The recent vote to create a new graduate- and professional-student governing body ushered in a new era of cooperation. Following years of bitter debate, the new Graduate and Professional Student Assembly will represent all 12 graduate schools, with a 15-member research council and a 32-member professional council.
But as long as splinter groups like Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania continue to exist, graduate and professional students will be unable to present a unified front to the administration.
Graduate and professional students have a number of things in common, but they also have needs specific to their school. The former graduate student governing bodies were unable to effectively meet these needs, making a revised body absolutely necessary.
The new government structure, which includes the creation of a graduate-student government for School of Arts and Science graduate students, SASgov, fairly gives a voice to all students pursuing advanced degrees. GET-UP will see far more success by trying to work within the existing body, rather than in opposition.
GET-UP's tactics - most recently they marched around campus with a giant puppet of President Amy Gutmann - are distracting and fail to engender support for their agenda. Gutmann has informed GET-UP that they could accomplish far more by working within the graduate-student government, but GET-UP representatives have insisted on remaining separate.
The creation of the new GAPSA offers an opportune chance for reconciliation. GET-UP's fight should be against the administration, not fellow students.
