Yeah, so about that GESO thing...
I know I seemed pretty up on the Graduate Employees and Students Organization a week ot so ago. Well, now I'm not so convinced any more. I think the problems they're addressing are real and Yale would do well to improve them, but honestly, there are so many more important issues we need to rally support for right now. This really hit home to me when Jesse Jackson came to speak on Thursday. I would think Jesse Jackson would have more important issues to focus on right now than Grad Student rights.
If someone went into a 40-year coma during the 1960s and came back to Yale today, they would think "Oh wow! The world's sure gotten better! There must not be any wars or denials of civil rights or global warming or general badness! The only thing we can complain about is that grad students don't have enough money!" I only wish this were the case. Why can't we get this many people up in arms over gay rights? or Yale's energy policy? or involvement in Iraq? The fact that these "activists" can only muster this kind of social movement when it involves their own livelihoods is a little disturbing. And unlike the dining hall workers' strike last year, the GESO strike can't have the power to inspire and keep alive the real labor movement. Their influence is limited to the insulated world af academia. Most people in the labor force cannot relate to spending 4-10 years at Yale for free. I think it's time GESO took some time to think about the larger issues they could be pouring all this energy into, and ask themselves wher e their true priorities lie.On the other hand, this opinion piece expressed quite well the merits behind GESO's motives. And there is merit. The question is, is it worth the fuss when hundreds of other issues go by unprotested? I just don't know.
Posted by Trailhobbit
at 3:31 PM EDT
