Smart Investment

by Fred Burgess

When the word posse comes up, we expect to see the sheriff of Lone Pine somewhere out West deputizing a bunch of men to ride out as a search party. That's a stereotype, but the word comes from Latin and refers to "power" and "being able." So posses can come in various forms. The one we're highlighting today is The Posse Program of The Posse Foundation Inc., of New York City -- which doesn't sound very local since The Big Apple is a four-hour ride away. But local is as local does. So Dickinson College has made The Posse Program local, which is big stuff when you consider partnership in the program means supplying a bunch of full scholarships to New York City students. That's a costly commitment for a small, private institution. But like everything else, this highly competitive program operates on a two-way street. In return for admitting 10 city students who can help each other adjust to campus life and studies, Dickinson is building up diversity and encouraging multi-culturalism to flourish on campus. Dickinson had so much difficulty narrowing down its choices that the college admitted 12 of the academically qualified students from urban public high schools in the first year of participation and another 10 this year. The college became one of 17 institutions listed as a partner on The Posse website in 2000. Students in the program have a 90 percent graduation rate, which The Posse Foundation says is higher that the rate for colleges and universities in general. Prior to forming these groups, which started in 1989, the foundation says many of the city students would leave colleges to which they had been accepted after a few months. Students in the Dickinson arm of the program say adjusting to small town life hasn't been easy. But they add that they've had tremendous help and understanding from faculty advisers. Hey, we've got a Square in Carlisle, but it's got little in common with Times Square. They also think Dickinson now needs to take the next step in looking at cultural diversity as a lot more than different skin colors. But they're also proud of being in on the start of the campus efforts to stretch and encompass cross-culturalism. We'd say Dickinson is making a smart investment in youth and in creating a campus with broader horizons. This country is a melting pot. We should live as if we are and appreciate the diversity offered.