Graduate moderator gets rally of support

An impeachment attempt by members of the executive committee of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization against Moderator Paul Rohwer fell flat Friday. Allegations of power abuse crumbled when representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of keeping their leader. \nThe failed ousting raises serious questions about the group’s future and its ability to maintain respect among University administrators, whom they have consistently lobbied for greater graduate student services over the past several years, members said. In addition, Rohwer has indicated those who have politicked against him will be asked to resign or face their own impeachment hearings for what he described as dishonesty.\n“Integrity is really important to me, and I have known for a few weeks that I wasn’t in control and was being lied to,” Rohwer said. \nRepresentatives voted 30-9 in favor of keeping Rohwer. The moderator had been charged by his fellow executive committee members with abusing his power in several instances over the past month. Specifically, they cited him with three instances of wrongdoing in September. Executive committee members charged Rohwer with becoming verbally abusive and demeaning toward GPSO Liaison John Scott during a Sept. 6 executive committee meeting. Additionally, he was charged with mismanagement of the organization’s finances along with expressing toward GPSO representatives “increasingly abusive and aggressive comments,” according to a copy of the executive committee’s resolution.\nRohwer maintained during the meeting that his actions did not break any of the organization’s bylaws and were simply done with the group’s greater interests in mind. GPSO representatives questioned Rohwer on his alleged aggressive behavior toward members. Those allegations spawned in large part from a letter sent by Rohwer to the GPSO in his absence at a September meeting.\nIn it, the group’s leader wrote he mistrusted many of the organization’s members and warned representatives in his letter that those working toward “ulterior motives” would result in “brutish” treatment from Rohwer. \nThis seeming intimidation was simply an indicator of Rohwer’s leadership style, he said in defense. Although group members might not always agree with his aggression, as many expressed during the meeting, Rohwer maintained this was not an impeachable wrongdoing. It was a way for him to gauge representatives’ intentions for the graduate community at large, he said. \nExecutive committee members also questioned Rohwer’s mental health, depicting a radical change in the leader’s behavior since the term began. Rohwer acknowledged people’s concerns for him, but said it was a situation he was handling. When the executive committee planned a meeting with Rohwer last Monday to request his resignation, the committee members requested a police presence. Rohwer seemed offended by this move and described it as unnecessary. Several representatives also denounced this action and saw it as an effort to vilify Rohwer.GPSO Representative Shana Bergen has known the moderator for two years and described him as a leader who has consistently battled for graduate students, developing personal relationships with administrators to better lobby for their needs. She acknowledged, however, this work faces a setback as the organization’s credibility would be questioned as more administrators learn of tensions among the group’s top leaders. \nAlong with surviving charges of intimidation, Rohwer escaped allegations of mishandling the group’s finances. In planning a September event to promote University diversity, Rohwer left $1,000 in alcohol charges unaccounted for. Rohwer acknowledged he fronted the money for the wine knowing that he could not buy alcohol with GPSO funds. He planned to raise money from other sources, but said that he was willing to take a loss on his investment if the outside fundraising didn’t add up to the $1,000 total.\n“I dropped my card…so I took the risk here and I disagree that you should pay me back,” Rohwer said. \nHe acknowledged that chance was part of serving as an effective leader. \n“When you do event planning you are going to lose money occasionally,” he said\nStill, executive committee members characterized his unilateral spending as irresponsible and against the GPSO’s constitution.\n“I respect Paul’s willingness to pay for something on his own, but as an organization we cannot run like that,” said Jeremy Engle, the GPSO’s assistant moderator.\nAlthough some representatives expressed concern for this type of solo spending, many acknowledged that while it was a mistake and could have been avoided, it was not done maliciously. Representatives voted to again take up the issue during meetings next week to decide if Rohwer should receive a censure for the incident. \nMembers of the executive committee who expressed their desire to expel Rohwer from his position were visibly dejected following the meeting. How the group responds to this will likely determine its effectiveness in serving graduate students as a student government and administrative voice. \n“What will happen in part is up to all the people involved,” Engle said. “We’ll have to see.”