火爆社区

Lewis & Clark College offers students everything they could possibly want: a 鈥渟ense of community, beautiful campus, great academics, and lots of opportunities to engage in extracurriculars.鈥� Indeed, 鈥渋t is a very welcoming鈥� school, one filled with people who 鈥渃are about the classes they are taking and the work that they are doing.鈥� In particular, students shine a spotlight on the school鈥檚 鈥渁mazing job of engaging students in experiential learning,鈥� which includes 鈥渟ervice work to underserved communities as well as educational and mentorship opportunities at nearby schools.鈥� Undergrads praise being able to 鈥渨ork with incarcerated people to explore topics of historical injustices in the criminal justice system or write expert witness statements for immigrants seeking citizenship in the U.S.鈥� Students note that lower-level classes tend to be 鈥渕uch more lecture based鈥� than many of the seminar-style upper-level classes that feature active group discussion, but are described as 鈥渟till fascinating,鈥� due in large part to the fact that 鈥減rofessors are sure to engage their students by asking questions and encouraging participation.鈥� On this, undergraduates are largely unanimous: their teachers 鈥渁re one of the best things about Lewis & Clark...dedicated to teaching and exclusively focused on the undergraduate experience.鈥� As one enrollee puts it, 鈥淣ot only do they provide great instruction in the classroom, but they are available outside of the classroom to talk about class, life, and your future after college.鈥� A classmate concurs, adding, 鈥淚 have made close connections with professors here鈥攖hey have me feel like I am valuable, that my voice is important. I am so grateful for this, and I think this is a rare thing.鈥�

Peers at Lewis & Clark are described as 鈥渙verwhelmingly white, very liberal, and generally pretty well-off, financially,鈥� with many hailing from the Bay Area, Washington, and Oregon. Among this cohort, there is also a group of 鈥渢ight-knit international students鈥� and 鈥渁 very large and welcoming queer community.鈥� Some of the population describes itself as politically 鈥渧ery radical...compared to other colleges,鈥� but the overall consensus is of a student body that is 鈥減retty balanced,鈥� particularly when it comes to the partying culture, which 鈥渘ever feels unhealthy or unsafe.鈥� The atmosphere, in short, is 鈥渧ery warm, welcoming, and open-minded,鈥� the sort of place where 鈥渘o matter where I go on campus, there is always someone to wave to or stop and chat with.鈥� Indeed, 鈥渋t is a very accepting community where everyone can feel comfortable in being their true selves and it is a place where you鈥檒l find your people.鈥� In other words, as this classmate sums up, 鈥淲e form such special bonds at this institution and I can鈥檛 imagine going to school anywhere else.鈥�

Lewis & Clark is 鈥渁 pretty lax place, so you can kind of socialize at your own pace,鈥� whether that means partaking in the countless school events or just chilling in one鈥檚 dorm. It鈥檚 鈥渞eally easy to start a club, so there is also something that caters to everyone.鈥� This eclectic mix includes 鈥渁 club dedicated to the art of fire dancing鈥� and a 鈥渂eekeeping and gardening club,鈥� as well as staples like cheer and step, speech and debate, and a radio station. Some students also highlight the international affairs symposium, noting that it鈥檚 鈥渙ne of the most special things we have. They bring speakers from all over the world to debate on controversial topics and they are very interdisciplinary.鈥� Crafty and creatively inclined undergrads can spend plenty of time in the Platteau, a 鈥渟tudent-centered art center with free access to a ceramics studio, dance studio, darkroom, printing press, music studio, and general arts needs.鈥� Additionally, the school is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with the College Outdoors office providing 鈥渁ffordable weekend trips and free gear...for backpacking, white-water rafting, rock climbing, etc.鈥� As for Portland, it offers a nice respite from campus life. It鈥檚 typical to see students sampling the 鈥渃af茅s, brunch places, and thrift shops, museums, [and] malls.鈥