The Graduate Student Council (GSC) beat around the Sweat-Free bush at their meeting last night, but ASSU President Hershey Avula ‘08 took a stand against sweatshop-produced apparel.

The Council debated whether it wanted to spend time to discuss the controversy or to vote in approval of the protestors or University administrators, but members ultimately decided not to address the issue — at least officially.

Avula, however, addressed the topic at length, and he endorsed The Stanford Store for its initiative in supplying sweatshop-free clothing.

He said the store is “actually the only entirely sweat-free organization on campus.”

The GSC also decided to dole out some of its surplus funds, which amount to nearly $10,000. The Council authorized an additional $700 in prizes for students who participated in the Graduate Student Life Survey, which the GSC will use to better understand graduate student concerns about campus life.

Initially, the GSC had allotted $2,500 dollars for prizes such as gift certificates and iPods, but an unexpected number of survey participants forced the Council to increase the amount of money allotted for prizes.

GSC co-Chair George Bloom applauded the survey and its goals.

“It was one way for us to communicate with our constituency,” he said, “and find out what kinds of things they want.”