Jason Poreda Opinions Assistant

What would ya do for a buck back? (Or a Klondike bar, as the infamous jingle goes) Last week, when graduate students asked for their dollar back from the Arizona Students' Association, my fantasies of graduate students willingly diving into the Old Main fountain, giving entire discussion sections "A"s and gleefully dancing to the Klondike song - all to get their measly buck back - filled me with enjoyment. I would be the first to take a free "A" in exchange for an old George Washington, but alas it is not to be.

So why then did graduate students ask for their money back? Apparently the Graduate and Professional Student Council occasionally decides to use strategies commonly used by 2-year-olds who collapse to the floor and scream as loud as they can in hopes of getting a toy.

Truthfully, I have heard some stupid ideas, but this one is right up at the top of the list next to New Coke and letting Pedro finish pitching the 8th inning. This public display of whining will accomplish nothing other than reaffirming the negative opinions people have toward GPSC.

That is regrettable because GPSC represents hard-working, determined people attempting to further their educational goals. They are the cream of the intellectual crop and are truly a benefit to whatever college they are a part of. They work on weekends and late into the night finishing research projects and grading papers professors leave for them. Most of the time, the rest of the university forgets that these are the people on the academic front lines doing anything they can to move the machine of education.

Unfortunately for them (and for the rest of us), their representatives in GPSC are the few who fell through the cracks, leaving Darwin scratching his head.

These few are not doing the rest of their colleagues justice and not representing their best interests. Of the well over 20,000 graduate students in Arizona, not just here at the UA, only about 500 have asked for their money back. Those representatives making a scene are in the vast minority. If you ask GPSC, however, it sounds like they're carrying the flag into battle, spearheading a huge problem - the underrepresented, oppressed few. If that's the case, why do you only see GPSC wearing red shirts in the back of a tuition forum or Arizona Board of Regents meeting? There are many more effective ways of having your voice heard here on campus, and yet GPSC is still stubbornly resistant to them.

Despite their efforts to "surprise" or "shock" everyone into seeing their point of view and magically achieving their goals in one fell swoop, they claim to be underrepresented, instead of concocting a new scheme that symbolizes the anguish graduate students are experiencing. Why not take the time spent formulating this "I want my dollar back" plan and instead do something productive? Like representing graduate students, for example.

There may have been a time when graduate students and undergraduates coexisted, but I can't remember it. One would think after all this time with no progress toward achieving their goal, they would do what leaders should do and try a new tactic.

After deciding to take the path of the crybaby and demanding both their money back and a position they have never shown interest in, GPSC better back it up and have someone apply for ASA director this April. Otherwise, what little credibility the group does have will be thrown out the window. Of course, simply going up to ASUA and talking with our ASA directors would raise more eyebrows than snatching money away from them.

What a novel sight it would be to see GPSC working with ASA instead of constantly complaining about being underrepresented. It's time GPSC makes the first step toward fixing the problem they've been fighting. Hang up those silly red shirts and take a leap of faith, letting ASA keep the buck in hopes that representatives will do their jobs. Instead of collectively whining, GPSC should turn its voice into the roar it could be.

Jason Poreda is a political science and communication senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.