Alternative NST explores Portland art scene

Every year, one of the first things new students at Lewis & Clark have to decide is whether or not they want to go on a New Student Trip (NST). Run by College Outdoors and the Center for Social Change and Community Involvement, these trips provide a space for first-year students to get to know one another and the beautiful nature of the Pacific Northwest. 

Until this year, most of these trips centered around hiking, canoeing, paddleboarding or other outdoor activities that might not be appealing or accessible to all students. For those who are not as comfortable with the outdoors, this year’s inaugural Creative PDX trip allowed first-years to form friendships with other students while also learning about artistic opportunities both on-campus and in Portland. 

Associate Professor of Theatre Rebecca Lingafelter initially proposed the trip, recognizing the success of NSTs, but also the lack of arts programming offered.

“I wondered about the possibility of having an arts-focused trip to fulfill that interest and that need and still create that really beautiful relationship between the people who are on the trip together,” Lingafelter said. “We have a really artsy and creative student body, but the storytelling around that isn’t always really clear to prospective students.”

The trip had a considerable impact on many of the students, giving them a space to be creative while encouraging them to explore their own connections to art. 

“I went into [the trip] not considering an art major in the slightest,” Cameron Shapiro ’25 said. “But after the trip I was really inspired and realized that art is one of my biggest passions and that there are ways to be successful in the art industry.” 

Throughout the NST, students participated in workshops on campus with professors, alumni and returning students who all demonstrated different ways to get involved in the arts at LC. Activities ranged from theatre and dance to music and creative writing; they also had the chance to make art collaboratively through workshops or on their own during dedicated studio time. Additionally, they talked with professors from various departments at a faculty meet-and-greet, forming connections before classes even began.

Aside from exploring the arts on campus, the trip also allowed students to learn about and experience the art scene  in Portland. This involved visiting several galleries, going on a theater tour, discussing the history of street art while on a walking tour of downtown Portland and more. 

“We wanted folks … to be connected to those resources in Portland, so thinking about experiencing art … to be able to know about where and how to make art in this city as a college student,” Isabel McTighe ’22, who helped coordinate, plan and lead the trip, said. 

The combination of the off- and on-campus portions of the trip allowed students to explore all aspects of art they might be interested in while building connections with each other. 

“It was just such a gift to be able to see all of the participants forming relationships and growing even in that week as artists,” McTighe said.

This community building included collaborating on art pieces and sharing that art freely with each other. This culminated in a showcase that allowed everyone to share something they had created over the week, and had more engagement than many of the leaders expected. 

“When we were planning, we had all these strategies for how to get [the students] to share their art, but it wasn’t a challenge at all,” McTighe said. 

McTighe went on to say that they were “pleasantly surprised by [students’] willingness to share their art … it was beautiful to witness and be a part of.” 

Overall, the trip had a positive impact on many involved, from the students to the organizers, many of whom expressed hope in the trip’s continuation in future years. For students who wanted to know more about the arts in their community, this trip provided that and more, and served as a motivation for many budding artists. 

Photograph by Nina Johnson