April 23, 2012
Albany is the center of New York politics, but how often do we
get the chance to see the political process with our own eyes?
Photo Gallery
Over 30 St. John’s students had the unique opportunity to see
the Capitol up close and personal as part of the Alumni Insider’s
View…New York State Capital Program, which allowed them to meet
alumni working in the Albany area and tour some of the city’s most
notable landmarks.
At
Albany’s Sign of the Tree Restaurant, students participated in
panel discussions with distinguished alumni professionals. The
first panel, entitled “The Road to Albany…the Journey from St.
John’s University to the New York State Capital,” featured
politicians including Hon. Peter J. Abbate, Jr. ’72C, Hon. Jack M.
Martins ’91L, Hon. Francisco P. Moya ’97C and Hon. Diane J. Savino
’86C. They shared their personal stories and offered advice on how
to break into politics.
“You have to be willing to take chances,” said Moya, the
youngest graduate on the panel. “There might be a lot of trial and
error when you first start your career, but you can’t let that be
an obstacle. Embrace it, try out lots of different things, and make
the most out of every opportunity.”
Savino, meanwhile, suggested that the students become well
versed in social media, which she said was arguably one of the most
important new methods of communication in today’s world.
“Your youth is a tremendous asset,” she advised. “Politicians
are looking for people like you who are well versed in social
media, who can make sure that whatever we post on Facebook or
Twitter is relevant and appeals to our constituents. It’s a tool
that I think will continue to grow in the coming years, so be sure
to accentuate that.”
The
second panel, entitled “The Advantages and Challenges of Working in
the New York State Capital Region,” featured alumni with jobs in
journalism, law, consulting and business. They provided insightful
commentary on the inner workings of Albany and spoke about its
“dysfunctional” reputation in recent years.
“I wouldn’t say that they were the most dysfunctional state
government in the nation, but they certainly didn’t appear to be
getting the job done,” said James M. O’Dato, Journalist for the
Albany Times Union. “I write a lot about waste, abuse and
inefficiencies in state government, and one of the biggest wastes
as far as I’m concerned is taxpayer dollars being spent for things
that taxpayers simply don’t find out about. There needs to be more
transparency in New York government.”
Nick Roloson ’11C, Chief of Staff for New York State Assembly
Member Michael Miller, was the youngest alumni panelist at the
event and elaborated on the importance of campaign finance
reform.
“Money can be a good thing, but it can also be a corrupting
thing,” Roloson explained. “It works that way with people and,
unfortunately, also with government. Until we have a system in
place where elections are funded in a fair and equitable manner –
one that gives everyone a chance to have their voice heard – we’re
going to have the same problems year after year. So that’s a short
explanation of why campaign finance reform is such a major
issue.”
Students had the opportunity to tour the Capitol building
and the New York Court of Appeals. They sat in on a session of the
State Assembly and State Senate and heard politicians debate topics
such as whether mixed martial arts events should be allowed to be
held in New York.
At a networking reception afterward, the students handed out
their business cards to a number of alumni and built up their St.
John’s connections.
“Our alumni network is so strong, and that’s something I
definitely want to take advantage of,” said Edward Olive ’12C. “For
me, this trip was all about meeting the panelists, finding out how
they got here and how I too can get involved in politics moving
forward.”
Alexis Osborne ’13CPS hopes to one day become a judge in the New
York Court of Appeals, so she found the tour of that landmark to be
particularly rewarding.
“That’s my dream job,” she explained. “So to sit in that chair
and feel what it’s like to be a judge – that was incredible. It was
inspirational, really, and has made me even more motivated to break
into the political world.”
As Olive noted, simply watching St. John’s alumni politicians in
action was a rewarding opportunity in itself.
“I was impressed with how the politicians carried themselves,”
he said. “What they said was great, but how they said it was even
more fascinating. It says a lot that they took the time out to
speak to us, so it was definitely a very rewarding
experience.”