Part I. Please write at least one paragraph in which you answer the following questions about your service-learning experience in SCOM 350 this semester.
a. On a scale of 1-7 (1=low, 7= high), how would you rate this service-learning experiences overall? Why this rating?
b. Would you consider taking another SCOM class if you knew that a similar service-learning project was required for completion of the course? Why or why not?
c. Do you have any specific stories or incidents that would like to share that have affected your responses to the two previous questions? If so, what are they?
d. Would you recommend your “client” to other SCOM students for service-learning projects in the future? Why or why not?
e. What have you learned about yourself while doing this assignment (e.g., your best working environment, what motivates you to work, etc.)?
Part II. Please write at least one paragraph in which you answer the following questions about yourself in SCOM 350 this semester.
a. What one strength or skill did you personally bring to your service-learning team?
b. What communication strategies (if any) did your group use to get the “very best” out of you? What strategies did you use to get the “very best” out of them?
c. What was your biggest “pet peeve” when it came to working with your service-learning team?
d. What did you like and dislike about the way your team’s meetings were run?
Your response to this blog post is due on Friday, April 30, 2010 by 5 pm Eastern time.
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1. I would rate my experience on this service learning project as a six. The only reason I didn’t rate the assignment a seven is because I would have liked to see more people come to our Dance of the Decades.
ReplyDelete2. I would consider taking another SCOM class if a service learning project was involved. I felt the opportunity gave me valuable application of skills that I will be able to use when in the working environment.
3. We initially organized into subcommittees to make things run efficiently; allowing all of us to focus on one key aspect of the assignment. I learned from the project the power of synergy. We were all able to work on separate things, but at the same time create an outcome where the whole would be greater than the sum of all its parts.
4. I would definitely recommend the E.D.G.E organization to future SCOM students. Amanda and Julia were a pleasure to work with. Both were extremely organized, professional, and fun to be around.
5. Through this assignment I learned that I work best when some kind of direction is given to me in the beginning stages. Initially, I was a little worried because I pictured a great deal of uncertainty involved in completing the assignment. However, Amanda and Julia both stated their goals and what they expected from us in the project. They then allowed us to accomplish those goals in whatever way we wished. I enjoyed how they spelled out what they wanted from us and gave us freedom to do it.
My upbeat attitude affected the group in a positive way. I had a smile on my face throughout the duration of the project, even in light of difficulties. For example, when only four high school students showed up to our event, instead of complaining about the lack of attendance, I chose to dance, and have a good time. I focused on the students that did attend and made sure they had an enjoyable experience.
Our team was able to get the most out of each other by listening. We sought first to understand and then to be understood. Whenever we had a decision to be made, we all listened to the opinions of one another, and then tried to collaborate on how the solution could be handled. When choosing how we would split up the budget, all group members’ opinions were listened to in order to come up with the best outcome.
My biggest pet-peeve while working on my service learning team was the constant e-mails invading my inbox. However, this way of communication has become standard in all my classes. E-mail is very easy when it comes to coordinating different, busy schedules.
I loved how the meetings were very well organized. Meetings had an agenda and our entire group was always able to stay on task. We handled everything in a timely matter, stayed on track, and were able to accomplish everything we set out to do, I don’t recall any negatives from the way we handled our meetings.
On a scale of 1-7, I would rate my experience with the service-learning project as 7. Although only 4 students showed up to our event the experience as a whole was very beneficial and enjoyable. I would without a doubt take another SCOM class if a similar service-learning project was required. First of all, I thoroughly enjoy planning and organizing; I would like to have a career with event planning. On top of that it is a great learning experience that acts as a good resume builder and it is an excellent way to get involved in the community. Overall the experience was just greatly valuable. I enjoyed working with a large group of people to accomplish one goal. Amanda and Julia made a point to make the experience fun for all of us and my group members’ enthusiasm for the project was inspirational. I would definitely recommend our “client” to other SCOM students for service-learning projects in the future. The organization E.D.G.E. as a whole has a great mission and Amanda and Julia were easy and enjoyable to work with (the event was fun too!). Through this assignment I was able to gain a wealth of knowledge about myself. As I stated before I enjoy organization and would like to have a career in event planning so this assignment reconfirmed that for me. Also I realized that I love working with people, especially with the efforts to produce some type of greater good in the world, which acts as a motivating factor. Overall, I am thankful for this experience and I would definitely recommend continuing this project next year!
