Get Off-Campus: Last Thursday

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

Want a fun funky Portland way to enjoy the late summer sunshine? Why not check out Alberta’s Last Thursday event this week?

What: Last Thursday

When: The last Thursday of the month, especially from about 7pm-10pm

Where: NE Alberta from 15th-30th

How: Grab the 75 all the way to Alberta Pl and then walk west until you hit 33rd. Look for the light on Alberta St. and then walk along until you see all the activity!

Why: Last Thursday is a great way to see local artists, vendors, and performers while supporting small businesses and getting out and about. NE Alberta is a great neighborhood and once a month it’s transformed into a bustling street fair full of art, music, food, and awesome people. If you can, think about adding your name to the list of volunteers who keep the event running, all coordinated by an awesome Reed alum!

More Info: Check out the Friends of Last Thursday site http://www.lastthursdayonalberta.com/ and find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lastthursdayonalberta

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Corgi Break

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Sometimes you leave the Reed bubble and find yourself in the middle of the 5th annual Portland Corgi Parade. Also a video! Corgi Parade

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5 Tips for Personalizing and Decorating Your Room

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

1) Arrange the Furniture

You should plan your furniture layout BEFORE you move anything in. Make sure to keep in mind where the outlets are, how much sun you’re going to get in, whether you like having a table next to your bed, etc. Check out this LINK for more detailed information and tips.

2) Make it Cozy

It is so easy to find cheap fabric. Whether it’s pillows, sheets, wall-hangings, or blanket-fort materials, soft things are an easy way to make your room warm and cozy while adding a little bit of uniqueness.

3) Be Creative with Art

Just because you can’t put nails in the walls doesn’t mean you can’t have art in your room. Prop canvas up on the top shelf or on your desk. Residence Hall with large stacked windows like Naito and Sullivan have a small ledge that’s perfect for framed pieces to sit on. Consider finding sculptures that are able to stand by themselves.

4) Decorate your Windows

Whether it’s making your own curtains or hanging a stained-glass ornament, don’t forget your window space when you start decorating. You can even write or draw on them with dry erase markers!

5) Don’t be Afraid of Books

You are a Reedie and so you will have books everywhere. Why not use this to your advantage? Stack books around your room in attractive towers or branch out from alphabetizing and arrange them by color on your shelves.

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Magic Minute Mug Brownies (vegan!)

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

You may not have lugged your muffin pans and potholders to school with you but that doesn’t mean you can’t make any late night snack (/breakfast). Grab your trusty all-purpose mug you never wash and make yourself a treat.

  • 1.5 tbsp flour
  • 1.5 tbsp sugar (white or brown)
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • pinch of baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 1.5 tbsp oil (or water if you have to)
  • 1.5 tbsp soy milk (or whatever milk)
  • tiny bit of vanilla
  • Some chocolate chips, m&ms, etc. if you have them.

Mix all this thoroughly in your mug. Heat in the microwave for about a 1.5 minutes. Magic!

 

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Movies Filmed at Reed

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

First Love (1977)
92 min, Drama/Romance
The tagline for this film is “Why doesn’t anyone tell you there’s a difference between making love and being in love?” If that doesn’t make you want to watch it I don’t know what will. Based on the story Sentimental Education by Harold Brodkey, the movie follows the relationship between young college student Elgin and his first lover, Caroline, who has to choose between Elgin and an older man she is seeing.

 

 

 
The Possessed (1977)
76 min, Horror
Calling this movie “horror” is a bit like calling carrot cake “healthy”. I mean, I guess there are some elements there but when they’re all thrown together it’s a bit hard to tell. In this movie, Reed stars as the campus for an all-girls boarding school. Somehow Harrison Ford is one of the teachers. Supernatural events cause the school to hire an exorcist and at one point the Reed pool is set on fire. It’s a classic.

 

 

 

Feast of Love (2007)
101 min, Comedy/Drama/Romance
A movie about intermingling tales of love, this story stars Morgan Freeman and is set in a small Oregon community. Reed’s front lawn is shown, as well as Eliot circle, although none of the scenes are actually supposed to be Reed specifically. Portland coffee shop Fresh Pot is also featured.

