How much should I try to avoid controversial topics during rush?
 

I'm headed to a quite conservative school this fall, and I'm planning on rushing.
I've been very heavily involved with Planned Parenthood throughout high school. I interned there this past summer, at it was sort of just what I spent a lot of my summer doing.
It's not something that defines me. It's a cause I really believe in, but a big part of why I ended up spending so much time there is that I really clicked with some of the employees. I'm in no way a radical, and I think that people could easily get the wrong impression.
But if someone asks what I did this summer.... that's sort of what I did.
And if they ask if I volunteer anywhere or anything... that's basically it.
Someone suggested that I say I volunteered at a clinic, but I was involved more with the political and financial departments then the actual patient center.
I really don't want anyone to think I'm trying to be dishonest, I just don't want to bring something up that I know could offend or alienate people.
:confused:

what if you say" i did a lot of volunteering over the summer". if they then ask you what you did, you could tell them what your duties were-"i helped out with their fundraising" or "i mailed out literature", w/o mentioning that you were with planned parenthood. if you are pressed further, you could say you worked for a community health clinic.

It's not dishonest to avoid a controversial topic during a job interview, so IMHO it's not dishonest during recruitment either. I wouldn't have been offended if I'd found out that a PNM intentionally didn't mention the name of the place where she volunteered because she worried it would affect her rush - I'd be impressed by her political savvy!

Co-sign to both of the above. I seriously doubt that an active is going to relentlessly continue to interogate you until you "confess" you worked at Planned Parenthood - they too are going to try and avoid controversy. Say you volunteered at a clinic over the summer, if pushed describe specfically what you did, and if an active asks the name of the clinic just say Planned Parenthood and move on. I wouldn't stress out about it. You might also plan to discuss other things you did this summer - "I went to the beach with my family, volunteered at a clinic and spent time with my friends". Slipping it in with other activities gives the active some other options to use to continue the conversation. Good luck.

co-sign everything stated. May I also suggest that you "practice" the conversation maybe with some friends. Maybe have them mock rush you. that way when the topic comes up during actual recruitment, you won't get a deer in the headlights look on your face before you stumble through an answer. If it sounds natural, then the convo will naturally move on to other things

Thanks, guys. :)
You were all really helpful. I'm starting to get nervous and second guess myself, haha.

that's pretty normal. best wishes for a successful recruitement for you.

The OP's username is a muscle relaxer pill I used to take.

Good luck with recruitment.

Me too! That was the first thing I thought about when I saw this thread.

Soma Intimates is a lingere store...that's what I think of. They have the best stay in place seamless undies (if anyone is looking)? :p

Muscle relaxers and lingerie? Sounds like quite the night.

Haha, really?
It's what my parents called me when I was little, but it's also the name of the drug in the book Brave New World that their entire society is addicted to.
I think it's quite interesting that a pharmaceuticals company would name a drug the same thing, haha, but I'm probably just overestimating how many people read that book.

That's the first thing I thought when I saw your username.

I love that book!! It was probably my favorite book that I read in HS.

I went to a conservative school and was generally considered far-left by everyone I went to school with. A few weeks ago a PNM posted a thread asking if it would be OK to discuss Democratic fundraising/interning with Democratic politicians during recruitment. I actually said that in that instance I think that would be OK at a conservative school. For a variety of reasons. But in the case of Planned Parenthood, I do strongly feel that's something you want to suppress during recruitment at a conservative school.

Another thing I posted was that even at schools that are very conservative or have conservative Greek systems, every sorority is going to have a few devoted and active liberals/democrats/left-wingers. I have seen that both at my undergrad and grad institutions.

You might want to look up that other thread and see if there's any interesting or different advice there.