Because of an insufficient turnout for its first election, tonight the Graduate Student Association (GSA) will hold a second election -- one that could determine the fate of the organization.

The GSA, Penn State's official voice for graduate students, originally held the election Feb. 22.

However, because only three candidates ran, the organization was forced to schedule another election.

For an organization to be officially recognized by the Division of Student Affairs, it must have at least four officers.

The second election will be held at 6 tonight in 102 Kern.

Brian Borawski, current GSA president, said one person, interested in being a University Park Allocations Committee (UPAC) representative for the organization, has contacted him personally.

However, that person has not yet turned in an intent-to-run form.

As of Monday night, two intent-to-run forms had been turned in.

One of those is for a candidate interested in running for the graduate council, and the other is for the graduate council or for vice president of external affairs.

Even if all three candidates were elected, making six total members, GSA would still lack candidates in the three required positions: president, vice president and executive secretary.

If the candidate currently running for vice president of external affairs gets elected, he or she will also have to take over internal affairs.

This would occur unless someone runs for vice president of internal affairs, Borawski said.

There is a possibility that GSA may have to disband, he said.

He added that he just wants to get five to 10 students interested to keep the organization alive.

"There's so much apathy out there right now," Borawski said.

This kind of disinterest in the organization is "completely uncommon for the history of the GSA that I know," he said; however, it did not come as a shock to anyone affiliated with the organization, he added.

Eva Pell, dean of the graduate school, said so few students are getting involved in GSA because there is a lot of competition for graduate students' interests.

Many of them just want to get their degrees and move on with their lives.

Some are even married and have families vying for their time, she added.

Borawski also said graduate students have not been made a priority.

He said he has spoken with Pell, Penn State President Graham Spanier and Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey about the issue.

For example, Borawski said, undergraduates are offered orientation, but graduate students are not.

Borawski added that the university cut 92 percent of the organization's scholarship money last year.

He said that although UPAC funds GSA, it doesn't cover everything.

A possible cause for diminishing interest in GSA could be that pizza in not offered at meetings, he added.

Borawski said some advisers are discouraging students from getting involved in GSA, which he finds "very inappropriate."

Pell said the main reason some advisers may be discouraging involvement is because they feel a graduate student's top priority should be academics and research.

The level of performance expected from the student is high.

Mark Bechara, GSA treasurer who was elected in the February election, said he believes people will step forward and fill the positions.

He added that he recently directed interested students to find out where they can apply to run in tomorrow's election.

"GSA will continue," he said. "No worries there."