Reed College Top Questions

Dating at Reed can go well, but if it goes badly it tends to be a complete disaster. There's no way to get away from your ex (especially if you've been dating someone in your dorm), and you'll keep seeing them with their new girlfriend/boyfriend. There's a fair amount of casual sex, which tends to be less awkward. Plus, no one will notice you doing the walk of shame the next day, because lots of Reedies dress weirdly and don't brush their hair on a regular basis. The best part of Reed is Renn Fayre, which is a three-day party at the end of the year, before reading week and finals week. Renn Fayre begins when the seniors burn their thesis drafts. There's a parade, and other students spray the seniors with champagne. The next day there are fireworks and glow opera (this cannot be described; you have to experience it for yourself), and a giant feast. It's the culmination of an entire year's hard work, an orgiastic catharsis. It's amazing. It makes all those nights you spend working in the library until 2 AM worth it.

No one shows up for Reed social events. Some have made it into tradition status,and those draw crowds, but for the most part, Reedies (who live on campus anyways) hunker down in some god-forsaken spot and drink the night away. This is a weekend sport only. Weekdays the dorm halls are silent by midnight. People have work to do.

Most people work very hard, and when they're not working they're partying or trying to sleep. Theatre is popular, however, and so are the extracurricular music opportunities. A lot of people take private lessons and play in the orchestra or sing in choir. I do both the latter two. There are no fraternities or sororities, thank god. You can always find a party if you want one, and they vary in kind--some are loud, some are wild, some are very chill. Generally, people are not looked down on for living quietly, though. I frequently find that by the time Friday rolls around, after a week of high-pressure academic work, I just want to sleep, or smoke a bowl or two with friends and just talk or listen to music and chill. One thing that makes me very very happy about Reed is the sincere love of people for others' minds. When they say "free love" they really mean that your ideas are more important than your physical attributes. I didn't expect to be a desirable quantity, but I dress intriguingly, I guess, and speak my mind. That's been attracted. I didn't expect one man, but at one point I was fending off three. Glasses-wearing, makeup-less, plump, smart, long-skirt-wearing girls unite! There are men for you here!

Reed is the best 6th grade social experience $48,000 can buy.

Dance parties are really common, but are normally basically just the same party over and over again with the same people and music and places. The arts aren't great at Reed. The dating scene is alright, but since everyone knows everyone already, it's sort of small, it'd probably be best to date off campus (especially if you're gay and/or picky). There's normally lots of events that aren't focused around drinking/drugs, but there's still a lot of drinking.

My dorm is a little on the antisocial side. There's usually a few people in the common room, but the dorm architecture is just naturally antisocial. The doors close automatically and people usually stay in their rooms if they're not at the library.

Many guest speakers visit the campus to discuss politically or culturally salient issues but on weekends, parties and student organized events prevail. Frats are nonexistent. The dating scene is similarly nonexistent...hook-ups dominate. There is a relatively sizable community of sub-free students...these are, however, in the minority. The student-run radio station is a popular endeavor.

There is so much you can do. You can do drugs. You can not do drugs. You won't be judged either way. Dancing is fun. Everyone does it. That may be the only thing you are peer pressured into doing.

Sometimes social life takes a hit because of academics. You will notice that there are def a few weekends in the (about) 16 week long semesters where no parties are happening and the night life is generally dead. Luckily this only happens at times when EVERYONE feels swamped with work. Otherwise, there is always a house having a party, a dance party in the SU, or a party in pool hall.

Reed spends prodigious amounts of money on cool shit for students, and the student body has an enormous discretionary fund. As a result, there are fascinating speakers, hip concerts, intense dance parties, and free off-campus trips every weekend. The school also subsidizes tickets to major concerts in town. Last year the school paid for me to go rock climbing five times, skiing four times, surfing once, and I don't remember how many other awesome off-campus trips.

Most popular club: RKSK or Reed Kollege Shit Kollectiv. I always leave my door unlocked. I am probably the biggest sports fan and I've attended 4 soccer games and 2 rugby games only because I am friends with the English kids on each of them, and my dorm is right next to the field. No one watches the sports games. No one. If I am NOT awake on a Tuesday, then something weird is going on. Traditional events are big at Reed and are totally better than any other school. They include: Noise Parade, O-week, Hum Play, and most notably RENN FAYRE. There are no frats/sororities, thank god. A Saturday night without drinking is spent at the library or sleeping? Off campus I go to shows, shopping at thrift stores, go out to dinner, and go on bike rides.

Reedies have a social life, but it takes a back seat to their studies. Which is not to say we don't have one. It's just that it is not that noticeable. Many students are involved in politics, music, theatre, etc. Reed is located near several nice neighborhoods that are safe to take dates, and have an interesting blend of restaurants and entertainment. A fantastic public transportation system offers great mobility. No fraternities or sororities. No major jocks because we have no sport program. (We do have a mandatory physical education program however, and a full-service Sports Center). Lecturers visit the ares frequently, and I have personally seen Stephen Pinker and Richard Dawkins in town. Reed itself has hosted well-known intellectuals and political leaders as well.

The most popular group on campus is RKSK, the Reed Kommunal Shit Kollektors. I can't say I know much about them, or notice their presence in any useful way on campus. Various feminist groups, safe sex groups, environmental groups exist on campus too. Different dorms have different cultures in that some foster community (one named Foster does actually), while others will leave you feeling lonely. Athletic events are few and sparsely attended. Parties occur, along with events put on by the language houses and other groups like the Queer Alliance, Fetish Club, etc. But you could easily do nothing but study all year here.

