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
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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
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