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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

A couple weeks ago, I lobbied for reproductive and sexual educational rights in Albany, NY, and my entire life changed forever. Allow me to explain:

Before going on this trip, I thought all politicians were corrupt and that not a single governmental person cared about the people and what we care about. I thought that all politicians just sat in their chairs, made a ton of money and just did whatever they wanted to without a second thought for the people they’re supposed to be representing.

Boy, was I wrong. 

When I lobbied with Planned Parenthood, my group met with three representatives from NY and all of them listened to us. Instead of saying no to a bunch of women who are just trying to make a difference in other women’s lives, they actually took the time to sit down, talk with all of us for at least half an hour and reassure us that our voice mattered. They reassured us that when the issues came to the floor, they would fight on our behalf. I could tell from the way they were saying their words that they were sincere too, which really made me feel good. 

Even though all the representatives retorted about one of our issues, it was still a great learning experience. Those representatives showed us that even though they agree with us, the other side won’t, and we need to take that into account when lobbying for these issues. It also showed us how a civil fight in life should go. Yes, it will get heated, but it should be a civil conversation with two sides conversing about something. One side shouldn’t completely flip out and have a fit.  

Even though talking to the representatives made me see that the government officials aren’t so bad, the main event that stuck out to me was being able to be in the NY State Capitol building.

Instead of being turned away at the gate, we were allowed into the building and we were actually allowed to go into some pretty high-tech places such as the chamber where they meet daily to discuss the laws of the state. I actually stepped foot into the chamber and the feeling was so cool. We also were allowed to walk all throughout the Capitol building, running around like crazy people, and seeing the building where our electors go. We got to take the elevators that they take and we actually got to ride in one that 3 assemblymen got into at the same time we did! That was really cool. 

In conclusion, the government isn’t so bad. They actually do care about the people and their opinions and thoughts, and you are even allowed into the big and famous buildings when going through the right channels. I can tell you with the utmost certainty, that the government is actually pretty cool, and you shouldn’t be so harsh on it. 

Brooke Johnpier is a contributor to the SBU chapter of Her Campus. She writes about the more "manly" topics of the site, including automotive, motorsports, mechanical, technical, DIY, and anything hands-on. Brooke is also using this platform as her personal blog, of which she will talk about more personal things that she feels the world should hear about. Besides Her Campus, Brooke is a part-time motorsports journalist for Speedway Illustrated, a columnist for Race Pro Weekly and Dirt Track Digesr, and a staff writer as well as a social media promoter for The Podium Finish, where she is interning. Brooke is also a writer for TAPinto Greater Olean, WSBU The Buzz, and PolitiFact NY. Brooke is also involved with St. Bonaventure's literary magazine, The Laurel. Brooke is currently a sophomore at St. Bonaventure University where she is majoring in Sports Media with minors in Native American and Indigenous Studies & English. You can also find Brooke working as an assistant in the Koop Lab and upstairs in the office, making her money. In her free time, Brooke loves reading, going to the local racetrack, riding four-wheelers, working on cars, and riding in tractor trailers. Brooke is a music lover, and will talk about most any genre, especially her favorites which are rock and rap. Brooke is also a percussionist, a published author, and a women's rights activist. Brooke is also a member of several lineage organizations, and currently holds a national position in one of them. As well as writing for campus media, Brooke is involved with Faith in Fiction, Jandoli Women in Communication, the History Club, College Democrats, and the Indigenous Student Confederacy. A fun fact about Brooke is that she was the only female to ever be in the top 5% of the Automotive Technology class at the trade school she attended in her junior and senior years of high school.