with Jacob Hudnut
Born and raised:
Marlton
Favorite color:
Orange. "My room is decorated in orange. The color is calming
for me. When I'm stressed, I buy something orange."
Person you'd trade places with for
a day:
Hillary Clinton. "She's amazing. She defied stereotypes of women...she's
broken the mold 100 times over."
Role model:
Bill Clinton
Favorite political movie:
"Primary Colors"
Favorite pastime:
Going to clubs in the city
Hobby: Collecting antique campaign memorabilia
 |
On the morning of this interview with Jacob Hudnut, president of the
Student Government Association (SGA), he was called into an unexpected
meeting about the meal plan for next year. Like any politician, when duty
calls he must answer. And while his political career on campus may be
on a small scale, it's the perfect training for a future career in public
service.
Jacob was just 17 when he began taking politics seriously. "In high
school I wanted to go into writing but slowly got into American History,"
he recalled. "I volunteered for the Al Gore campaign. My parents
were supportive and they let me travel into Philadelphia. That was exciting.
I remember not being in the best area of Philadelphia and thinking we
were going to get heckled, but the Gore/Lieberman pamphlets were going
fast. People were so passionate."
Although Jacob admits he wasn't active in high school, he came to Montclair
State with an open mind and a mission to participate in campus life. "When
you come here, it's above all a new start where you can choose who you
want to be," he said. "I knew at orientation that college would
present an opportunity for me to do something. It's not so much that I
wanted to be SGA president, but that I wanted to be SGA president-like--somebody
completely different than who I was in high school.
Part of the reason Jacob wanted to become involved was because he comes
from an alumni family. "My parents met at Life Hall. One of my brothers
went here for four years and my other brother went here for two semesters.
I would visit campus often and I grew up wearing Montclair State sweatshirts,
in a house with Montclair State yearbooks on the bookshelves and 'Carpe
Diem' wine glasses on the table," he said with a laugh.
Jacob joined the SGA as a freshman and by the end of his sophomore year
was elected president with grand expectations. "I thought I'd be
able to win every fight I put myself into, and the hardest part is when
I've tried my best for the students and it doesn't happen," he said.
"That's when I feel like I've done something wrong. There are a lot
of lost battles.
"Being SGA president can be lonely, too," he added. "I
didn't think it would be because my campaign was based on the student
body, so I always thought I'd have tremendous support. When you're in
real public office, you always have a party to back you up. But here,
you don't have that guaranteed base."
Like most public figures, Jacob has had to develop a thick skin when issues
become personal and often turns to thoughts of his role model, Bill Clinton,
when times get tough. "When I ran for president, things came up about
the fact that I'm gay," he said. "When my character is attacked
when it shouldn't be because it has nothing to do with my job, I just
look at Bill Clinton. The man smiles, no matter what."
Being SGA president has been a learning experience in many ways. Balancing
classes with the full-time hours of SGA responsibilities has actually
improved Jacob's grades. "It keeps me focused and disciplined."
One important lesson he'll take with him is how to work with people and
team-build with those who don't necessarily share his views and ideas.
Jacob plans to attend graduate school and eventually earn a doctorate.
A political science major, he'd like to teach the subject at college and
progress to the administrative level, maybe even as a university president.
But he's really thinking about two careers down the line. "I also
want to go into politics someday, either as a politician, to work for
a politician or even to work for a nonprofit organization."
For now, as he runs for a second term, whether or not he wins, Jacob will
continue to approach his duties with the same enthusiasm and dedication
with which he started. "I have a passion for constituency outreach.
My job as host of the SGA is really to serve the student body."
Is there a colleague you'd like to nominate for "On the Job?" If so, e-mail his/her name along with a brief description of how he/she contributes to the campus community, to Jennifer Fusco at fuscoj@mail.montclair.edu.