Passionate Women in City Council

As I transition into my final semester at Hunter, I have developed more and more anxieties in terms of what’s next on the career agenda after graduation. I have grown sentimental over losing the in-school class experience, but excited about developing work experience that will make me focus and build more skills. Maybe that is why I feel my internship with a prominent council member (CM) will likely prove invaluable.
Excited to learn more about the political side of the city council, yet unsure what being a council member really entails, I came into the office not knowing what to expect. Immediately, I was approached by the CM’s chief of staff, a younger guy with a good sense of humor and laid back demeanor, who is sort of my coach/boss. I then, met everyone in the office, which consisted of the CM herself and her urban planner, a recent graduate from Colombia. While I was nervous and not so sure that having a laid back staff would be ideal (concerned I wouldn’t have enough to do), I was relieved how friendly and forthcoming everyone was. It was the urban planner’s first day, so we had a lot in common, and it felt good to talk to someone about land use policies and other controversial zoning proposals going on in the city right now. While, I look forward to seeing how city government works and improving my writing skills during this internship, I may learn the most from this co-worker who seems to have a good understanding of land use planning and policies. That entire day I felt like I was in an episode of the West Wing (minus the White House part), following my pacing chief of staff around the halls and peeking in on various press conferences and meetings, a preview I found exciting.
Over the past few weeks since then, I came to realize the immense responsibilities of the council member, and also what she prioritizes. I was fortunate to get paired with someone who is align with my political ideologies, as she is a strong advocate for immigration justice, affordable housing, education, and worker’s rights. My respect for her has grown and I admire her passion, sense of humor, and great communication skills. Considering how I never figured city council to be a very radical space, but more a neutral one, I was really pleased to meet some of the council members and see that they were extremely passionate about certain issues. This realization came to a forefront, when the chief of staff (my coach) came in the office last week and said, “Now you’re gonna see the government side of things.” Having spent the prior week sitting at a computer drafting back-to-back letters, I was stoked. I attended a women’s caucus meeting, which consisted of several female council members who gathered to discuss various human rights legislation as well as discussing the planning of events in their districts regarding the October Domestic Violence Awareness month. My assigned task was to take notes on the meeting for my council member. Speakers from the Urban Justice Center attended the meeting and proposed a human rights bill, hoping to gather support from the council members, while some had already signed off on it. I was pleased to listen in on the conversation, and see how the CMs interacted with each other. At this point, I really developed a sense of the distinctive personalities and value systems of these members, some of whom were surprisingly radical, strongly defending their neighborhood, and others who were skeptical and analytical, providing several suggestions and ideas. Observing this meeting was definitely the highlight of my internship experience so far. Later in the same day, I also attended a city State of the Union address downtown, which enabled me to see the whole city legislative process, and my CM in action. I hope I will be able to attend more meetings and events in the future--so far this has proved to be the most exciting aspect.