By: Jared Whitley

A member of Congress for 25 years, Rep. Wally Herger (R, CA) spent his youth on a dairy farm. At the annual Beyond BYUseminar for students and professionals in Washington this week, he asked a group of 200 soft-palmed professionals if any had milked a cow. When a few raised their hands, he joked, “Has anyone here ever cleaned a barn after milking a cow? No? Well that’s what I’m here to talk to you about today.”

Answered with laughter, Herger shared anecdotes from his life in politics, noting that the nationwide approval rating for Congress is about 9 percent. He wonders if that 9 percent understood the question.

Beyond BYU is an annual two-day educational, mentoring, and networking event hosted by the BYU Political Affairs Society (BYUPAS). Now in its third year, Beyond BYU aims to help students connect with the school’s vast network of alums in Washington and learn how the city works.

“A joy of mine is to spend time with young people,” Herger told the crowd of 20 and 30-somethings on Thursday evening. “Of course at my age, that means virtually everyone.”

A senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Herger is retiring from Washington. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he plans to serve a mission for the church and spend time with his nine children and 12 grandchildren.

Recognizing that many recently graduated students are in a difficult situation because of the economy, Herger shared stories his parents had told him about they survived the Great Depression. This taught him the value of opportunity in America.

“What it did for me is that I grew up with hope. I grew up believing in America, believing in our Constitution. If you worked hard and were honest, there was nothing you couldn’t do,” he said.

BYU alum Jason Brown, who works at DC tax-services firm KPMG, said, “I felt that the speaker was inspiring. A central theme was ‘Don’t underestimate what you can do. Go for it.’”

Following Herger’s address were breakout sessions with guest representing various DC industries, including defense, international development, campaigns, Capitol Hill, the media, and so forth.  About 40 of the attendants were BYU students interning in DC, plus 46 more students BYU flew out just for this seminar – double the students sent in 2011.

BYUPAS officer Stephanie Sonksen Benton said, “That’s the real story: we’ve doubled our number of students from last year. It’s for anybody, but we really want this to help students get ahead in Washington and help them boost their enthusiasm to come out here. They see the strong LDS network out here and it helps the transition seem less overwhelming.”

Said Cameron Harris, one of those visiting students, “I feel like it’s definitely opened my eyes to how things work in the real world. It’s opened doors too. It’s empowered me, given me more confidence in really going after what I want to do.”

Said Bryce Goodwin, a professional at the American Action Forum think tank, “I know for me leaving the wonderful but somewhat sheltered world of BYU, I didn’t have a good grasp of what the job market is like or of what kinds of career paths I can pursue. In general there’s value to events like this which help you to get an idea about what kinds of options are available.”

To email Miriam, click here.

To email Abbie, click here.

McKenzie’s professional experience includes government service at the legislative and executive levels as well as the nonprofit sector.  Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, McKenzie has worked to developed connections in Washington, D.C. professionally and personally.  As a Career Counselor and member of BYUPAS, McKenzie hopes to help students and recent graduates find a niche in which they can utilize their unique skill-sets and experience.  Her advice to BYU graduates is, “Continue to build your experience always.  Having a well-rounded resume is as important as having a competitive GPA. Remember that employers look for internships, on-campus jobs, research experience, and community service.”

McKenzie and her husband, Ryan Davies, live in Utah County, Utah with their daughter and enjoy traveling whenever throughout the country whenever they can.

To view McKenzie’s LinkedIn profile, click here.

To email McKenzie, click here.

To email Jennifer, click here.

Register HERE.

Regular updates can be found on our Twitter page, @BeyondBYU.

Place: Capitol Visitors Center, Main Auditorium, 1 1st Street NW, Washington, D.C.

Date: Thursday, May 10, 2012

Time: 7:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please email stephanie.sonksen@gmail.com.

It has been almost three years since I was first contacted about the idea of an organization that would play a role in the political sphere similar to the roles the BYU Management Society and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society play in the business and legal spheres, respectively.

Since then, BYUPAS has progressed into more than just an idea. Two years ago, chapters were created in Utah and Washington, D.C.   At the same time, the first BYUPAS National Presidency was established. BYUPAS has now held events from New York City, New York to Laie, Hawaii. The organization counts more than 2,000 members and new individuals are joining frequently.