ReplyDeleteI believe that my group, as a whole, worked effectively and efficiently with one another. I like to think that personally I brought a positive attitude to my service-learning team; an attitude that hopefully motivated my group and fostered a fun yet productive tone. I would also like to say that I am proud of the entire groups positive attitude when only 4 students showed up to our event. While it was discouraging all of us made the best out of the situation and ended up having a great time despite the turn out. Again, I think that the positive attitudes of all the group members really helped with our communication strategies. Everyone was willing to listening to each other this allowed us to work well together. My biggest pet peeve, as Jim said, was the constant flow of e-mails into my inbox. While I realize this was the most efficient and effective way to get in touch with each other, it was difficult at times to keep up with all the e-mails. I can honestly say that I did not have any complaints about how the meetings were run. Amanda and Julia were very organized; they came prepared to meetings with a set agenda and every thing was conducted in a timely manner. They also allowed room for all of our input; they really allowed us to make the event our own. As I stated previously, I am really thankful for this experience and will definitely take what I have learned and apply it to my future experiences.
a. I would rate this service learning experience a 7 because my group was fun to work with and the EDGE organization was organized and passionate about what they were doing. The project was interesting and directly relegated to my concentration of health communication. I enjoyed working with the target population. I also felt comfortable to go to Amanda or Julia with any questions or concerns I had related to the event which was helpful when initiating new ideas or concepts.
ReplyDeleteb. Yes I would consider taking another scom class knowing that a service learning project was required for the course if I knew what the project was. I was interested in this group because it related to my health communications concentration. A feeling of accomplishment was nice to have and was a greater sensation than a high mark on an exam. I enjoyed feeling as though I was helping others with their mission. Also, I liked working with RMH because that is where I hope to get my internship so it was nice to get an inside look.
c. I enjoyed meeting with Amanda and Julia and planning the event. I was eager to see the end product. And although we did not have a high attendance, I enjoyed seeing those who did attend have a good time. This also allowed for us to evaluate why the low attendance rate occurred. I learned an important lesson about considering the timing of events as well as getting to know your target population better.
d. I would absolutely recommend my client to other scom students. EDGE was very efficient in their processes while being open to ideas from the students. They referred to the dance as our “baby” and encouraged us to act on and utilize our creative ideas. It was a lot of fun to see our personal concepts applied in an organization.
e. I have learned that I enjoy being organized and informed. I am motivated to do accurate and exceptional work by knowing that my work will be acknowledged and will help out the community to achieve a mission. Also, I like to know what others are working on in regards to the event so I can have a better understanding of the progress of the group as a whole. The bigger picture was very important to me.
Part two:
a. I think I brought constant and collaborative communication. I e-mailed the group to maintain meeting times and progress. I double checked with subcommittees to make sure that everyone was on the same page and understood the ultimate goal. I also did research on decorations available and calculated how much of the budget the decorations we wanted would be.
b. My group used e-mail for general questions and to arrange meeting times or to pass along important documents. We used the telephone for questions that needed an immediate answer. Both worked effectively for them reaching me and for me reaching them. Also we texted or chatted online for quick questions that we wanted verification on.
c. Finding times that everyone was free was sometimes very difficult. Also, in a group of ten (including Amanda and Julia) it was sometimes time consuming to get a response from every individual. At times this seemed to slow progress. However to combat this we did a majority of planning in subcommittees and then informed the group in entirety at group meetings.
d. I liked how our meetings were collaborative. All group members utilized their past experiences and novel ideas to create the dance of the decades. I also enjoyed getting to know my group members better through these meetings. As mentioned previously it was very tricky to get all members at the meeting at one time. We combated this by having accurate and detailed agendas of what was discussed at the meeting so those group members who were not present would understand what was discussed and agreed upon.
