The Riffin' Griffin

Reed on the Road 2013: Campaign Edition

Posted on February 18, 2013 by

Reed on the Road: Campaign Edition

Though our centennial campaign is over, Reed’s commitment to its historic principles and goals continues. The impact of the $200 million that alumni, parents, and friends contributed to help strengthen the academic program and to provide support for a community of scholars is multifaceted.

Celebrate this milestone at these convivial events where you will hear how the campaign’s success is changing students’ lives and have an opportunity to share your vision for Reed’s next century. President Kroger will lead a discussion on the future of Reed and the changing nature of higher education and take questions after the program.

This will be an interactive event, and we kindly request that participants read the following article by Louis Menand and then help us frame the conversation: propose additional questions on Reed’s curriculum that you would like to see discussed in small groups at the tables. Submit topics as a comment below (here are a few to get you started).

If you haven’t already, please RSVP for this event in one of eight cities this spring.

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LBJ and the Texas Hill Country

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

The Path to Power: LBJ and the Texas Hill Country
April 18-21

Join Paul Gronke, professor of political science, and Mike Teskey, director of alumni relations, in an examination of the Texas Hill Country that President Johnson called home. Using volume one of Robert Caro’s biography as the main subject text (along with some other suggested readings), we will explore the LBJ Library, Johnson City, the Texas White House, and areas in between. Lest you think this extended weekend is all about LBJ, April is prime wildflower season, so we will also visit the Wildflower Center (one of Ladybird’s legacies) along with experiencing some Austin (and Luckenbach) music and dining on Texas barbeque.

Price: $595 per person includes lodging (double occupancy), ground transportation, and entrance fees. $400 per person price excludes lodging.

Full itinerary, details and registration information: LBJ Heartland

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged LBJ, Texas Hill Country, travel | 3 Comments

Travel to Russia

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

Russia and its Riches: 10th-anniversary tour, May 25-June 9

The Reed College alumni office and Russian department have collaborated on many a trip, and we are pleased to embark on another. We will visit Moscow and St. Petersburg with their extraordinary museums, concert halls, and historical sites, and make overnight trips to the medieval towns of Sergiev Posad, Suzdal, and Vladimir northeast of Moscow, and Novgorod the Great south of St. Petersburg. Besides a carefully designed itinerary of exceptional richness, the program will include presentations on Russian history and culture by the tour leader, former Reed Russian professor Judson Rosengrant, and local specialists.

The tour requires no knowledge of the Russian language and is open to any who would like to learn first hand about Russia and its place in the world. For details (pricing, visas, etc), write to Jud at jrosengrant@earthlink.net or call him at 503/880-9521.

Read this dispatch from Brad ’61 and Rozelle Wright ’61, who enjoyed the trip this past May, in Reed magazine.

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Dr. Demento rocks campus this weekend

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

Three chances to see Barry Hansen ’63, aka Dr. Demento, back on campus this weekend!

Paideia Concert: Dr. Demento
“Grandpa’s Pornograph: soft-core and hard-core porn on phonograph records, from the 1890s to the 1950s”
Friday, January 25, 7 p.m., Vollum lecture hall
Tickets, at the door: $5; free to students, faculty, staff, and alumni with current Reed/alumni ID. Must be 18 years or older to attend this concert.

Paideia Concert: Dr. Demento
“Blues from the Beginning”
Saturday, January 26, 7 p.m., Vollum lecture hall
Tickets, at the door: $5; free to students, faculty, staff, and alumni with current Reed/alumni ID.

Paideia Concert: Dr. Demento
“ZAPPA!”
Sunday, January 27, 7 p.m., Vollum lecture hall
Tickets, at the door: $5; free to students, faculty, staff, and alumni with current Reed/alumni ID.

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Gastronomy Northwest needs you!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by

For Reedfayre 2013, June 12-16, we are continuing the tradition of featuring Reed-related food and drink with our annual Gastronomy Northwest showcase on Saturday afternoon, June 15, which offers samplings from chefs, bakers, growers, harvesters, vintners, brewers, distillers, and others in the Reed community who grace the food industry. If you are involved in the world of food and would like to share your edible wares, please contact Mela Kunitz ’87 at mela.kunitz@reed.edu or 503/777-7789 for more details.

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Reed Offspring at Orientation

Posted on October 3, 2012 by

New Reedies with alumni parents (or other relatives) qualify as members of a prestigious organization fondly referred to as O.R.G.Y (Offspring of Reed Generations of Yesteryear). They, along with family members, were invited to join other Reed legacies for a group photo on Wednesday, August 22. Gorgeous weather graced this photo shoot on the chapel steps, and everyone received an O.R.G.Y button to wear proudly!

Here’s a picture of some Reed alumni and their excited/nervous/non-plussed Reedie progeny (future alumni!).

