Dot Mom

I love the idea of this blog, and it's hard to keep feeding it when Dot community support continuously stays away...

I realize our kids are morphing into young adults, moving away from home, and as parents this is also an awkward transitional stage for everyone....

All anyone has to do is send me photos, snippets of performances, memories, updated info of all kinds via comments left here on the site or email me @: ftsfamy@gmail.com.

I am looking for all things Dot-centered, Dot-related and I do really need your help!

For every house "that's gots kids" & every house that does not

I heard this song played tonight for the first time_ on KLCC, in dedication for Malia and Sasha, now in the White House_ I add it here according to the title on the post. Enjoy!

Roman Birthday!!

Oh My Gosh!! Brenna is turning 21 in Florence Italy today!!!!

Contact Brenna today because she is turning twenty-one!!

Sing her the Beatles' Birthday song! Tee Hee!! Who LOVES YA, baby?!!

Brenna in Florence, Italy!!

Click on this link to see pictures of Brenna's time in Italy!

The Voice of Student Activism- Responding to the WW article about Reed, May 14, 2008

Brenna Wrye-Simpson writes on May 14th, 2008 7:00pm

Comment 128 | Respond

Mr. Pitkin --

Re: your response to Josh Hoak's comment, which directly precedes this one --

An editorial correction as to whether it's "Nitrous" or "Nitrogen" is not really an acceptable course of action in the wake of publishing this article if that is all you intend to to as follow-up. "Nitrogen" vs. "Nitrous" is not the real issue, nor does it ultimately matter. Rather, you should be publishing an apology -- what you wrote was a one-sided, uninformed, slanderous piece, and that DOES matter. I would say that it would be appropriate for you to contact the Public Relations office at Reed and publish a rewrite of this article, one with accurate information from a diverse opinion pool, but it would appear that you do not understand the fundamentals of ethical journalism and instead would prefer to be trespassed from private property multiple times over. How could you be surprised that Reedies would not be forthcoming when you went about gaining information in a completely suspicious, inappropriate manner? Additionally, I'm completely confounded by the fact that the Willamette Week somehow published your piece as "news" and not as opinion. Does your editor not understand the difference?

I hope you're hearing me (and these other like responders) loud and clear, Mr. Plitkin: This Is Not Journalism -- rather, it is your own skewed perception of a Portland college, a fact you so illustriously reveal by using your gut instincts ("While no one would say so [...], it was hard not to get the sense that many felt it's simply the price to be paid for that freedom...") and conveniently, dishonestly moulded student testimonials as evidence for what ultimately comes off as a egregiously uninformed vendetta.

What you have published in no way represents the upstanding, hard-working body that is Reed College, nor our opinions on drug and alcohol use, nor the self-imposed related regulations our community functions under. The only thing this piece can clearly be defined as is an insult to Alejandro Lluch's memory, his friends, our dedicated, intelligent college president who has worked closely with students and staff in the aftermath of these trying events, our alumni, and the current students. You personified Reed as a drug culture only, something that is such a small part of Reed in comparison to its cornerstones: its actively governing Honor Principle, the intensive senior thesis, the uniting experience of Humanities 110, etc.

I, for one, do not support a word of what you have written, particularly not the underhanded, unethical way you went about attaining your ultimately skewed information. Judging by the dozens of other responses this article has received, I don't think I'm alone. I do hope you consider my strong suggestion that you print a public apology, though.

Shoddy work, sir, absolutely shoddy.

Events At Reed

Concert: The Collegium Musicum and Reed Chorus

April 27, 2008

The Collegium Musicum sings a cappella works by composers ranging from Renaissance English madrigalists to Americans Elliott Carter (one of the subjects of this year's Carter-Messiaen Project) and Jacob Avshalomov. The Reed Chorus will be accompanied by Andra Brosy in Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, a setting of texts by the 18th-century religious poet and inhabitant of Bedlam, Christopher Smart. Both groups are directed by Virginia Hancock; student conductors Aaron Deich and Brenna Wrye-Simpson also participate.

7:30 p.m., Kaul Auditorium