Part I
ReplyDeleteOn a scale of 1-7 would rate this service-learning experience a 3. Working with our virtual organization was very unsatisfying; they made communication and accomplishing anything difficult. Because our leader, Barbara only wanted to communicate through e-mail it was difficult to get a true understanding of the organization and her responses were beyond delayed. Working with my group members was the only enjoyable portion of this experience, we all got a long well and worked well together, each completing or individual tasks. I believe we could have really contributed to the fundraising (we developed good ideas and “mock” material), if our organization had been more reliable and prompt in response. However, I would consider taking another SCOM course that involved a similar service learning project. I really enjoy the hands on learning experience, and not only are we learning we’re getting a sense of the real world and potentially something great to add to resumes, along with the charitable feeling of helping the community. Event planning interests and excites me and is what I would like to do as my career. There is a specific story that affected my overall rating of my service learning experience; towards the beginning of our project it took Barbara a month to respond to our e-mail which included our ideas of fundraising. Since it took so long to hear her response towards our ideas we were forced to eliminate some of them like a possible 5K run/walk to raise money because too much time was lost. This was just the beginning, communication never improved hence why my overall rating of my service learning experience was poor. I would not recommend the “A Dream Come True” playground organization to other SCOM students. I believe that the organization is more difficult to work with because it is a virtual organization. The organization is also not well put together. Constant and prompt communication is vital in a virtual organization and this was not evident in “A Dream Come True” organization. Lack of communication and response made it very difficult for my group members and me to make any real progress. Much of our finished product is going to be composed of “mock” material, what we would have done if we ever received feedback or more prompt feedback. I’ve learned through this experience that a virtual organization is probably not for me. I’ve found out that when given specific goals and direction it is easier for me to complete my tasks, along with specific due dates. I think I would be more motivated if I knew we were having a true impact on our organization, however, I believe to them we are seen just as students completing a project. Although I may have not has the best experience I’ve learned that more than ever I am still interested in event planning.
Part II
ReplyDeleteAs a whole my group worked efficiently together, but, I believe one strength I brought to my service-learning team was reliability. I was a reliable member because I was present for all group meetings and was on top of my assigned tasks. I kept in constant communication with my group through e-mail and group meetings as well as completing my task of creating a table tent event and a facebook event page for our pottery night. My group primarily communicated through e-mail and face-to-face meetings along with the occasional text. I believe communicating in a face-to-face group meeting setting was the best way to get the “very best” out of me. This is also the strategy I used to get the very best out of my team members. This is the most direct and immediate way to ask questions and receive answers. It’s also easier to brainstorm and collaborate on ideas, this way thoughts and ideas won’t be lost in translation. I really didn’t have any big “pet peeves” while working with my service-learning team, but if I had to pick one I guess it would be getting the whole group together to meet. Having six group members makes it difficult to meet, we all have different busy schedules and often times it was difficult to come to a consensus on meeting time. However we overcame this, sometimes only five of us could meet and we would just thoroughly explain to the missing team member what went on. The only thing that I did not like about our team meetings is that once or twice they were not very productive and honestly we could have functioned without the meeting. Besides this rare occurrence I liked how my team got down to business when tasks needed to be accomplished. We worked well together, helping each other brainstorm and give good advice. Our meetings were also very structured when it came to who was supposed to do what, which made it easy to know what I was doing individually as well as what page everyone else was on.
