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Two Years Are Better Than Four

 New York Times, September 26, 2007 12:00 am

Liz Addison, 38, is a biology major whose goal is to become a large animal

veterinarian. She has trained a winning racehorse and is interested in American

 presidential history.

Oh, the hand wringing. “o!!ege as "meri#a $sed to $nderstand it is #oming to an end,% bemoans &i#k 'er!stein and his beatnik (riend o( (a!!en (a#e. Those da)s, man, when a

 pretentio$s reading !ist was a!! it took to !i(t a #hi!d (rom s$b$rbia. *hen +a ri((s h$ng

in the dorm !o$nge air with the smoke o( a tho$sand bongs, and #o!!ege rea!!) mattered.&ea!!) mattered-

&i#k 'er!stein thinks so. t mattered so m$#h to him that he ne/er got o/er his (o$r )earsat the ni/ersit) o( 'ri/i!ege. So he mo/ed ba#k to !i/e in its shadow, !ike a retired

 ba!!erina taking a seat in the sta!!s. $t when the #$rtain went $p he saw st$dents workingand st$d)ing and working some more. "d$!ts be(ore their time. Toda), at the ni/ersit)

o( 'ri/i!ege, the st$dent app!ies with a $rri#$!$m itae not a book !ist. Sh$dder.

Th$s, 3r. 'er!stein #on#!$des, the #o!!ege e4perien#e 5 a rite o( passage as it was meant

it to be 5 m$st ha/e #ome to an end. $t he is wrong. or 3r. 'er!stein, so rooted in hisown nosta!gia, is !ooking (or himse!( 5 and he wo$!d ne/er think to !ook (or himse!( in

the one p!a#e !e(t where the #o!!ege e4perien#e o( se!(dis#o/er) does sti!! matter to those

who get there. 3) g$ess, reading between the !ines, is that 3r. 'er!stein has ne/er set

(oot in an "meri#an #omm$nit) #o!!ege.

The phi!osoph) o( the #omm$nit) #o!!ege, and ha/e been to two o( them, is one that

$n#onditiona!!) a!!ows its st$dents to begin. 8$st begin. mp!i#it in this be!ie( is the

$nderstanding that an)thing and e/er)thing is possib!e. 8$st (o!!ow an) one o( the 1,699road signs, and pop )o$r head inside 5 )es, the) !et an)one in 5 and there )o$ wi!! (ind

dis#o/eries o( a (irst independent (i!m, a (irst independent tho$ght, a (irst independent

st$d). This #o!!ege e4perien#e remains as it sho$!d. This #o!!ege bro#h$re is notmarketing (or the parents 5 be#a$se the parents, nor grandparents, probab!) ne/er went to

#o!!ege themse!/es.

pon entr) to m) (irst #omm$nit) #o!!ege had b$t one O!e/e! to m) name. These nowdisbanded ;$a!i(i#ations on#e marked the transition (rom !ower to $pper high s#hoo! inthe <reat ritish ed$#ation s)stem. t was #$stomar) (or the a/erage st$dent to pro#eed

(orward with a #!$t#h o( O!e/e!s, sa) eight or nine. On a s#ore o( one, !e(t s#hoo!

h$rried!) at si4teen. Thomas 8e((erson on#e wrote, “=/er)bod) sho$!d ha/e an ed$#ation proportiona! to their !i(e.% n m) #ase, m) !i(e be#ame proportiona! to m) ed$#ation. $t,

in doing so, it had the good (ort$ne to !and me in an "meri#an #omm$nit) #o!!ege and

now, (rom that pri#e!ess springboard, too seek admission to the ni/ersit) o( 'ri/i!ege.

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=nter on empt) and !ea/e with a head ($!! o( dreams- >ow #an 3r. 'er!stein sa) #o!!ege

does not matter an)more-

The #omm$nit) #o!!ege s)stem is "meri#as hidden p$b!i# ser/i#e gem. ( were a#andidate (or o((i#e wo$!d #ampaign (rom e/er) #amp$s. Not to s#ore po!iti#a! points,

 b$t simp!) to make s$re that an)one who is !ooking to go to #o!!ege in this #o$ntr)knows where to (ind one. 8$st re#ent!), read an arti#!e in the New York Times

des#ribing a ?#o!!ege app!i#ation essa) workshop (or !owin#ome st$dents. wasstrange!) dist$rbed that those inter/iewed made no mention o( #omm$nit) #o!!ege. 3r

'er!stien might ha/e been e;$a!!) dist$rbed, (or the thr$st o( the workshop was no

di((erent to that o( an essa) #oa#h to the a((!$ent. “3ake @i(e Stories Shine,% beams thehead!ine. Or, in other words, pro/e )o$rse!( wor!d!), insight($!, #$!t$red, mat$re, be(ore

)o$ get to #o!!ege.

Yet, down at A.Y... it is sti!! possib!e to enter the #o!!ege e4perien#e as a rookie. That

is the $nderstanding 5 that )o$ wi!! grow $p a !itt!e bit with )o$r (irst =ng!ish #!ass, a bit

more with )o$r (irst ps)#ho!og) #!ass, a who!e !ot more with )o$r (irst bio!og), ph)si#s,#hemistr). That )o$ ma) shoot thro$gh the roo( with #a!#$!$s, phi!osoph), or geneti#s.

“o!!ege is the ke),% a )o$ng "(ri#an"meri#an st$dent writes (or the $mpteenthtort$ro$s re/ision o( his #o!!ege essa), “as we!! as hope.% Oh, wanted desperate!) to sa),

 p!ease te!! him abo$t #omm$nit) #o!!ege. '!ease te!! him that hope #an begin with +$st

one p!a#ement test.

*hen 3r. 'er!stein and (riends sa) #o!!ege no !onger ho!ds importan#e, the) mo$rn (or both the indi/id$a! and so#iet). Yet, arg$ab!), the #omm$nit) #o!!ege e4perien#e is more

#riti#a! to the nation than that o( (ormer beatnik t)pes who, !est we (orget, did not #hange

the wor!d. The #omm$nit) #o!!eges o( "meri#a #o/er this #o$ntr) #o!!ege b) #o!!ege and

#omm$nit) b) #omm$nit). The) o((er a network o( a((ordab!e ($t$re, o( a##essib!e hope,and an option to dream. n the #o!d !ight o( da), is it perhaps not more important to (oster

st$dents with dreams rather than a b$i!ding takeo/er-

be!ie/e so. be!ie/e the #omm$nit) #o!!ege s)stem to be one o( "meri#as $ni;$e!)great instit$tions. be!ie/e it sho$!d be #e!ebrated as s$#h. “or those who (ind it

ne#essar) to go to a two)ear #o!!ege,% begins one ni/ersit) o( 'ri/i!ege admissions

 paragraph. None too s$bt!e in its imp!i#ation, b$t /er) tr$e. or some st$dents, (romman) ba#kgro$nds, wo$!d ne/er breathe the #o!!ege e4perien#e i( it were not (or the

#omm$nit) #o!!ege. Yes, it is here that 3r. 'er!stein wi!! (ind his #o!!ege )ears o( se!(

dis#o/er), and it is here he wi!! (ind that #o!!ege does sti!! matter.

B(rom: http:CCessa).b!ogs.n)times.#omC2007C0DC26Ctwo)earsarebetterthan(o$rC-ErF0G