Admission
Favorite Traditions
A Reed tradition is something that has occurred at Reed College at least once.
A Reed institution is something that has occurred at Reed College at least twice.
A Reed story is something that may have occurred at Reed College.
A Reed rumor is anything discussed in the coffeeshop. It has a truth probability of less than 50 percent.
Renn Fayre
Originally, Renaissance Fayre was a one-day event during the spring semester that turned Reed into the Age of the Renaissance as authentically as possible. Currently, Renn Fayre is a campus-wide end-of-the-year festival. On the last day of classes the seniors march from the steps of the library to the registrar's office to celebrate turning in their theses and be congratulated by the president. This thesis parade kicks off a weekend-long celebration with music, food and drink, sports, arts and crafts, and fireworks.
Paideia
Paideia is a Greek word that, roughly translated, means "education." Taking place during the approximately 10 days before the beginning of the spring semester, Paideia is a time to enjoy being at Reed without academic pressures. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Reed offer informal, non-credit courses and lectures on a wide variety of topics.
Reed Arts Week
Reed Arts Week (RAW) is a celebration of the arts at Reed, including music, dance, theater, films, creative writing, and the visual arts. In addition to student performances, major artists join in our campus celebration by performing original works and participating in master class work with members of the Reed community.
Canyon Day
One of the true Reed traditions, Campus or Canyon Day began in 1912, to lay the cornerstone of the residence hall (Old Dorm Block). In 1913, the second Campus Day brought community members together to remove tree stumps and old fences, and to place the first boat house at the edge of Reed Lake. Canyon Day is now a twice-yearly community effort to clean up and preserve the natural ecosystem of the canyon. Music, food, friends, and games accompany the day's activities.
Seventh Annual Nitrogen Day
This special Reed holiday traditionally falls on the Thursday before Renn Fayre. Nitrogen Day is a celebration of one of the universe's most important, yet under-appreciated elements. It is also a creative excuse to put free food, a band, and people reciting haikus on the student union porch. Nitrogen Day is always the seventh annual, because nitrogen is the seventh element on the periodic table. Nitrogen is also the only element honored with an open mike, into which flow the frank and sentimental musings of Reedies on what the world would be like in its absence.
Harvest Ball
The Harvest Ball is a Halloween social dance put on by the Gray Fund. Expect witty costumes and serious dancing music. Portland's own Lions of Batucada (Brazilian-styled marching percussion ensemble) and Breakestra (a ten-piece funk "orchestra") have made recent appearances. The costume contest is not to be missed, and invariably you will come across a troupe of Reedies dressed as the familiar and lovable characters from the Iliad.
Reed Formals
An evening in the SU in your finest garb is more than merely the Reed version of a prom. Reed formals always feature good, live jazz, fancy-shmancy duds, often courtesy of Goodwill, an edible spread, and ample beverages.