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John Kroger, Oregon's former attorney general, joined Reed College as president in 2012, two years after federal and local law enforcement officials prompted a crackdown on the campus that had been known for its permissiveness of illegal drugs.
Which helps explain why a rumor circulated last month that Kroger was yanking funding for a Saturday afternoon dinner that takes place during Reed students' annual Renn Fayre. In 2008, WW called Renn Fayre a "three-day festival of music, performance art and chemical enhancement that students see as a well-earned release."
The dinner, also known as the Feast, is a "free, nutritious meal to everyone on campus," and it's important in ensuring a safe Renn Fayre, Reed's student newspaper reports.
"Getting adequate nutrition is important and is often forgotten while under the influence of substances," a reporter for The Quest wrote in a Feb. 22 article. "Feast serves as a necessary harm-reduction measure that ensures students are well-fed during the weekend."
Reed's president has typically helped pay for the dinner. This year, Kroger is contributing $10,000 to the weekend's events, and students are free to spend it how they want, The Quest writes.
Kevin Myers, a spokesman for Reed, says Kroger never planned to pull funding for the Feast or Renn Fayre. The rumor started, Myers says, because Kroger merely said aloud that the money could go to a different purpose.
While the rumor circulated, a student or students spread the news with a provocative poster. It's not clear whether they were protesting the rumored decision—or satirizing students' response.
"John Kroger wants you to do lines on an empty stomach," at least one poster that appeared on campus reade, according to The Quest.
Willamette Week