Emily Balan/News Copy Editor
Roommates Antonio Lombardo and Angelo Piro are both very involved in politics on and off campus, but they are associated with opposing political parties.
While politics tends to be one of the most debated and arguable topics and has the potential to cause enormous tension, according to Lombardo and Piro, that isn’t the case for them. Lombardo is the secretary for the College Republicans, a student organization on campus. Piro is a Democrat who helped revive Seton Hall’s College Democrats and interned last year with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Belonging to their party organizations on campus means that they are both passionate about their political beliefs. However, the roommates said that their opposing views do not cause as many disputes as one would think.
Lombardo stated that living with someone with a different opinion actually “makes it fun.” Lombardo and Piro, both in their third year at Seton Hall, know each other from taking classes with the Honors Program in their freshman year. They chose to room together in subsequent years.
When asked if they often bicker about certain political issues, Lombardo said “I don’t know if I like the word ‘bickering.’”
“We bicker a lot,” Piro simultaneously replied, laughing. “We both make snide comments just to get under the other one’s skin, but it rarely gets into full out debates.”
It is possible that living with someone whose political opinion is the polar opposite of your own could change your thinking, but both roommates stand firm in their beliefs.
“I wouldn’t say (living with a Republican) made me change my beliefs,” Piro said. “Just to argue against Antonio sometimes can make me examine exactly why I’m right.”
Lombardo said that living with a Democrat has reinforced his Republican views.
He said, “You’re able to get down to the nitty-gritty and find out exactly why other people disagree with you so you can make your arguments stronger.”
Tuesday, Nov. 4 were the 2014 Midterm Elections when Americans were able to vote candidates in for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 out of the 100 seats in the Senate. Lombardo and the College Republicans have assisted in the campaign of Congressman Scott Garrett for re-election in the House of Representatives. Piro and the College Democrats have worked on the campaign for Corey Booker’s re-election for a seat in the Senate. Lombardo correctly predicted the turnout of the election, that Republicans would hold the House and push for the Senate.
The results of the 2014 Midterm Elections saw Republicans securing 243 seats in the House of Representatives, while Democrats held 175 seats. The Republican Party also managed to seize control of the Senate with 52 seats and while Democrats hold 43.
“Well, it’ll be fun for me because I’ll get to gloat for like a week,” Lombardo said. “The only kind of return he’ll get is that New Jersey wasn’t able to help with the Republican win. I’m still living in a state represented by two Democratic senators, so we’re going to be able to get our zingers back and forth.” “We’ll continue to make fun of each other. I’ve already made some comments to (Lombardo) about Jeff Bell, who ran against Corey Booker, and how he didn’t have a shot,” Piro said in regard to the winning Democratic New Jersey candidate.
Elections are a time when political opinions come to rise, but both roommates agree that it doesn’t really cause any friction between them.
“There’s not really any awkwardness,” Piro said about elections. “I remember the last presidential election, I kept making comments because I won.”
Lombardo replied, “Yeah, but then I got to be happy because Chris Christie blew Barbara Buono out of the water for governor.”
Living with someone with different beliefs than you, according to Piro, is not difficult at all. The two agreed that there is little friction caused by the divergence in political ideology.
“It’s a little weird falling asleep with a poster of Ronald Reagan staring at me, though,” Piro said.
“I do have a poster of Ronald Reagan,” Lombardo replied. “But (the divergence) keeps it fun. We get to debate and discuss the issues of the day and we both keep up on the news so we’re able to keep current on stuff and hear the other side.”
Ashley Turner can be reached at ashley.turner@student.shu.edu.
