Hello Readers,

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep.

I doubt Robert Frost used his poem to pass finals week at ivy-covered Harvard. Even with a Stim Table doused in piracetam and lukewarm Tang, this week and next will be the hardest yet. You can do it!

Ben Williams’ story of Reed comes to a close in this final issue of The Grail (2). Just in time for the Reading-Week-Smokers, Sam Ramirez shares with us his story “Cigarettes” (7).

Grace discusses thesis parade and believing in herself (8), and De Sastre is changing management after one more instalment (9). The Miss Lonely Hearts finale will bring you to tears (9).

Look forward to the future! The Grange sends a letter to The Grail urging students to discuss honor and the CSO directives (1) and Brendan Sorrell and Brian Click write about how Community Safety has changed (4).

Love,

Ben, Brendan, Clara, Jordan, Lauren, and Vikram

Letter to the Editor

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Puzzling over the CSO directives? Do something.

The Grail did me—and our community—a great service in their April 24, 2014 issue by attempting to explicate some of the more complex operating instructions for CSOs. Despite them being openly available to community members, the directives that explain how CSOs (are supposed to) do their work remain poorly understood by many of the people most impacted by them: students. Moreover, the format used by The Grail, where excerpts of the directives are juxtaposed with commentary by Grail editors, is one that I found illuminating, engaging, and wry. And, I have a critique and an offer.

Poetry

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Reflections

I am each and every person I ever wanted to be,

in many ways they manifest themselves in me.

Some call it inspiration, others call it copying,

but either way it's a reflection of what I'm embodying.

News & Features

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Ben There II
Ben There II

My freshman year dorm room overlooked the front lawn from the third floor of Winch. O-week was unusually gorgeous, with the sun beaming, and from my perch I watched the hacky sack and frisbee circles that I was barred from being part of. The doxycycline confined me from sunlight (see last week’s “Ben There” at reedthegrail.com) so I either paced my room or took solo walks through the canyon. The roommate of my divided double was a junior who, being abroad, had missed out on the housing lottery. When he arrived after O-week he vetoed democratic process and usurped the mutually desired inner room. “I didn’t want a roommate but they were out of singles,” he told me.

The Transformation of Community Safety
The Transformation of Community Safety

When current Director of Community Safety, Gary Granger, came to Reed, he had a difficult task ahead of him. Reed was lurching in the wake of the deaths of two students due to heroin doses and was being forced to reevaluate how its drug and alcohol policy provided for the safety of the students. 

“After the second death, which happened just before I got here,” says Granger, “Colin Diver and Mike Brody were summoned downtown to talk to U.S. District Attorney and the Portland Police Chief. The attorney said, ‘we can help you out with that drug problem at Reed.’” Diver responded that he believed Reed had the problem under control and could continue to be semi-autonomous while remaining inside the law and providing for the safety of its students. Many of the changes Community Safety has made over the years have been to demonstrate that Reed takes the law seriously and is committed to providing students with a safe environment where they can succeed. 

Reed Union

On Thursday, April 10th, a group of faculty and students gathered in Vollum Lecture Hall to discuss changing the Reed curriculum. At this semester’s Reed Union, Questioning the Curriculum: Gender Studies, and Ethnic and Race Studies at Reed, a panel consisting of two students and three staff members presented their opinions on this matter and took queries and comments from impassioned community members. The question remains, though: has this event had a serious impact on Reed, and will it lead to changes in the curriculum in the future?

Fiction

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Cigarettes
Cigarettes

She hated the smell of cigarettes. There was no bright memory, no reclusive, subtle silver lining to be salvaged from the smell of cigarettes. Cigarettes were what her boyfriend always smelled like. Always does smell like. He started smoking a lot of weed and then stopped caring about school or anything really and then his parents divorced and he started smoking cigarettes and now he always smells like cigarettes. 

Graceful Grousings

Lunchtime Poll

Miss Lonely Hearts

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OkStupid

Dear Miss Lonely Hearts,

I’m a 5'11, athletic Asian-American male who enjoys short walks on the beach and burrito trucks. That’s what my OkCupid profile says. I received a message from “Kacialmanza”: 22, lives in Portland, and seems to be an attractive white woman. Her message: “Hello :)”. I thought I hit the jackpot. I checked out her profile. She likes watching Korean Dramas. Me too! She loves rice and sushi! So do I! Her favorite book is Lolita. Okay, that’s cool I guess, Yay books! She loves “anything Asian in generally”. Okay...what. Finally, she said, Message me if: “You are Asian.” Verbatim, full stop.

Holy crap, what do I say to this racist?

Asian Persuasion

De Sastre

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Resting on his Laurels
Resting on his Laurels

Enrique Montygierd '14 can be seen wearing this week's latest accessory, the golden headband, normally referred to by its street name, "Laurels." The contrast of our Don Juan's Latin locks against his impressive new shiny hat demonstrates that this year's seniors are both smart and sexy. Our fashion maven keeps the rest of his outfit simple, yet bold, with his red hot tamale trousers. Wowza! Like Enrique, AA and MUK will be away from Reed next semester. Make sure to be on the lookout for Melissa Boettner ’16 and Alex McGrath '16 to snap your outfits in the fall! Best of luck! -AA & MUK