Being the only person in her family to travel to Bangladesh in recent years, Sayantani Dasgupta was the first to meet her cousin — even before her parents.

Despite having no prior connection, Dasgupta said a bond was quickly formed stemming from similar ideals of how to change the world for the better.

“I think at some level, if you are related to someone by blood, that is far more important than any other difference you would have with them,” she said.

A graduate student studying creative writing, Dasgupta’s dissertation will be a series of essays on her family history. Since she will be defending this dissertation next semester, travelling abroad was a necessary step.

Fortunately, money was no obstacle because the University of Idaho Graduate and Professional Student Association covered her travel expenses.

With an annual budget of about $80,000, GPSA has some money to throw around, money GPSA President, Parul, said most graduate students aren’t aware of.

GPSA designates more than half of their funds as grants for travel expenses graduate students may incur. Last year, of the $50,000 set aside for this purpose, the organization finished the year with $30,000 left over.

After a massive falling out a few years ago, GPSA representatives have been working to re-organize the group, separate funds and establish a more concise constitution.

This year the group hopes to add a greater social component to attract interest and make graduate students more aware of what GPSA can do for them.

“We’ve laid the groundwork to make things more fun and more accessible,” said James Erwin, the GPSA Chief Justice.

As the first activity of the school year, GPSA hosted a Fall Social last Thursday. The organization gave free meal tickets to about 200 graduate students.

With undergraduates outnumbering upper level students, he said it can be difficult for graduates to find reasons to take a break.

“Once you hit grad school you’re kind of on your own,” Erwin said.

There are 1,812 graduate students from the Moscow campus and its extensions, Parul said, GPSA’s main goal is to reach out to as many students as possible.

Members must be graduate students who enrolled full-time.

Funding for GPSA is made up from graduate student fees, meaning eligible gradate students are members by default.

“It makes all the more sense (for) students (to) get involved,” Parul said. “They are paying for it.”

Parul said GPSA is a positive distraction.

“It’s an excellent way to get out of your student mood,” she said.

Erwin said GPSA members can easily become representatives of the organization for larger UI factions, including the UI Faculty Council and judicial boards.

“We get a voice,” he said.

In the past, GPSA has hosted the annual graduate expo. They have since relinquished this event to the university in hopes of taking on smaller but more numerous

activities.

Sometime this year, Erwin said he hopes to organize a type of leadership retreat allowing graduate students to get out of Moscow for a weekend and relax.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.