New GAPSA chairman shares goals, initiatives

Graduate School of Education second-year student Maher Zamel was elected the new chairman of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly on Wednesday. Zamel sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian to discuss goals for the GAPSA and the graduate schools in the coming year.

The Daily Pennsylvanian: What are your goals for the next year?

Maher Zamel: My focus — what I ran my election campaign on — is to try to strengthen the relationships of GAPSA with the student governments at the 12 schools. GAPSA is such a wonderful resource, and the best way I can benefit students is by promoting it and increasing awareness. We’ve done a good job over the past couple of years letting people know about social activities and cultural activities, but I think that by working with my current executive board — a group of very awesome, motivated people — I’ll be able to show people more of what we do.

DP: Why did you decide to run?

MZ: Coming into graduate school, I had the idea that every school had its own entity. Penn actually has a lot of interdisciplinary things going on, and you can be involved beyond your buildings. That kind of curiosity about what was going on in other places got me involved in GAPSA as a GA member my first year. After working on some programs in the past year, I decided to run for chair because GAPSA’s mission is something very important and beneficial for all students.

DP: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing GAPSA?

MZ: I wouldn’t call it a challenge, maybe a slight obstacle. We’re trying to move GradFest from Spring semester to Fall semester. We feel that part of being social in the Penn culture is really taking part in these events when you’re not almost graduating or finishing your first year. We want to be able to tell people about GAPSA and introduce them to our social activities, our research and travel grants, and all the different awards we give.

DP: What would you like to see GAPSA do differently?

MZ: I’d like to spend as much face time with students leaders as possible. GAPSA’s sort of like the federal student government, but really I don’t know what’s happening on a local basis. In schools like SAS and Engineering, student leaders know a lot more. So in order to advocate on their behalf, I will get to know them better and get to know what their issues are. Hopefully that way, I’ll be able to benefit them by delivering their messages to the University administration.

DP: How will you work with Vice Chair Suzanne Bratt?

MZ: We worked together all of last year on student programs, and she is a very strong person and I’m delighted to be working with her.

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