College Democrats and the Stevens Law Society recently co-hosted an event to promote student involvement in local politics. Called “Career in Politics and Activism,” It featured the Hoboken Democrats Chair and three City Council members as guest speakers. To learn more about the event, The Stute spoke with Joyce Mullan, Teaching Assistant Professor with the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and faculty advisor for the Stevens Law Society.
The two organizations collaborated to organize the event for November 29, where attendees packed Babbio 122 near capacity, according to Mullan. At the front of the room was a panel of four local political figures. The first was Rachel Hodes, the current Hoboken Democrats Chair, an unpaid municipal body of eighty people to represent the values of the Democratic Party across the 40 voting districts within Hoboken. Alongside her was Emily Jabbour, the President of the City Council. Two other council members joined them: Joe Quintero and Phil Cohen, representing the city at large and the 5th Ward, respectively. Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla was expected to join the panel but had to cancel due to his participation in COP28, the United Nations global climate conference hosted in Dubai.
The overarching theme was encouraging students to engage with public service and local politics. Melissa Pathil and Shanel Urgiles, the president and treasurer for College Democrats, served as moderators and allowed each to share their journey towards getting more politically involved. The guest speakers also shared their daily operations and addressed any other issues relevant to Stevens students interested in pursuing a career in local politics. For example, they discussed women’s declining involvement in local politics because of their increased participation in the workforce. During the event, students asked the panelists questions directly in a dedicated Q&A session following the talks.
Mullan was happy with the collaboration and the exploration of how the City Council members use law to improve the lives of everyday people. As the event established, student involvement in local government is something current political leaders believe can lead to positive change in our community.
