Earlier this quarter, Blue Demons from journalism and public service courses ventured to the Illinois State Capitol and practiced lobbying for a variety of nonprofit organizations.
Judith McCray, an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist and Senior Professional in Residence in the College of Communication, led her spring-quarter social justice reporting class to Springfield where students learned how to assist with lobbying during the congressional session.
The class partnered with the End Permanent Punishment Coalition to speak with representatives about their most recent bill, Home for Good. This bill aims to help formerly incarcerated individuals with access to housing to decrease reoffending rates and maintain their rehabilitation status. Students gained valuable experience, including visiting the house while senators were in session and left notes to their local representatives for the bill.
“In class, students learned what passing a bill is like at the national level, but were curious what it looks like in Illinois,” McCray says. “In going to Springfield during a legislative session, they were able to see the mobs of people from different organizations and rallies advocating for their organizations or bills. It was great to watch my students take that all in. This is democracy at its base. People actually have input at the very ground level.”
Breanna Palmer, a graduate assistant for McCray, traveled with the class to Springfield.
“A key moment for me was being able to see the students interact and gain experience in the capitol during committee sessions. As a former journalism student interested in political coverage, having experiences like this is very eye-opening; it gives an insight into the current issues and how as a reporter to get boots on the ground coverage and background when speaking to these representatives and their constituents,” Palmer says.
Advocating at the Executive Branch
Meanwhile, across the Illinois State Capitol, another class walked through the historic halls.
For the second year, James Rudyk, a professional lecturer in the School of Public Service, and 10 students — both undergraduate and graduate — underwent a series of meetings with the Executive Branch —including the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.
The students also spoke with the State of Illinois Executive Ethics Commission as well as their own local legislators. These conversations centered around the nonprofit sector and its importance at the state representative district level. Students also discussed how the changes to SNAP were affecting the legislators’ constituents.
“The trip provided an opportunity for DePaul School of Public Service students to connect with one another and build a supportive network of peers to strengthen their academic experiences,” Rudyk says. “The opportunity to meet directly with elected officials and public sector professionals served as a powerful culminating experience, allowing students to apply concepts learned in the classroom to real-world policy and public service settings.”
Uniquely, every meeting Rudyk’s students attended included a DePaul alumnus. Going forward, Rudyk would like to not only continue visits to Springfield but also integrate more DePaul alumni into the experience.
For alumni and those interested in learning more about these programs or partnering, please contact Judith McCray at jmccray1@depaul.edu and James Rudyk at jrudyk@depaul.edu.