By Julia Hess '15
Located just a few miles from the New York State Capital, Siena College students have the opportunity to see state politics up close and personal.
Siena’s Center for the Study of Government and Politics and Political Science Department recently sponsored a thought-provoking panel discussion titled “Ethics Reform in New York State Government.” The panel was comprised of New York Public Interest Research Group Legislative Director Blair Horner, League of Women Voters Legislative Director Barbara Bartoletti, Gannett’s Albany Bureau Chief Joseph Spector and Siena College Assistant Professor of Political Science Jack Collens, Ph.D.
It strived to educate students on new ethical reforms developed by the state legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo to end the “culture of corruption” in the current New York State government.
“Decision making is so much more complex than we sometimes make it out to be, so looking at complex problems, like ethics reform, shows us just how difficult it is to make real change,” said panel moderator Kaitlyn Krolik ’17.
Krolik is no stranger to the political realm. Last year, Krolik interned in the White House’s Office of Presidential Correspondence and she now interns for New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker.
Horner, Bartoletti and Spector agreed that the fine print of the ethical reforms need to be closely looked at. “What they write is what really matters, not the rhetoric,” said Horner.
“What you always need to do is look at the details,” said Bartoletti as she advised students about examining legislation. Her advice was especially important to students with political aspirations who may someday face controversial reforms themselves.
Regardless of their political goals, Krolik stressed the importance of learning about government, which includes both the good and the bad.
“Current events are the future’s history,” Krolik said. “I think it is extremely important for us as students to know what is going on now to understand why events happen later.”
Click here to learn more about studying political science at Siena College.