 

 

 

 

Into the Wild (2007)
148 min, Adventure/Biography/Drama
Brilliant student/athlete Christopher McCandless graduates from Emory University, donates his savings to charity, and hitchhikes to Alaska. “Filmed at Reed” might be a slight exaggeration for this movie, as really it’s only featured in the Emory graduation shots, but whatever.

 

 

 

 

Blue Like Jazz (2012)
106 min, Comedy/Drama
This is the only movie on the list that is actually about Reed. As a way of escaping his conservative religious upbringing, 19-year-old Don flees to Reed and gets up to all sorts of mischief. Somehow the movie manages to get most things about Reed inaccurately and has acquired a reputation around campus for being pretty awful (there was a screening of it last year). However, the movie has some charming moments and it’s fun to spot familiar scenes.

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20 Questions to get to Know Your New Roommate

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

Getting to know your roommate will take a long time, but here are some questions to smooth out and maybe speed up the process!

Getting the Basics
These questions are a bit boring, but they’ll be helpful to know about. Understanding your roommate’s needs will make living together so much easier!
1) What is your major? Why?
2) What classes are you taking? When are they?
3) What study habits do you have? Do you tend to stay up late or get up early?
4) How much personal space do you need?
5) How comfortable are you with sharing stuff?
6) How do you feel about alcohol and drugs?
7) Are you allergic to anything? Other dietary restrictions?
8) Do you have any serious pet peeves?
9) Do you snore?
10) Do you think you’ll have people over a lot? How do we feel about guests?

Just for Fun!
Okay now you’ve had your awkward logistics talk, now what about getting to be friends?

1) What would I think if I saw a list of all the library books you’ve ever checked out?
2) If you had to teach me a skill, what would it be? (If it’s awesome, ask them to actually teach you!)
3) Which (if any) stereotypical middle school/high school cliques did you ever belong to? (I was a chess nerd)
4) What’s your favorite midnight snack?
5) What extracurriculars are you interested in? Maybe we can try something together?
6) You have $1000 you have to splurge on yourself (no giving it away!). What would you do with it?
7) Do you sing in the shower? What do you sing?
8) What’s one thing you would never wear? One thing you’d like to wear all the time?
9) If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?
10) What are your favorite “guilty pleasure” shows?

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3 Things I Wish I had Known my First Semester

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

1) Everyone else is also Awkward
So, you’re a new student at Orientation and you don’t know anyone. Guess what? SO IS EVERYONE ELSE. Especially during Orientation and the first few weeks of class, everyone is trying to make friends. Introduce yourself to people. Go to events. Meet people! Don’t worry what people will think and don’t be shy. No one is going to remember that you went to that one party during O-week by yourself, they are going to remember that you came up and said hi and now you’re all bffs. Take advantage of the awesome energy of O-week to go out of your comfort zone a bit.

2) Plan your Schedule
Remember that your schedule Freshman year will affect your schedule senior year. When you’re planning your classes, make sure to think of them on a 4-year scale and not just what you feel like taking at the moment. You certainly want to enjoy your classes, but remember that you have to take science sometime, and you will probably not be happy if it’s during your last year. Keep options open, take intro classes, and get to know different departments. Reed is a liberal arts school after all.

3) Be Proactive
Reed wants you to do cool things. If you have a plan, someone around here will help you do it. Seriously, come up with a project, event, internship, club, whatever, that you want to do and there will be people to help you make it happen. Get to know SEEDS, Student Activities, the Student Union staff, Finance Committee (and your student government in general!) and familiarize yourself with all the clubs and student groups on campus. Make plans, do stuff.

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5 Great Places to eat with your Parents

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

So, your parents are dropping you off for the year and you need to impress them with your sauve knowledge of Portland dining that is not the Pub at the End of the Universe or food stamps Papa Murphy’s pizza. Here are some places to think about.
1) SubRosa
2601 SE Clinton St
(503) 233-1955
http://www.subrosapdx.com
Italian
This place is small but good and doesn’t tend to get super crowded. They’re also open for brunch on the weekends with homemade jam and bread from Little T American Bakery just down the street!

