GUEST COLUMNIST: GA experience: 'about having fun'

Malia Brink Malia BrinkIssues surrounding graduate associates have featured high in the news lately, but most of the talk has centered on the GA hiring process or the upcoming staffing changes in conjunction with implementation of the College House system. As a GA in Van Pelt College House, I thought I could add dimension to the discussion by sharing a bit about my experience. I also thought I had something in common with the first-year students in particular: we were both new here, and we could figure it out together. My journey to law school had been full of bumps and changed plans, and I hoped my experience would in some way assist these students as they decide what they want to do. Plus, I loved college. The idea of being in law school seemed so grown-up and specialized that I wanted to resist it a little. I still wanted to be surrounded by that liberal arts atmosphere where everyone has a different interest area and the conversation can jump from art to current events without anyone thinking it strange. In a typical law school experience, when students get out of class they only see other law students, and the topic of school recurs constantly. I hoped that my interactions with undergraduates would keep me balanced and grounded and prevent me from becoming the overworked, high-strung, ultra-competitive first-year law student that you see in books and films. So I filled out the incredibly long GA application and went through some really stressful interviews in which administrators tried to determine who I was and what I could offer undergraduates through a phone that was constantly breaking and the clamor of everyone trying to talk at once. Finally, though, I got the job; and I love it. Being a GA is mostly about having fun. I imagine what I would like to do and then ask a bunch of students if they would like to join. I have planned programs ranging from discussions about law school to movie nights. And I have worked extensively with Van Pelt House Council. Additionally, I have joined numerous programs sponsored by other staff members and students, going to the theatre, the opera and a gallery opening on Market Street. And Saturday, I will be downtown with almost all of the house, dressed up for the annual Burns Supper -- an event to celebrating the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. The house has been taking Scottish dancing lessons for weeks in preparation. Van Pelt has provided me with everything I hoped to get out of being a graduate associate. In my fellow staff members, I found friends with a variety of specialties, from veterinary medicine to sociology. In the faculty, I found fascinating people who offer support and guidance. And in the students, I found numerous personalities. We have gone through many adventures, quandaries and tribulations together. Being a GA is sometimes hard; it can be time-consuming and the problems can be formidable. But for me it has been well worthwhile. Having a good GA staff will be central to ensuring successful undergraduate living arrangements next year. Finding an excellent GA staff requires that we focus on what makes a good GA, not on benefits or application statistics. And, if my experience has struck a chord with any graduate students out there, the Office of Academic Programs and Residence Life in High Rise North is still accepting applications.