Is this too controversial for a secondary?

[cvspopcorn]

In one of the shelters I volunteered at, we gave out cigarettes to clients to encourage harm reduction and ensure that clients facing addiction didn't put themselves in more dangerous/harmful situations. We also pointed them to resources to get medical help (which we ourselves were unqualified to provide).

I know that some adcoms tend to be pretty politically conservative, and I wasn't sure whether this would be considered too controversial to include in my secondary. Thanks in advance!

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[Goro]

You could spin it and just say that you were helping out at homeless shelters.

 

[cvspopcorn]

You could spin it and just say that you were helping out at homeless shelters.

Thank you! That's how I talked about it in general, but the specific question asked to reflect on a time you learned something from someone/a group that was different to you, and I was thinking of writing about this in terms of realizing that what I previously thought was enabling people was in fact an important step in harm reduction.

Would you say it's better to pick another topic altogether?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

In one of the shelters I volunteered at, we gave out cigarettes to clients to encourage harm reduction and ensure that clients facing addiction didn't put themselves in more dangerous/harmful situations. We also pointed them to resources to get medical help (which we ourselves were unqualified to provide).

I know that some adcoms tend to be pretty politically conservative, and I wasn't sure whether this would be considered too controversial to include in my secondary. Thanks in advance!

I don't know if this falls under politics. If this is a supervised public health program, I think you would be okay.

I would need to think about whether your example answers the prompt. What is the exact essay question?

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

no

 

[cvspopcorn]

I don't know if this falls under politics. If this is a supervised public health program, I think you would be okay.

I would need to think about whether your example answers the prompt. What is the exact essay question?

The exact question is: (School) recognizes that diversity extends beyond chosen and unchosen identities and encompasses the entirety of an individual’s experiences. Diverse environments can promote growth and provide an opportunity to reflect on preconceptions or biases. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself.

And the specific anecdote reflects on a conversation I had (while making these cigarette packets) with a person whose parent battled addiction, which spurred me to realize that treating addiction was more complicated and nuanced than I had previously considered. For example, this activity, which I thought enabled people, was an important step in harm reduction, and the shelter also ensured that we guided clients towards resources to seek medical help (in other words, that we were responsible while distributing cigarettes and didn't encourage that behavior).

 

[Goro]

The exact question is: (School) recognizes that diversity extends beyond chosen and unchosen identities and encompasses the entirety of an individual’s experiences. Diverse environments can promote growth and provide an opportunity to reflect on preconceptions or biases. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself.

And the specific anecdote reflects on a conversation I had (while making these cigarette packets) with a person whose parent battled addiction, which spurred me to realize that treating addiction was more complicated and nuanced than I had previously considered. For example, this activity, which I thought enabled people, was an important step in harm reduction, and the shelter also ensured that we guided clients towards resources to seek medical help (in other words, that we were responsible while distributing cigarettes and didn't encourage that behavior).

I think that it will be OK in this context.