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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1975)
friday, September 28, 1975 dally nebraskan page 5 o 15 KKSS1 nactive officer blasts graduate apathy Editor's note: Richard L. Uznanski is a Ph.D. student and graduate assistant in the School of Life Sciences. I have been tempted to respond to the Vine Street Irregulars comments on graduate student life several times. I hesitated until I read the recent remarks concerning the Graduate Student Association (GSA). I am vice president of that organization. I was elected at the April 22 GSA meeting. 30 graduate students, 1 per cent of the total, were present. After the sole presidential nominee, a political science student, won unanimously, he nominated another political science student for vice president. I nominated myself. My platform was simply that I was not in political science. I won. Since that time I have net heard so much as a whisper from the president or any other officer. Any executive committee action which might have occurred did so without the knowledge of the vice pres-. -ident. So much for the leadership. , The GSA is not a small club with a handful of members. Meetings are wide open. The only requirement is that one look old enough to be a graduate student. The few people who bothered to attend had full voting rights. (I have had nightmares about hordes of undergraduates showing up and taking over.) The term "club" implies membership restrictions and duties. It does not apply to GSA. In theory, the GSA has departmental representation. I do not know if this is stipulated in the constitution because no one ever thought to bring a copy to the meetings. It really does not matter, though, for the constitution was suspended more than a year ago. The funding situation brought up by Hilligoss seems a minor problem at present. The $400 received from the Fees Allocation Board bought coffee and doughnuts at one meeting and two issues of a newsletter, "The Grad Rag." (Compare with "The Yale Graduate Professional.") The total expenditure was something less than $1 50. Given that track record, requests for even $400 cannot be justified. Major graduate student problems include restrictive library policies, student housing and personal finances. The GSA is supposed to be represented on the universitywide Executive Graduate Committee, the Lincoln Campus Graduate Committee and several other major committees. Dean James Drew of the Graduate College seems willing to provide strong support to a viable student organization. The GSA has the potential to address graduate student problems from within the system. Realization of this potential rests on the premise that graduate students are a broadly based, identifiable group of individuals actively interested in their collective welfare. This premise is unproven. I suspect I will incur the wrath of graduate students for not doing my job as one of their leaders. They may have forgotten that I actually represent less than 1 per cent of their number. I need only apologize to the 1 per cent. Perhaps my personal inaction has done some good. Last year graduate students received no coverage in the Daily Nebraskan. Now they do. Last year the executive committee pleaded for student support, input and involve ment. They received little. Perhaps some of the apparent apathy is diminishing. I had serious doubts as to the viability of the GSA whn I was elected. Evidence to date has substantiated those doubts. I commend the Vine Street Irregulars. They are raising and defining issues, something that could be done- in no other way. As a side effect, they are relieving many of the frustrations I have felt with the GSA. Teacher College Seniors (Grads for: Dec, May, & Summer) Orientation Sessions covering Placement & Registration Prodcedures when: Tues. 93075 Wed. 10175 Love Library Auditorium Thurs. 10275 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. V I ' V... .-I.-. t attendance at one Session Required Teacher Placement I ' . ' ." ' ' ' I ji I, mmmimmmmMiimimmmmmmmmmmmmmmatemdr is m Unco n - v If ; Students. . I V-X I I rVv.v II mmunity i ideate! Students " & Lincoln Area Newcomers Join by Oct. 10 VAN CLIBURN, pianist, 3 p.m., Sunday, October 26, 1975, .. CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY, LA BOHEME in English, with Canadian Opera Orchestra, 8 p.m., Friday, February 6, 1976. DON COSSACKS OF ROSTOV, 85 dancers and singers, 8 p.m., Friday, March 19, 1978. DANNY DAVIS AND THE NASHVILLE BRASS, modern country sound, 8 p.m., Monday, April 26, 1973. Dip ANNOUNCES SERIES 1975-76 Attendance by membership only i 4 , All concerts at Pershing Auditorium Clip MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FOR 1975 76 SERIFS $30 (Family) (3 adults & ail children through high school) Name & age of children $3 (Student) ' ' ' $15 (Adult) ' " '-,.,,,' i ' . Qsank AmericardQ Master Charge m Exp, Dete Name .. . New Membership . Addree ----- Telephone ' Datech and maH this form today to: Telephone 463-1514 Renewal. LINCOLN COMMUNITY CONCERTS 400 Sycamore Dr., Lincoln, Nebraska 69S10 Ef XfcTgP55H3TB?ffl m-' CfitMSieaJ.
