Lewis & Clark Student

When most people hear that i go to Lewis&Clark College one of two things happen. They either look at me with a most puzzling look because they've never heard of it, or they reply with some sort of hippie comment while laughing.

I find this stereotype to be less accurate as the years progress and new generation are ushered into the oasis on Palatine Hill, affectionately known to those who bare the Orange and Black as L&C. Sure, there are some hippies still in my grade, but that makes them all the more special and remarkable.

The "big picture" is one that can only be painted by the individual. I cannot begin to tell you how you will perceive the school and all it entails. I can, however, tell you what have come to love and dislike about it. The very two things that led me to make the decision to attend Lewis & Clark this past year still stand as the two things that i love the most about L&C. The first of which are the people. Some say there's something in the water and some say we're all crazy, but whatever it may be, the people are remarkable. From the Professors, to the students, to the admissions staff, to the maintenance crew, the people are just good hearted people that are really down to earth. I can honestly say that i have found everyone to be welcoming, honest, and warm hearted. Beyond their personalities, i have met tons of incredible individuals at L&C. Most people are very much involved with what is going on in todays world and are trying to help the world with their talents. The second thing that attracted me to, and is keeping me at, Lewis & Clark is what i call the "mutual benefits." I chose to go to Lewis & Clark because out of the 9 Colleges and Universities i was looking at, L&C stood out as a school i could give the most to and in return gain a lot from as well. That being said, some find it too small, it is only 2000 students. I however, find it to be just right. I don't feel like another face in the crowd, but i don't feel like i see the same people all the time. Along with that, i am fond of the beautiful campus. All my friends who visit who would never go to the school always say the campus is gorgeous. Because it is situated in a quiet neighborhood, you truly feel like you're there to go to school. The nice thing is that there is free transportation to downtown Portland, which is a cool place to explore and hang out. But then again, no school is for everyone.

Academics are one of the best things about L&C. But like everything else, they're not for everyone. The classes are small enough that the Teachers know your name, but aren't too hands on. The classes, depending on the nature of the class, are uaully hands on, but the teachers like you to take things upon yourself. After all people, you are going to College for a reason. The work is challenging, but teachers are always wanting students to come into office hours. Many students find themselves at their professor's house towards the end of the semester for a class dinner or party. The Freshman seminar class, called Exploration and Discovery (E&D) is not the most thrilling, but it's not the worst class I've been in my life. What's interesting, is no matter how boring the class, the topic many times finds itself into the conversations at dinner or Maggie's, the campus coffee shop/mini store. The general education requirements can get a bit annoying, but in the end it makes you a well rounded student, and it is a liberal arts school. And as for the purpose of a Lewis & Clark education, it's definitely more geared toward learning for the sake of learning about the world in order to hopefully make it a better place for everyone. Professors, no matter the sibject, are always finding ways to connect what you're learning to the real world.

Sadly, i think many extreme republicans would feel out of place at L&C. My own political bias aside, i really do think it is something L&C must work on. If made to identify with a certain political party, i would most likely identify with democrats, but i also believe in democracy. Without republican, independents, green party, and other political parties, democracy would not work. Sometimes i get the feeling many students would rather the world be democratic. Other than that, no person would feel out of place, unless you wanted to go to school to get lost int he crowd, because there's no crowd to get lost in. What i do like about students are their commitment to helping the world. Many students are politically aware, and not that many less are active. You can find them on campus, trying to rally people to stand up for what they believe in, and you can find them being linked together and abused by police in a protest over nuclear transportation. They all are different in most ways. While many of them subscribe to the ideas of the democratic party, some are taciturn, some are loud, some believe in religion, and some are atheist. Some love wildlife and some don't care much for nature. Some are extremely wealth, and some are familiar with the welfare system. Some are vegans and some are fervent carnivores. They come from Seattle, Washington and Upstate New York and everywhere in between. International education and exchange is a big focus of the administration, so there are many people from other countries, which is fascinating. I now have a couch to sleep on in Indonesia, Greenland, Holland, India, Ethiopia, Ireland, Botswana, Japan, Malaysia, Moldova, Jamaica, and Brazil. And to answer the last question in the "suggested" part of this category, I've never heard a student talk about how much they'll earn one day.

I cannot describe what the most "popular" groups/organizations/clubs/teams on campus for the simple reason that the word "popular" is not of L&C nature. The people there don't really subscribe to that way of thinking. The groups are pretty much evenly divided. The althletic events have had a reputation for having low to no attendance. However, many have said that has changed a lot with the underclassman. Many events happen on campus. The most attended are usually the speakers and theater events. A couple of the most attended events this year were the Solomon Sparrow Electric Whale Revival (a slam poetry group) and the Blue scholars concert. Most students leave their doors open, but that will vary hall to hall and student to student. And i met one of my closest friend on the optional Pre-NSO(new student orientation) hike trip. One of my other closest friends i met during the academic fair where all the freshman learn about the different departments and the various courses they offer. I met another one of my closest friends because he's my roommate, which is another thing L&C is good at. They place roommates really well together. And there are parties almost every weekend, giver or take a few weekends a semester, but it's all pretty chill. There's no pressure to party, but it's there if you want it. And if you don't want to party, there's plenty of stuff to do on campus usually, and if nothing campus catches your eye, there's always free transportation to downtown that runs till 2 or 3 am on the weekends. And if you can't find anything Downtown, you probably should be in bed, because there's ALWAYS stuff to do in Portland. And the only tradition that i can think of is the Naked Mile..and yes, it is just what it sounds like. People run a mile with no clothes on.