Sallyportal: Madly Blogging Reed

"The Last Great Conservative College"

By Chris Lydgate '90 on August 29, 2011 03:12 PM
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An article in the latest edition of Portland Monthly describes Reed as "America's Last Great Conservative College." And yes, the author is a Reedie.

Citing Reed's demanding requirements and classical curriculum, history major Ethan Epstein '10 makes a persuasive case that most Portland residents are looking at Reed through the wrong end of the microscope.

"As a Reedie, I long ago accepted that most Portlanders consider my alma mater a hybrid of Haight-Ashbury and Keith Richards's medicine cabinet," he writes.

"This reputation, sadly, ignores what makes Reed truly countercultural. Reed, you see, is actually a conservative stronghold. In crucial ways, the place is far more rigid than most Bible colleges. And yes, that's a good thing."

Kudos to Ethan for shedding a little light on Reed for our friends and neighbors in Portland.

(Be sure not to miss the related featurette, "The Perfect Party," on those Reedies most desired around a dinner table!)

Tags: alumni, Hum 110, Portland