Activism is a word that fits Brandeis like a glove. This was also the topic of conversation over one lunch with a co-worker this past summer. I told him the story of how Brandeis students protested last year after Professor Jyl Lyn Felman (WMNS) did not receive tenure (in an immature, ultimately unproductive manner). Then, he told me the story of how a professor at his college did not receive tenure and steps students subsequently took to ensure the professor would remain there. He told me that instead of students screaming into microphones, as in the controversial Jyl Lyn Felman case, they brought the matter to the Chancellor at a formal meeting, and in turn, their actions proved productive. After he told me that story, I assumed he was a liberal. I can't even remember what spurred me to ask him for confirmation of his liberal political views, but when I did, he shocked me by saying he was actually a conservative (The look on my face was priceless . For a moment, my mind went blank, thinking of how I should respond). After that conversation, as my time as a Public Affairs Intern at The MWW Group, New Jersey's largest public relations (PR) firm, progressed, slowly and surely I learned that practically all of the employees in the Public Affairs department were Republicans. The fact that they were Republicans did not bother me, because I think it's good for a PR firm to be bi-partisan. But, since in the Public Affairs department, we lobbied predominantly for political issues, I was forced to do PR for issues that I did not agree with during many instances. Also, this fostered many political debates between me -- the lowly intern -- and all of Public Affairs.

For example, one PR account I worked on was for the "Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids," and I wrote letters to Congressman Frank Lobiondo (R-N.J.), and to Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.), asking them to co-sponsor H.R. 1097, a bill that would prevent kids from having easy access to cigarettes. If Lobiondo and Ferguson would co-sponsor H.R. 1097 and the measure passed, then there would not be advertisements or billboards for cigarettes near vicinities children frequent the most.

This campaign made me think of Brandeis and last semester's controversial Kraft Referendum. In the letters I wrote to Lobiondo and Ferguson, I wanted to ask them to eliminate all Kraft and Philip Morris Products from their supermarkets in their districts, but my boss (a Republican), told me not to include that statement. It also bothered me that the two districts I targeted for this campaign were Republican districts. I would have liked to target some districts headed by Democrats, because then I might have been able to include my contribution about banning Kraft and Philip Morris Products.

I also did PR for the New Jersey Food Council, the company that owns major department stores such as Macy's and smaller stores, such as Banana Republic. Democratic New Jersey Governor James McGreevey's corporate business tax initiative was part of the New Jersey Food Council. As I had to look through newspapers everyday to find articles on the corporate business tax, my co-workers would be chanting in the background, "I'm not a fan of McGreevey." Naturally, the one project I was doing PR for that I agreed with politically was an issue that the rest of Public Affairs did not support. However, the New Jersey Food Council was paying us to do their PR for them, so for once, it was their own tough luck that my co-workers did not agree with McGreevey's politics.

Some Public Affairs employees worked on medical accounts, including the Coalition for Quality Healthcare and the Medical Society of New Jersey (MSNJ). Working on such medical and healthcare issues, the topic of abortion came up on almost a daily basis. Of course, I was the only pro-choice staff member. My co-workers felt women should be punished for having an abortion, but, I did not simply remain silent and let them ramble on about how horrible abortions are. I stood my ground and argued back, saying it's better for a woman to have an abortion than to have a baby and put it in a bag, like the well-publicized event of a teenager at her prom a few years ago.

Not only did political debates spur when we were working on certain accounts, but they also arose in simple conversation. One day, two of my co-workers, both males, were playing catch with a small football. A female co-worker wanted to play and so one of the guys asked her, "Do you know how to catch?" Then, of course, I interjected and said that women can catch just fine. This instance of females supposedly not being capable of things was not the only time where I stood up for my liberal, feminist beliefs. Another time, the same man said that women should not be allowed to quail fish and I, of course retorted, "Why not? They are allowed to (quail fish)." So he questioned, "Have you tried it?" I replied, "No, but that doesn't mean that other females haven't successfully tried it."

I guess being used to life at Brandeis, a predominantly liberal campus, made it rather difficult to be in a new environment - a more conservative, Republican-dominated one. Despite the change of atmosphere, the internship was a rewarding experience and I did learn a lot about the PR industry. In the end, I am glad I made my small, but hopefully permanent, mark as the token liberal of the Public Affairs department at The MWW Group. Sometimes, being different from others can make a real difference in the long run.