Left to right (back): Jazz Weisman, Anthony Leong, Rose Gittel, Jody Hoffer-Gittel ’85, Galen Blair, Kurt Blair ’92; (middle) Joe Weisman ’65, Keith Allen ’83, Sarah Allen, Darryl Leong ’72, Ruben de la Huerga, Lafcadio Flint, Maria Blair ’91, Gavin Flint ’82; (front) Anne Gendler ’81, Naomi Gendler, Sandra Moffet ’79, Millie Dunn, Corinna Jackson, Holly Hurwitz ’79.

Continue reading →

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The great griffin float emerges!

Posted on May 31, 2012 by

Dearest Comrades:

I have always wanted to write one of these letters, and they're finally letting me! And yes, it has been censored so you will have to use your decoders to get the real message. Reedfayre '12 (the event formally known as Reunions) is upon us, and there is a special treat for all: the griffin float! If you haven't heard already, Reed is entering a float in the Portland Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade. All of the floats have traditionally been built by one company, but of course as Reedies we wanted to build our own.

I have been privileged to work with the group of "local" Reedies (for whom the apple didn't land far from the tree), and we have been working on it for a while now. It is pretty awesome. The fun never stops! I promise anyone who shows up to lend a hand a ride around campus. There will be fun and games, food and drink, and a late night viewing of Animal House while sitting on the float. The Rose Festival parade is the weekend after Reedfayre, and I would like to encourage everyone to stay the week, help decorate the float with flowers and come cheer or participate in the parade on Saturday, June 9.

It has been a fabulous time building this amazing vehicle, please come back for a ride down memory lane!* I know it is getting close, but if you are at all able to return for Reedfayre, this will be a most memorable experience, I assure you.

Sincerely looking forwards to a fabulous weekend,

–Rob Mack '93

*See one of Rob's earliest conveyances, the MOSPUD, as well as other creations from Renn Fayres past.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged centennial, float, griffin, parade, reedfayre, reunions | Comments Off

Reed’s Rose Festival Float

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

With Reed students’ propensity for recombinant construction and conveyance, it is no surprise that the college entered a float in Portland’s Rose Festival Parade as early as 1936. While the details are murky, we have this one photo, as well as this plaque commemorating Reed’s third-place “prize” position.

Fast forward to 2012, the close of our centennial year, and a merry band of intrepid engineers is hard at work on an automated griffin for the new century! Rob Mack ’93 and Mike Teskey, director of alumni relations, have led the effort to craft a unique float to roll in Portland’s 100th Grand Floral Parade on Saturday, June 9.

Assisted by Zac Perry, canyon restoration specialist, Ben Lund ’93 from mail services, Dan Schafer ’92, Martha Richards ’92, Lars Fjelstad ’92, and other alumni, this group of volunteers has been hammering out the creation over the past several weeks. See Dan’s photos, as well as this artist’s rendering that serves as inspiration and imagine a griffin that can flap its wings (and possibly more!).

An early model got a test run at Renn Fayre, delivering the Reed Meat Smoke victuals to the feast! There is yet more work to be done, and we welcome help from all members of the Reed community. Stay tuned for a decorating sign-up sheet to be available soon; we’ll begin the beautification process at Reunions ’12: Reedfayre, so sign up today!

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Pop-Up Oyster Bar!

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

Jon Rowley ’69 rousted ten dozen Totten Inlet oysters out of bed in Olympia to bring to Reed’s “Working Weekend,” February 3-5. This “pop-up oyster bar” appeared in the library lobby late afternoon on Saturday and was met with much enthusiasm.

Jon is a marketing consultant for Taylor Shellfish Farms, and while on campus he met Lillian Kuehl ’09, lab manager at Taylor Shellfish, for the first time. “I had heard about this Reed student that worked at the Taylor hatchery but had never met her, so it was fun to work our pop-up oyster bar with her.” Soon enough, David Autrey ’89 and Amy Wesselman ’91 happened along with some of their Westrey wine to serve as a perfect complement for the marine feast.

Pleased that the impromptu oyster tasting was well received, Jon later commented that it “turned out to be a perfect little adjunct to Working Weekend, an example of how there is always room, with a little entrepenurial spirit, for a good idea.” Also, he was tickled that a good number of students had their first oyster that day. His old friend Hannah Fishman ’14 lent a hand, learning the art of shucking for the first time.

See photos of the lovely Totten Inlet Virginicas and Shigoku oysters, and their fans, on his Flickr page.

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Reed Alumni Holiday Party 2011

Posted on January 6, 2012 by

More rapid than owls, his coursers they came.?

And he whistled and shouted, and called them by name;?

Now Diver! Now Doyle! Now Chittick and Ladd!?

On Foster! On Scholz! On Quincy in plaid!?

So up to the holiday party they flew

for dinner with friends and dancing too.

(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

Alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends reveled at the annual Reed Alumni Holiday Party on Saturday, December 17, 2011. View photos of the general festivities as well as individual glamour shots for download (password: reed).