2) Sanborn’s
3200 SE Milwaukie Ave
(503) 963-8000
http://www.sanbornsbreakfast.com
Breakfast
Speaking of brunch, Sanborn’s is an excellent little spot. It’s got a Portland hip vibe but classed up a bit. Like if Toast took a bubble bath and put on a new sweater. They’ve got awesome pancakes as well as build-your-own breakfast burritos and scrambles.

3) Bay Leaf
4768 SE Division St
(503) 232-7058
http://www.bayleafvegetarian.com
Vegetarian
This is the calmest restaurant I’ve ever been to. It’s like being in a tea house (which it kind of is) but everyone is drinking chamomile. The food is great and if you’re a vegetarian, it’s like being a kid in a candy store since the entire menu is available. Meat eaters won’t be upset though, the dishes are classic, filling, and use great basic ingredients (no weird meat-substitutes).

4) Papa Haydn
5829 SE Milwaukie Ave
(503) 232-9440
http://www.papahaydn.com
Despite this being a classic Portland favorite, I didn’t even realize until last month that Papa Haydn serves actual food and not just giant cake. The desserts are epic so make sure you save room after dinner or stop in just for the sweets.

 

 

5) Pegasus Delivery
(503) 880-4955
http://www.pegasusdeliveryportland.com/
Tired of driving all over Portland? Stay on campus and have a picnic courtesy of Pegasus Delivery! Call them up and all your local food cart favorites will be delivered straight to your door via seafoam green scooter. The best part is this business is owned and run by a Reed alum!

 

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How to Ride the Bus Like You Know What You’re Doing

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

1) Tickets
To ride the bus you can either buy TriMet tickets beforehand or you can just pay $2.10 when you get on. If you buy tickets, they are available in the bookstore in packs of ten. You want the 2-zone tickets. When you get on the bus, just slide one of the tickets into the slot and the driver will give you a transfer. If you are paying in cash, money goes in the same place you would put the ticket. Remember that TriMet does not give change, so if you only have a $5, you are just going to be overpaying.

2) Transfers
The little slip you get after giving the driver a ticket or paying directly is called a transfer. Your transfer is good until the time shown at the top. When you change buses or return to Reed, just flash this at the driver as you get on. Please don’t cheat. Many drivers will not pay enough attention to notice your transfer goes until 3 when it’s 3:15 but the ones who check will be DISPLEASED. You can also get a pretty big fine for trying to get a free ride.

3) TriMet Tools and Resources
The TriMet website has a handy trip planner to help you figure out how to get anywhere. You can set it to arrive at your destination at a certain time (so you can catch that movie at 6) or to leave after a certain time (so you know what bus to catch right after class). The planner will give you a couple options for trips, as well as a way to reverse the trip. Make sure to look at how to get back, as sometimes buses will stop running while you’re out (so you can’t always just reverse what you did to get there). When assessing options, think about where you are going and when. Sometimes it’s worth it to take a trip that may last 10 minutes longer if it means not having to transfer (especially when it’s raining, cold, or late at night). Take advantage of the interactive map TriMet provides so you can visualize what you are doing.
There is also an awesome app called PDXBus which is super helpful. The app uses your location to help you plan trips from where you are, detect all stops within a mile radius of you, and give you estimated arrival times for any stop you want. If you can’t use the app, you can also call TriMet at (503) 238-7433 or text them your stop ID at 27299 to get arrival times and service alerts.

4) Useful Lines Around Campus

The closest lines to campus are the 19, 75, and 10.

