Farewell, Posse 1

Kate Trambitskaya

By:

Posted: 5/28/02

For Prissy, Marco, Jenell, Natalee, Kenroy, Sophia, Emrold, Esther, Abbas, and Mimi -- My friends, the resonating voices in my life ...

I can start this article about Posse by giving you the history of 1981 and Deborah Bial, who founded this organization and the idea of sending a group of kids to college. I can tell you about our training in New York City before going to college, and about the workshops we did. I can also describe to you the importance of Posse and what it means to be a Posse member -- the responsibilities of each individual and the group. I can speak about diversity, the importance of leadership, and our goal to "improve the campus climate," by promoting cultural dialogue. Instead, I will refrain from the generic and the already spoken, and tell you the history of Brandeis Posse 1 and share with you our stories, as we graduate this year.

We sat in an unfamiliar gymnasium, in a circle, the 10 of us, with our mentor. This was the first week at Brandeis. We were scattered in clumps around campus for housing and came to our first meeting, followed by at least 50 more. The lights were dimmed and we sat alone in this place, each one remembering home and relying on the support of each other and the group. Our mentor, Mimi, conducted an intimate welcoming ceremony for us in Gosman, looking toward the future of 2002, our graduating year. We were sure the time of our graduation was too far ahead to even consider, never mind celebrate in this first meeting. We received our fake diplomas with our names printed in bold and always remembered the first time we met, for it was a solemn promise that we made to ourselves, a promise never spoken out loud but understood amongst us that we were to work hard and help each other in the next four years.

Our first year was difficult because we had to adapt culturally and academically to Brandeis. We were accustomed to a fast pace, survival-oriented environment, when sometimes graduating from high school meant simply avoiding the "bad crowds," the drugs, and the fights. As a group, we knew we had to struggle academically because we were not prepared for the challenges Brandeis had to offer; we knew that the city of Waltham and the campus were no where close to resembling our lives back at home.

The second annual Posse retreat was significant in creating the foundation for Posse 1, where we recognized the need to develop our voices on campus. Although we have been engaged in different activities on campus and gained leadership positions, started clubs and organizations, and maintained our academics, we seldom referred to Brandeis as our home. At this particular retreat, with Brandeis Posse 2 present, and many other Brandeis students discussing the issues on campus, we developed a strategy to "work out" these issues. That year our efforts to create a "better campus" were not visible but we involved many more people in this search for improvement.

We were often angry with ourselves for not doing more or doing enough to create something, which we ourselves could not exactly define, but knew we were here to create IT. There was something missing from Brandeis in our first two years and during the retreat, and each one of us directed our energies to help find it. As individuals some of us wanted to leave Brandeis, some of us hated it, and almost none of us loved it. At times, we felt overwhelmed by some of the incidents and events that occurred at Brandeis, discouraging our dedications and promises. The promise that we made to each other continued to resonate throughout those bad times. The same support and positive energy that we retracted from our weekly meetings that reminded us why we were here, were often transferred onto other students who experienced those difficult moments, that we were lucky enough to share with each other.

I think something happened by the end of our junior year -- perhaps the experiences here at Brandeis had dramatically changed our perceptions, broadened our understandings, and enriched our lives. Maybe it was because we "grew up" and had a year left before we were set free into the real world. Whatever the case may be, we felt the changing environment of the Brandeis community as we welcomed new Posse groups onto campus.

With four Posses on this campus, and us being the leading group, we felt that we've accomplished more so than what we've expected. We have continued the idea of learning and sharing diversity that once seemed intangible to us. The importance of each group and each person continuously reflects the idea of the process simply to engage oneself and each other. What is interesting to me is that Posse is actually not exclusive, as most people think it is, or what I thought it was. Rather, it seeks to integrate those pieces that have seemed to be hanging on loose ends. We were placed in this environment to initiate the cycle, to push the wheel that links us all intricately on this campus. Posse or not, we are all part of this community.

We are gathered in Gosman once again, except now it is May, 2002. Posse 2, 3, and 4 stand in front of us after they hand us our fake diplomas, but seemingly more realistic than four years ago. They thank us for our presence, for setting the path. We thank them for completing us and continuing the cycle. We leave Brandeis, knowing the complexities and imperfections that will continue to improve with the cycle, which is endless and continues to diverge and merge its constituents, always in one direction. We leave satisfied and proud. We leave our home and we stand in Gosman with many Posse scholars in a circle, continuing to pave the way.