The best events on Reed campus (in my opinion): 1- the hip-hop collective hosts and 5v5 b-boy b-girl breakdance battle every fall. 2- the talking heads stop making sense dance party: the live concert is projected on a large screen in the Student Union and everyone dances like they're at the concert. 3- Reed Arts Week (RAW). Artist lectures galore, art projects both student and artist made everywhere on campus, and the masquerade ball. 4- Thesis parade (and renn fayre)- The best part of renn fayre is that it's a weekend where everyone can put off school work because reading week follows. Everyone has time to finally hang out and celebrate the end of an epic year. Thesis parade is the best part, its' the energetic explosion of allthe pent-up excitement for renn fayre, and there's loads of champaign, so wear your goggles.

We have a lot of traditions... noise parade, renn faire, hum play, glow opera, fetish ball, harvest ball, reed arts week... and within these traditions there are traditions, and there is a dance (or 4 or 5) every single weekend. Drinking is not required to enjoy any of these things, and there are even more traditions surrounding alocohol but I don't know as much about that. There are really great guest speakers, a lot of student groups for activism, of just for free ice cream. Food is incredibly abundant. People give left overs to "scroungers" in the cafeteria and several student groups are mostly based on food and other free stuff for students/fun stuff for students all the time. It's awesome.

RKSK, ethnic/religious groups, socially-/politically-minded groups, motorized couch collective, poi (fire dancing) are all popular. also any group that provides the student body with free food (e.g., ladie's pie society, bagels and schmear, CAVE (pro-meat group), fire on the mountain (wings), and the gentleman's ice cream collective thing). students do leave their dorms open, their stuff out in the open--even valuables. sometimes computers and i-pods and other stuff only morons would leave out in public get stolen, but the honor principle speaks pretty powerfully in terms of respect for others' possessions and for creating a safe, trusting community. if there is the potential to cause harm to another person, just DON"T. athletic events are not popular. unless they are the drink-ups that occur pre- and post-rugby match. theater productions are popular and plentiful, as well as other random performances (like the regional break dancing competition we host every year or the sex worker's art show, to name a couple of favorites). guest lecturers are usually well-received, too, though it varies--Dan Savage and Dr. Demento are recent favorites. guh, dating. mostly in 3 camps: 1. in a serious monogamous relationship that just happened; 2. polyamory (meaning "free love," '60s style); 3. or not much--there are not a lot of just dates. i met my closest friend in the dorms, and my other good friends on a class trip. meeting people here can be hard sometimes. awake at 2 AM on a tuesday, you're in the library frantically trying to finish your reading before campus security bounces you from the building when it closes at 2:15. how often people party: seasonally. more partying occurs when the weather is nicer, and then it is pretty frequent. during the rainy, bleak months, less so. i think 40's night may have disbanded, but used to be celebrated every wednesday night in the quad with many 40 oz. cans of cheap beer and even worse malt liquor. generally speaking, the mental exhaustion caused by work practically necessitates fostering a corresponding chemical/party exhaustion. "greek" at reed means only "athenian" or "spartan." last weekend i went to a few reed arts week exhibits and lectures by artists like paper rad and cat chow, stopped by masquerade ball, worked the saturday night bookstore shift til 3 am, and spent sunday sleeping/working/eating. there are actually lots of great events on weekends sponsored by all sorts of different groups. the grey fund (an endowment left to the school by the lat betty grey specifically and only for purposes of fun) not only hosts cool outdoors and cultural trips throughout the semester (chocolate tours, kayaking the columbia river, china town eastern medicine tours), but also hosts bands, speakers, workshops, film screenings, etc., all of which are substance-free. as open as the drug scene is here, it's plenty easy to avoid--a lot of people here spend their weekends without chemical enhancements of any kind, with the exception of caffeine. and then there's always just renting movies, going to a show, or doing something in portland. getting out of the reed bubble. wait, off campus? there's a world "off campus"? in other words, getting off campus is important, even if it's just to get groceries, dinner, or walk around. learn the bus system, use the bus system, love the bus system (even though portland's trimet public transportation kinda sucks).

When there isn't an event going on in the student union on a weekend night, campus can be pretty deserted. Younger students tend to bond with people in their dorms, and older students tend to live off campus and stay off campus when they aren't in class or in the library. Dating at Reed is pretty much nonexistent. People are basically in a relationship or single. It's a bit of a mystery how they go from one state to another, but it happens suddenly.

Studying is prioritized over all else at reed. The library is literally the social center of campus during most of the week. Student groups/organizations and clubs exist, but students I find have difficulty committing to them because of the strong academic work-oriented environment and culture at reed. Most activities and non-academic things take a second-place seat.

The social life isn't very good.

Rugby and squash are the only sports, rugby usually has a party afterwards, so people enjoy a party will go to a rubgy party, if it's not too "jock" for them. Guest speakers are great, but not usually high Q-score recognizable people. I met my close friends in my freshman dorm, on the rugby team, and through other friends. If it's 2AM on a Tuesday and you're awake, you're writing a paper, or you can't sleep because you drank a lot of coffee while studying, or you're the Night Bus driver or working in the library. "Traditions": Renn Fayre and the Thesis Parade, Halloween, Winter and Spring Formals, Dustbin Party. People party at the big parties and spend the rest of the time in the library. Sometimes good bands play, depending on who is on the Social Affairs Board. No fraternities or sororities. Lots of great stuff off campus, movies and pizza at the Bagdad Theater for cheap, good food at various restaurants, good places to see music. Then there are various things that people come up with like guerilla theater, Nitrogen day, chunk bikes, etc.