a student's moral code of judgement. These codes and abilities of discernment, if not already pre-instilled, will progress with the Reed student beyond his or her years at Reed, out past the bubble, and into the "real world" (where, sometimes, things happen that are a little less than honorable).

The student body is insane. Altogether we are politically aware and politically apathetic. We are not what you would call ethnically diverse. Rather, we are regionally and intellectually diverse. We have more African students than African-American students. If you are a minority student, don't let this deter you. You don't need a minority crowd to chill with, you need an intellectual bond with people who think differently than you. You'll find that but again... it'll drive you crazy.

As a science major, I've got no idea what goes on on the rest of campus. I sort of live in my office. Not everyone does, but not everyone is as dumb as me. If you're african american, you might feel out of place here, but then again, if you have money maybe you're used to having lots of rich white jewish friends. I wish that this campus was a bit more diverse, but then again few people can afford an education such as this. But such is the way of the United States. If you're extremely religious you probably won't be too comfortable. Most of the college is "atheist." In actuality very few people are atheists, and they are just too stubborn to admit that their agnostic. Religoin is widely excepted but if you try to preach your own damn gospal you will be beaten up intellectually by people questioning all of the logic, that extremely religious people tend to ignore. Students here are very liberal and very politically active. One of the question prompts for this section is "what do most students wear to class?" If you actually care about what you wear, this may not be the right school for you. Lots of people here are hipsters, some people here don't care what they look like and some do. But if clothing choice is a factor in your decision for college, then Reed is not the right place for you because academics are far far more important than looks. You will come here and assume that at least one student is actually a crazy hobo. Then that student will be in one of your classes, and no matter how hard you try, he'll be a hell of a lot smarter than you.