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Like many on this thread, I am a recent graduate of Reed College (Dec '05) yet I feel like I may have attended a different college than disturb_the_comfortable. I lived in the substance free housing for the first two years I was at Reed then proceeded to live off campus. I participated in a wide range of activities, including student government for 2 semesters as the student body treasurer. During my entire tenure at Reed, none of my peers offered me drugs. They knew I lived on sub-free and respected my decision to live a drug-free life.

All of the students who have been accepted to Reed are very smart people who have chosen to attend a college that places a great deal of personal responsibility on their shoulders. That is part of the Reed experience. Each of us is endowed with free will - Reed has institutional services to support students who realize they need help. As adults, Reed students have the responsibility to make good decisions regarding their personal health. Unlike many colleges who pretend to act in loco parentis (something that is legally shaky for students over the age of 18) to soothe parental fears, Reed allows students to fly on their own. Unlike the real world, I was surrounded by adults who were happy to help, counseling and health services, and peers trained by Reed to offer a first-line of assistance. By the age of 18, we are all old enough and mature enough to have the responsibility to seek help when we need it.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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