
Lewis and Clark is a small (about 2000 undergraduates) liberal arts school in Portland, Ore. The campus is full of cobblestone paths and intricate gardens. They have an expansive forest and many small quads where students can relax together.
I met up with some friends who attend Lewis and Clark, and I got the full student experience. The campus tour was impressive, and having my friends as hosts meant I got to see some of the more special places and hear the stories behind them. For example, the secret paths off the main trails in the forests, or a haunted room on South Campus (site graduate program) where the lantern is always on.
While most college campuses are special in their own way, I felt a natural and old beauty emanating from Lewis and Clark’s grounds that was touching and inspiring. Albion College gave me a bit of that same feel when I first visited. The grass was very trim, and the red brick buildings and old architecture stole my heart.
Student life at Lewis and Clark wasn’t all too different from Albion either. The campus featured a wide range of activities for students to be involved in. They also enjoyed nature and hanging out on campus together. Coincidentally, Lewis and Clark is catered by Bon Appetit just like Albion! It was sort of odd to have the same food and menu at a different school.
The night scene, while they have no greek life, did not differ much either. I have had similar adventures into the forest, down to the river, hanging out in people’s dorms or apartments, and sharing laughs at both Albion and Lewis and Clark.
It was interesting to visit a campus that defined itself in a similar way as Albion College. We’re small, independent, focused on the individual student and express a close-knit community. I saw that maybe it’s not an Albion thing to be this way, but a small, private school environment that enables such a lifestyle.
Photo courtesy of Gabby Albano
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