A group of Boston University students said they gained insight into special interests after two lobbyists spoke of their experiences in the profession and its misconceptions Tuesday night.
“[I wanted to see] what real lobbyists do on a daily basis,” said School of Management junior Bryan Wright. “I just want to gain a different perspective.”
About 20 students attended the lobby workshop held at the College of Arts and Sciences building by independent lobbyists Joan Milas and David Balasco.
The panel, organized by Democracy Matters and City Affairs for Student Union, marked the lobbyists’ attempt to dispel negative impressions about their careers and educate students to advocate for their ideas at the State House.
“A lobbyist is an educator,” Milas said. “You’re educating the legislator on your end, and they’re educating you from their prospective.”
Legislators depend on lobbyists as experts in a certain field, Milas said. Three thousand pieces of state legislation are introduced each year.
“Companies need an expert to navigate that process the same way you have a student advisor to navigate you through BU,” Milas said.
Milas said, as a lobbyist, she has seen a transformation from a previous nontransparent system to a more transparent legislative system today.
Prutha Patel, SMG junior and director of City Affairs, said the Lobby Workshop was meant to expose students to the lobbying process to prepare them to lobby on their own.
“A lot of students from across many student organizations really would like to go and lobby for certain issues that they are passionate about at the State House,” Patel said.
Balasco said most of a lobbyist’s job involves building upon relationships with the legislators and governors in order to push a bill through or to kill it, depending on the agenda of the bill’s sponsor.
“Ninety percent of what I do is about building relationships, 10 percent is knowing what [I’m] talking about,” Balasco said.
D.J. Walker, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said knowing what lobbyists do and learning about the legislative system is crucial for being an active citizen in America.
“I feel obligated, and I want other people to feel that obligation as well,” Walker said. “In this country, I think nobody does feel that obligation to the country or to each other, and that’s problematic.”
College of General Studies freshman Allegra Thaler said it is a student’s job to learn and apply knowledge in order to make a difference.
“This is just one way,” Thaler said. “You get people voting, you get people involved in various different aspects of government, you get people educated.”
Lobbying is one of many ways to make an impact, Thaler said.
“There’s so much going around us right now, why not take advantage of our role right now, which is to learn?” she said.
Balasco said students could take practical steps to advocate for issues about which they feel passionate.
“By educating yourself on the body and the members, you’ll save yourself a tremendous amount of work,” he said. “Look at the chairmen of committees, look at the members of the leadership . . . learn the rules, learn the players. It will save a ton of time.”
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