Two P-cubed students–Ebony Johnson and Erika Larsen–had policy pieces published in Recovery and Resilience: Millennial Ideas on Disaster Relief and Preparedness After Hurricane Sandy, a recent journal from the Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network.
Ebony Jonson, Class of 2013
Ebony Johnson, who graduated from Hunter in May 2013 with a major in Political Science and a certificate in Social and Economic Policy, wrote a policy piece entitled “Communications System for New York City Housing Authority Residents.” Ebony was inspired to write this after witnessing the destruction of Red Hook Houses and listening to the residents’ concerns. Many NYCHA residents in Zone A and Zone B locations desired more communication from the agency. As a registered user in the CUNY A!ert System, Ebony thought the database could be a great policy recommendation for the city agency.
Johnson joined the Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network during her junior year in hopes of learning more about student activism, organizing and policy writing. From there, Ebony went on to intern in both the New York State Assembly and Senate, where she was first introduced to housing policy. As a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) resident, Ebony began to focus on affordable housing options for low-income families and communities. Currently, Ebony works at a supportive housing facility providing social services to low income tenants. In addition, she volunteers for her New York City Council district and mentors high school students residing in NYCHA developments. She credits her experience growing up in affordable housing for her enthusiastic civic engagement.
Erika Larsen, Class of 2015
Erika Larsen, a member of the class of 2015 majoring in Philosophy and pursuing a certificate in public policy, co-authored “Bridging the Gap: Providing Grants Before Disasters.” A native resident of Staten Island, Erika was overwhelmed by the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. She was moved by the community’s quick efforts to provide assistance and was stunned at how efficiently local organizations were able to provide critical services in the midst of disaster. As a result, she felt that restructuring federal disaster relief slightly could provide community organizations with substantially increased resources to provide these services in the future. The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network provided an outlet of peers similarly passionate about discussing the impact of Sandy and what lessons could be learned from the storm. Erika currently serves as a legislative aide for Council Member Gale Brewer, an experience that has solidified her interest in one day serving the public sector.
Both articles, and the entire publication, can be read below.
Recovery and Resilience by Roosevelt Campus Network
Roosevelt House works with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network as a fellow member of “the Roosevelt Circle:” a family of institutions engaged in work around the legacy of the Roosevelts and their particular contributions to the social and political fabric of this country. Many P-cubed students are engaged with the Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network chapter at Hunter College.
The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, a national student initiative, engages young people in a unique form of progressive activism that empowers them as leaders and promotes their ideas for change. Through communication and coordination with political actors and community members, students identify pressing issues facing their towns, counties and states. Taking advantage of the unique resources on their college campuses, they engage in policy research and writing and then connect the fruits of that research to the political process, delivering sound, progressive proposals to policymakers and advocacy groups.
