Reed College Centennial Reunions

Maypole dance, Great Lawn, 1974. Photo by Daniel Radin ’75

A game of human chess, Great Lawn, 1974. Photo by Daniel Radin ’75

Students joust with wooden staves near Eliot Hall, 1980s.

Maypole dance, Great Lawn, 1974. Photo by Daniel Radin ’75

May 30-June 3, 2012

Make plans to keep the centennial momentum going.

Reed is still basking in the glow of its centennial year, so we have incorporated essential elements of last year's festivities to stage a remarkable reprise. "Reedfayre" will be a grand celebration of alumni music, food, and ideas. Register online today.

View class photos and candid snapshots from 2011.

The very latest news

Reed's Rose Festival Float

from Robin Tovey, 17 May 2012

With Reed students' propensity for recombinant construction and conveyance, it is no surprise that the college entered a float in Portland's Rose Festival Parade as early as 1936. While the details are murky, we have this one photo, as well as this plaque commemorating Reed's third-place "prize" position.

Reedfayre '12: a talent show for the ages

from Robin Tovey, 4 May 2012

A word from Mateo Burtch '82:

I've been emceeing the talent show at Reunions practically since the days when Reed College was still the Chutney Institute of Biblical Errata, originally located in Freetown, Sierra Leone. I come back year after year for a simple reason: because I enjoy it so much, even if one year I was heavily lacerated during a demonstration on how to anger bees. Over the years we've had some great times and great performances. Abraham Lincoln, for example, got his start in show business here with a little something he called "The Second Inaugural Address." Karl Marx wrote all of chapter three of Das Kapital live on our circular stage. The Wright Brothers invented the airplane during a warm-up, while Muhammad Ali bested an unsuspecting George Foreman with a vicious right uppercut during an all-heavyweight performance of The Mikado in 1974.

Okay, I'm kidding, of course. The Reedfayre Talent Show is, as Lincoln put it, by Reedies, of Reedies, and for Reedies (and their friends and families). We've had Reedies telling stories, singing songs, reciting poetry, cracking jokes, playing music singly and in groups, juggling, acting, dancing—pretty much any human activity you can name that doesn't involve sponges, hamsters, and fire extinguishers, and those are probably on their way. Some of the acts have crushed it like a boss right from the start, while a few others have wobbled gamely through their specialties, but all of them have received a warm response from a friendly and enthusiastic audience. Whether you're a timorous wee beastie or a slab of well-cooked showbiz ham, I encourage you to sign up (first for Reedfayre, then for the talent show proper, once you arrive on campus!) and show off your talents—weird, wonderful, or both.

Or come just to see the hidden gifts of your fellow Reedies (or even late-model "Reedites"!). It's a great time. Fire extinguishers not provided.

Tee up a Comrades of the Quest shirt

from Robin Tovey, 3 May 2012

A "Comrades of the Quest" t-shirt could be yours by signing up for a dorm stay during Reunions 12: Reedfayre! Stay on campus and a t-shirt comes with the deal. Pick it up at Reedfayre Central in Kaul foyer when you check in.

Wear your alma mater proudly. Wear it in the parade at Reedfayre, and wear it at the Rose Festival Parade to cheer on the Reed float.

Reserve a dorm room and get a shirt. Hurry and register today as supplies are limited!

Want to purchase the related book, Comrades of the Quest by John Sheehy '82? Check out the details.

Reedfayre '12: Comrades of the Quest book offer

from Robin Tovey, 1 May 2012

"Get the stories before they're gone."

--Gary Snyder '51

Dear Reed Comrade:

A love of stories is what initially drew me, and hundreds of others, to the Reed Oral History Project. College stories of course can be clichés in themselves--the student's coming of age, the stern but nurturing professor, the raucous parties.

But not at Reed. Here, things are different--even when it comes time to parties.

One consistent theme in the stories that Reedies told was of arriving on campus and for the first time in their lives having a sense of coming home--of experiencing the freedom to be themselves, both socially and intellectually, that they had not found anywhere else.

Now, I invite you to come back home to help me celebrate our collective efforts to capture the story of Reed.

After 13 years in the making, with a cast of hundreds, we will be unveiling the book Comrades of the Quest: An Oral History of Reed College at Reunions '12: Reedfayre on June 1, 5 p.m. on the north lawn of Eliot, the site of Reed's very first commencements.

It will be "Comrades Day" all day, with storytelling (featuring our Babson Award winner, Cricket Parmalee '67), a special book-signing reception, and of course, the big unveiling. For a sneak preview of the book, please go to:

http://comradesofthequest.org

Register for Reedfayre by end of day on May 1, and you will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Comrades of the Quest (five copies will be given away).

http://reedfayre.reed.edu

Hope to see you in June!

--John Sheehy '82

Reed historian and trustee

Destination Portland: be a tourist!

from Robin Tovey, 4 April 2012

Yes, New York Times, Portland prides itself on "all things independent and artisan," but we knew that before a certain IFC series that starts with a "P" catapulted our fair city into the national spotlight. Even if you eschew the fawning praise of this "36 Hours in Portland" feature, please consider that your college town has a lot to offer as a vacation destination... so why not combine this cultural experience with a bit of Reed reunion action for the ultimate getaway?

From small plates to food carts, craft brews to cocktails so smart you need a thesaurus to translate the mixology involved, the dining and drinking scene in P-town is beyond compare. You don't have to put a bird on it, but you won't want to miss Portland's flock of renowned restaurants, including Le Pigeon, Little Bird, and Aviary, where Sarah Pliner '94 is a rising star chef. Many other Reedies have made highly respected names for themselves in the local foodie community, and I'll be compiling a list that we can work from/eat off in time for Reunions '12: Reedfayre (suggestions welcome!).

In the meantime, whet your appetite for culinary excess balanced by outdoor exploits and family-friendly adventures like the Rose Festival. It is the most wonderful weather time of year in the Pacific Northwest and no accident that we scheduled Reedfayre for May 30-June 3! Register now to partake in the fun, on campus and beyond...

(food-cart photo by Nora Jones '12)