The television flickered as the members of our office crowded around and watched as our employer, Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the New York State Assembly, appeared on the screen. He spoke of the proposed West Side Stadium, which the Mayor had advocated as a potential arena for the city.
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The fate of the arena lay in Speaker Silver's hands, as the tiebreaking vote was up to him. I agreed when I heard him declare that the World Trade Center and Lower Manhattan had been devastated by 9/11, and that it was our duty as New Yorkers to make sure that the area was rebuilt before spending significant time and money on any other major construction projects for the city.The phones rang incessantly afterward, and together with the rest of the office staff, I scrambled to catch the blinking red lights on the switchboard. Most of the messages were positive and happy. "Thank you," came the overwhelming responses. "It's great that he's gone and killed the stadium," a few people told me jubilantly. Many had dreaded this proposed arena for security, fiscal and transportation reasons. The callers were thankful that my boss had been an advocate for the concerns of lower Manhattan and took a courageous stand in front of all the leaders of the city. It was a great feeling to be connected to these many different people, all of whom wanted their voices to be heard and to express their concerns as citizens of New York.

Working in Speaker Silver's office taught me so much. Employed by the New York State Legislature, I learned about civics, Lower Manhattan and literally, as clichd as it may seem, the world around me.

Beforehand, I had unconsciously viewed those involved in the governmental sector as composing legislation that seemed far off and unrelated to daily life. I realized these assumptions were erroneous as I fielded calls and concerns ranging from housing accommodations for the impoverished to complaints from Chinatown storeowners who were losing businesses. It was a great experience to see our office connect people with those we could help, and inform constituents of their rights as citizens.

Most importantly, I learned about the connection between humanity and resilience. As the elected representative for the district comprised of Lower Manhattan and the WTC area, Speaker Silver's office was directly involved in regenerating a neighborhood once distraught by tragedy. In the beginning of my internship, I had compiled an extensive guide of different venues, ranging from eateries to boutiques to museums, all of which were located in our district. The State Assembly has created programs and economic incentives that help downtown business owners to operate their shops in the area. There is more: Office staffers meet with those affected by the disaster to help them adjust to ongoing challenges and to provide them with compensation for damages due to 9/11.

The efforts seem to be working. In an area once considered crippled by tragedy, life is blooming once again. While walking not far from the site of the World Trade Center, I saw streams of people bustling about the streets. New businesses are being founded, and the atmosphere is now dynamic and lively. It is almost impossible to think of the atrocity which occurred so close by only a short time ago, in the still visible raw wound where the twin towers once stood.

My summer experience taught me how much governmental policy can affect an entire area. Good government is ultimately about fighting to give constituents the quality of life that they deserve. As a private citizen and a member of the office, I was given the opportunity to reach out to others by hearing their stories and attempting to assist them, and learned to appreciate the beauty of working (and living) in downtown Manhattan. Miles away from Brandeis, I now personally understand the sagacity of our namesake who once stated, "The most important office [is] that of private citizen.