TO THE EDITOR:
I have made it clear where I stand on the possible separation of Graduate and Professional Students Federation and Student Government. Student Congress has put forth a sensible compromise in its co-optation plan. But one thing continues to bother me. The leaders of GPSF have not put forward a policy plan for what they will do if the separation referendum is approved.
We are in the midst of the SBP race and a U.S. presidential election cycle. While John Taylor and Hillary Clinton may not have a lot in common, they do share one thing. They have both created platforms. They have indicated the policy changes they intend to pursue if voters favor them. GPSF should do the same.
I am a graduate student. If I am asked to vote for separation, I want to see a detailed plan for moving forward. How will GPSF be different under the separation constitution? What radical reforms are in store for future graduate and professional students? How can the current leaders of GPSF be sure that future leaders will have the same vision they do? And if the structure is to remain the same, why separate at all? Aesop’s admonishment to “look before you leap” is now some 2,500 years old, but it is still relevant today. If I were to vote for separation, can I be sure that GPSF will still be relevant tomorrow?
John Anagnost
Graduate Student
City and Regional Planning
