The Reed Roadmap: Enrichment Guide

Looking for ways to enrich your life outside of the classroom? Check out this guide to see how student clubs, visiting lecturers, and on-campus amenities can enhance your Reed journey.

Reed is known for its intellectual rigor—but that’s not all it has to offer. Students here get up to a number of activities outside of the classroom: joining clubs, attending lectures and events, and exploring the great outdoors, just to name a few. 

What will you do in your free time to enrich your life at Reed? 

Extracurriculars

Student Clubs

Sing acapella. Spin fire. Write history. With Reed’s vast array of student clubs, you can do all of this and more. Student-run organizations vary from the academic, like Mock Trial, to activism and community engagement, like Greenboard. From art, dance, and music, like K-pop Dance Club, to identity and affinity based, like the Period Kollectiv. And enjoy Reed’s student spaces, like the famous Pool Hall or the ever-useful Bike Co-op (where you can get your bike repaired for free!).

“Being involved in a club here is very satisfying, because it’s so student-driven,” says Miranda Kubek ’26, former president of Reed’s Out in STEM club. “You get to take things from the first concept, through funding and planning, to seeing their impact . . . I would really encourage students who are interested in getting more involved to talk to clubs when we’re tabling or take the plunge on going to a meeting. It can be daunting at first, but we can only make the spaces we want to see at Reed by making them together.”

Want to get even more involved on campus? Lucy Knight-King ’26 says joining Reed student government is the perfect place. “If you have a vision for Reed that is currently unfulfilled, running to be elected to the Senate can be a great place to start,” she says. “Senators get access to a ton of information about how the college runs itself and what important problems are facing our community, putting them in a position to advocate for and create change.”

Club Sports

Just because Reed doesn’t have any official sports teams doesn’t mean its students don’t get on the field, on the court, or in the water. Whether you’re looking to get more active, missing playing a sport, or wanting a unique way to make friends, club sports at Reed offer the chance to get out there, learn from coaches, and build camaraderie with teammates. Rugby, running club, and Ultimate Frisbee are all club sports currently offered here on campus. 

Lectures & Events

Writers and academics visit the Reed campus frequently throughout the year to spread their knowledge, varying in topics from biology and psychology to politics and fiction. Likewise, there are events on campus hosted by various departments and groups nearly everyday—zine workshops, socials, music performances, and more. Make sure you don’t miss them—keep up with the events calendar and look out for information on local happenings through Campus News, Reed’s weekly community newsletter. 

Exploration

The Gray Fund

The Gray Fund has provided countless unique opportunities for the Reed community since 1992. Founded by generous benefactor and longtime friend of Reed, Betty Gray, Gray Fund events are all free of charge. Through this program, students, faculty, and staff can visit local art museums, learn to arrange a floral bouquet, attend a murder mystery dinner, and even go sky diving together.

ROPE

Looking to find your own adventure? Reed Outdoor Programs & Education (ROPE) can help get you there. Whether you want to rock climb, kayak, hike, camp, or ski, ROPE provides resources for your journey into the wilds. With ROPE, find help planning outings, gearing up, and finding outdoors connections in the Portland community. And through the Backpack Co-op, you can rent tents, kayaks, snowshoes, maps, bikes, and more.

In need of a mountain escape? Use the Reed Ski Cabin, a cozy basecamp for winter sports right next to Mount Hood. 

After all, “At Reed, the outdoors are more than a backdrop—they’re a tradition, a classroom, and a place to belong,” says Will Symms, assistant director of the sports center.

Portland

Food trucks, live music, the great outdoors, art, and lots of rain—this is Portland. There’s lots to love about Reed, and its proximity to the heart of the city is one of them. Looking for ideas? Watch roaming Reedies explore the local community.

Do you have suggestions for items to add to any of our guides? Let us know.