Most of us wouldn't be teachers if we weren't already motivated by something other than money. Academic activism is a way of realizing that motivation to the fullest extent in our professional lives. Individuals characterize these modes in various ways. The experience of any mode may range from burdensome to enlivening. For many, that sense of enterprise is enhanced as its extent enlarges.
Some activists begin union work simply hoping to enlarge their social network.
It's easy to get insulated in your department, and one of the most important things about the GEO is that it helps graduate students make connections across departments. But simple sociality can quickly evolve toward community, a sense of common culture. We can reach out to other departments and see if they have these issues. Two historians perhaps best capture this shift from sociality to community. That's one of the most important benefits of the GEO as a kind of community organization, cause the people are isolated here.