Once a Reedie, always a Reedie. I don’t think that
when I graduated 20 years ago I had any idea just how personally revealing
that statement would be someday. Like any respectable Reedie, I take issue
with an institution that claims to leave a permanent stamp on my body,
soul, or mind. And nothing makes me bristle more than someone, who upon
learning of my Reed background, utters the pithy judgment, “Yes,
that explains everything.”
Yet, while I am not ready to consent to a belief in Reed as a state of
mind, way of being, or even a wayward tribe, I will affirm that being
in the company of fellow Reedies is unlike any experience I know. Not
only does it resonate with memories of gathering around the conference
table or sitting in the coffee shop, it forces me to acknowledge that
the connection to the Reed community doesn’t end at the campus boundary.
It follows you, I am beginning to suspect, to the grave.
What do pizza frenzies, email forwarding, brewpub tours, gift copies of
the Iliad to incoming first-year students, road shows on Renaissance sundials,
and online discussions of playwright Tom Stoppard have in common? They
are all part of the appropriately eclectic world of the Reed alumni association.
Unlike other colleges, activities of Reed’s alumni association are
completely driven by the zeal and passion of its individual members. We
at the alumni board maintain a modicum of pomp and circumstance, but our
main job is supporting enthusiastic Reedies interested in making things
happen throughout the Reed alumni network.
Whether you are ready to lead the charge in creating a new gathering,
cultural tour, book group, or social protest, or merely looking to pitch
in with a helping hand, the alumni association is there to serve you.
Each of our eight regional chapters—including this year’s new
chapter in Chicago—are looking for new volunteers with fresh energy,
restless minds, and an appreciationof the unconventional.
Below are some of our plans for the year ahead. If there’s something
that catches your fancy, please drop me an email and I’ll see to
it that someone follows up with you.
|
online
activities reunions |
chapters If you’re living in any of the chapter areas, be sure to get on their mailing list for notification of upcoming events, including picnics, book groups, brew pub tours, cultural gatherings, and traveling presentations from Reed faculty and staff members. college support Reed needs volunteers willing to interview prospective students, as well as meet with recent grads in search of career advice. Volunteers in the Portland area are needed to help with events for current students, such as an ice cream social and a semester finals pizza feeding frenzy. |
If you are looking for ways to bring a bit of the Reed
community back into your life, or just out for a good time with some like-minded
folks, please don’t hesitate to email us at alumni@reed.edu.
John
Sheehy ’82
president of the alumni association
john.sheehy@reed.edu