To continue growing, BYUPAS relies chiefly on the volunteer efforts of individuals across the country. If you are interested in playing a larger role in BYUPAS, you may want to apply for a position on one of BYUPAS’s national committees. To be considered for one of these committees, you can go to http://byupas.org/about/national-committees and contact the vice president over the committee that interests you. If you are interested in helping to start a chapter of BYUPAS in your area, please contact me directly at president@byupas.org.

BYUPAS was brought into existence and built into what it is today by dedicated volunteers. As word of the organization spreads, it is my hope that new volunteers will continue to commit to help build BYUPAS into a bigger and better organization.

Best,
Tristan Leavitt
BYUPAS National President

Unlike most chapters, none of the BYUPAS New York City Chapter members work in politics directly.  A connection to BYU and an interest in politics and public policy bring the group together on a regular basis, typically at special events, followed by dinner and conversation about current news items.

Matt Holland with NYC BYUPAS Members

In September, Matthew S. Holland, son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and president of Utah Valley University, visited New York.  He presented his unique ideas about Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, based on research from his book, Bonds of Affection, which was published by Georgetown University Press in 2007.  He argued that Lincoln’s blend of Puritan and democratic insights helped him pursue an agenda of civic charity, despite the considerable challenges he faced while in office.  After his presentation Holland responded to questions from the audience, including members of New York Metro LDS Professional Association (NYLDSPA) and BYUPAS.

On more than one occasion, the chapter has had the pleasure of hosting Mayor Yeah Samake, who is running for President of Mali.  Not only is Mayor Samake a BYU alumnus and active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was also baptized a member of the Church in the New York, New York Stake.  He and his family are some of the only LDS Church members in Mali, a predominantly Muslim country.  He is running primarily on a campaign to increase government transparency and accountability in hopes of eradicating widespread corruption in one of the poorest countries in the world.

BYUPAS members with Mayor Yeah Samake, who is running for President of Mali

Last month, a few chapter members braved the weather and fickle NYC subway system to attend a discussion with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  His topic was “Making Our Democracy Work,” and he focused on instances when the Court arrived at what are widely considered wrong conclusions, and when the Court’s decisions were not properly enforced.  He emphasized that while the Court is far from perfect, it is an absolutely necessary part of the checks and balances of our federal government.

More events, like those highlighted here, are anticipated in coming months.  The NYC Chapter continues to grow by fostering a forum to discuss issues relevant to our city and nation.

Reps. Sumsion and King speak to BYUPAS members

This year, the BYUPAS Provo Student Chapter, which is located on the campus of BYU Provo, decided to focus on teaching our members about civility in public discourse.  To meet this goal, our chapter hosted two major events during the past few months: one was a panel discussion about congressional redistricting in Utah and another featured Mark DeMoss, a prominent evangelical and founder of The DeMoss Group.

In December 2011, our panel discussion on redistricting in Utah featured state and local government specialist Dr. Adam Brown and two Utah state legislators: Democratic Minority Whip Brad King and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Sumsion.  Both of these Representatives served on the redistricting committee during the 2011 general session of the Utah Legislature.  The panel discussion, which was moderated by Professor Quin Monson, gave students and alumni the opportunity to hear about some of the back-room dealings that occurred during a very controversial redistricting process in Utah.  Students and alumni were also given the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the general laws that apply in redistricting processes across the country.  Fortunately, both Representatives were great examples of civil speaking during the panel discussion, and students and alumni alike were entertained by the open personalities of our panel members.

Jim DeMoss with BYUPAS Members

In January 2012, our chapter was also happy to welcome Jim DeMoss.  DeMoss is president of The DeMoss Group, a public relations firm he founded in 1991 specifically to serve Christian organizations and causes.  DeMoss discussed a campaign he started called the Civility Project, which served “as a way to start or contribute to a dialogue about civility.”  DeMoss also discussed the three platforms surrounding the Civility Project, collectively called the Civility Pledge:  “I will be civil in my public discourse and behavior.  I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them.  I will stand against incivility when I see it.”  DeMoss also answered questions from the audience and discussed his work as an unpaid advisor to the Mitt Romney campaign, when he acted as a liaison between leading evangelicals and Mr. Romney.

We have a very active chapter, which is made possible by our wonderful student chapter leadership and our BYU faculty advisor, Chris Karpowitz.  Our chapter is also fortunate to have the support of the BYUPAS Utah Chapter.  We hope to have taught our future politicians a little more about civility in public discourse through our recent activities and look forward to more activities in the coming months.

Jim DeMoss speaks at a BYUPAS event