  • 19: This is the bus that comes right in front of Reed. The covered stop in front of Eliot, or the one across the street if you are going the opposite way, is the best place to catch it because there are slight variations in the route that will cause you to miss the bus from other stops sometimes. The line going west is the best way to get over to the East Moreland neighborhood (Sburo sushi, Fat Albert’s, lots of antique malls) or downtown to Pioneer Square, Powells, etc. via the Ross Island bridge. If you go east you can get up Woodstock to Goodwill, Toast, and the Multnomah County Library. 
  • 75: This bus stops up on 39th and stays on this side of the river. This is the bus you will take if you want to go to Hawthorne, Belmont, NE areas like Lloyd Center, Alberta, and Killingsworth, or you need to get to the Hollywood transit station. It’s a “frequent service” line so you won’t need to wait more than 15 minutes unless you are going somewhere really late.
  • 10: The 10 runs along Steele on the north side of campus. It’s a handy way to get over to Clinton if you want to catch a show at the Clinton Street Theater, drink coffee at one of the cute shops, rent a movie, or go to New Seasons Market. It will also take you lower down on Hawthorne than the 75 and then over the Hawthorne bridge. Keep in mind though that this line does not run very late or on the weekends.

5) Actually Being on the Bus
Once you know where you’re going, catch your bus, and get your ticket, there are a couple other things to know about your actual trip.

  • Do NOT sit in the front group of seats unless they are the only ones open. These seats are reserved for people who use wheelchairs and people who are not physically able to stand during a ride. You are required to move for them so you may as well just sit somewhere else to begin with.
  • Try to keep your voice down. You should totally talk with your friends but be respectful of everyone else and don’t take this as an opportunity to call your BFF and graphically describe your sex life.
  • Remember to pay attention to when your stop is coming up. The driver should announce the next stop and when it’s yours either pull one of the yellow cables or push a red button to signal that you want to get off. Drivers will not stop unless given a reason. If you are worried about missing your stop, try finding the stop before it on the TriMet site before you leave. You can also tell the driver where you are going and they will help you. Leave through the back door.
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5 Best Places for Room Decorations

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Taylor Bailey

1) The Bins
1750 SE Ochoco St.
Mon-Sun 8 am – 8 pm
(503) 230-2076

Well this is an obvious one but it’s so great it has to be included. The Bins is a Goodwill outlet where Goodwill stores send all the stuff they don’t sell. It’s affectionately referred to as “the Bins” because all this stuff is dumped into bins and sold by the pound. It’s a great place to find costumes, blankets, art, and other weird stuff. They also sell really cheap furniture. Don’t go here with any detailed expectations because you never know what you’ll find.

 

2) etsy
www.etsy.com

You can find absolutely anything on etsy while also happily supporting independent artists. I regularly go on this site and filter for only things under $5. I’ve gotten paintings, jewelry, patches, buttons, and sculptures this way. The sellers on etsy often hold sales too. This site is great for finding that one picture of a cat playing chess with an octopus on the moon, or just browsing for things that catch your eye.

 

 

3) SCRAP
2915 NE Martin Luther King Blvd
Mon-Sun 10 am – 6 pm
(503) 294-0769
http://scrapaction.org

Started as a way for teachers to do something useful with all their leftover classroom art supplies, SCRAP has become a successful non-profit store, gallery, and community resource. Since all their supplies are donated, SCRAP sells things cheap. From fabric and construction paper to old photographs, trophy parts, and blocks of wood, SCRAP is an awesome place for sparking creativity on a budget.

4) IKEA
10280 NE Cascades Pkwy
Mon-Sat 10 am – 9 pm
(503) 282-4532
http://www.ikea-usa.com/portland

IKEA has some weird prices. Some stuff is oddly expensive (no I am not paying $200 for this cow rug) but some of it is super cheap (thank you $2 corkscrew). IKEA reguarly has deals on furniture, especially small things like chairs and end tables. They also have an “as-is” section which can be great for getting scraps of fabric and furniture with small scratches. My favorite IKEA thing is their really inexpensive small picture frames, which are unfinished so you can paint them however you want and then frame photos or postcards. In addition to decor, IKEA is great for basic kitchen tools, organizational materials, and office supplies.

5) Craigslist/Free boxes
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/

I’m not a huge fan of actually meeting up with people on Craigslist but I LOVE the free section. People often post that they’ve left out furniture, a box of clothes, or leftovers from a recent garage sale. All you have to do is jot down the addresses and head out for free goodies. SE is actually a great area for free stuff anyway. A simple walk around the neighborhood will often lead you to some free piles. I have tons of clothes, some couches, and even a panini press (thoroughly washed) that came from walking around near campus.

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