Part I. I would rate the service learning experience a 4. This is because of the organization’s lack of communication and use of our time. The organization known as A Dream Come True made it clear early on that communication would primarily occur via email. Following this notion, if was extremely difficult to get in contact with members of the organization in a timely manner. Although, I do recognize that this will be the case with many other organizations. Therefore, this was an effective learning tool and in that the service learning was educational. The likelihood that any one of my group members and I would deal with an organization similar to this one is very likely. I would not consider taking another SCOM course if the requirement for it was a similar service-learning project. This is because I don’t feel it would serve any benefit or have any educational value to me. I have taken online courses and recognize the positives and negatives of such an organization. However, I would prefer to spend my time and energy on a project with human interaction and more helpful members. I am not sure that the Dream Come True organization even knows how to successfully deal with outside groups or outside volunteers as seemed evident with their interaction with my group. I do not have any stories worth mentioning about this project or the organization. The only stories I could share would just be about the difficulties of communicating with the organization. I would have to say that I would not recommend my “client” to any other student with future service learning projects. My “client”, Barbara, did not seem prepared to take volunteers into consideration. I am not sure she knew how to incorporate our ideas with the ideas of the organization. I’ve learned that I work well under pressure. This project caused me a lot of anxiety. Without being given much feedback from the organization or any guidance, my group and I were essentially left to ourselves. I believe I proved to be successful in utilizing what was available to us without necessarily having to go through Barbara.
ReplyDeletePart II. A strength that I brought to the organization was that I plan ahead. As a member and student I ever leave things to the last minute. I’ve found that procrastination is never an issue for me. Therefore, the planning for this project went much smoother. The communication strategies we utilized were learning to let everyone give their two cents. Everyone was for the most part, involved with every decision making process. Therefore, we ultimately came to more sound and agreeable decisions for the project. This worked out best for the project itself and made the members of the organization happy. The biggest pet peeve was trying to schedule meetings. This was really difficult because everyone’s schedules are very different. Many times some people wouldn’t be able to make the meetings. Regardless, planning meetings is a stressful task with any group project. I liked the way the meetings were run because we got right to the point. Normally someone would be writing notes during the meeting. Following the meeting those notes would be sent out to the rest of the group. I disliked the planning stages of the meetings. As said before, it was very hard to plan meetings around everyone’s schedules. So there were often times that meetings had to be cancelled or some members would be absent.
Part I.
ReplyDeletea. I would rate my experience with working with the Gus Bus as a four. I felt as if the experience was average and right in the middle. There were negative experiences in the beginning of the project (communicating with Pat and deciding on what would be the best way to raise money), and then became more positive (selling enough koozies to break even) near the end of my group’s goal.
b. Considering that I rated my experience considerably low, I would definitely have to spend more time thinking about whether or not I would take another service-learning class. I would say yes if I knew the parameters of what the projects entailed and what specific organizations I could be working with. I encountered feelings of unnecessary stress and anxiety because I really did not know if my project would be successful. Thus, if I knew the logistics of what I would be doing, then I would lean more towards taking another service-learning class because I did learn some valuable relational skills.
c.Using one of our group’s own money to upfront the cost of the koozies caused my group members and me great stress. Not knowing whether or not we would break even was stressful and worrisome since there was a large sum of money at stake. All of us put forth great effort in getting enough koozies sold so that we broke even. Stress in moderation is healthy; however, I experienced higher levels of stress knowing that our grade depended on the success of the koozie fundraiser.
d. I would not recommend using the Gus Bus as a future “client”. The Gus Bus did not have any events or fundraisers pre-scheduled when my group and I started working with the Gus Bus. As a result, there was miscommunication and disorganization. In addition, the Gus Bus did not provide any financial assistance with the purchase of the koozies. It was not fair for us to find a way to upfront a large sum of money. Instead, there should have been an event already scheduled so that we could assist the Gus Bus with planning and executing.
e. I’ve learned that I really like to utilize new media. I have enjoyed creating, developing, and writing the online portfolio. In addition, I do not like sales. It was not enjoyable for me to walk around campus and ask students if they would buy a koozie. I also learned that I perform better in situations where there is a pre-scheduled event – by not having a fundraising event that I could assist with the planning, it was rather unorganized and unstructured.
Part II.
a. I brought a business background into the service-learning project. Before declaring a major in communication studies, I was an international business major. Therefore, I took business classes that allowed me to understand the importance of marketing. The classes allowed me to have background knowledge to help sell the koozies.
b. My group utilized e-mails and text messaging in order to communicate. It was an easy way for all of us to stay in touch, yet be informed of what was going on with the project. I also sent e-mails, and used my cell phone to text message and call my group members so that I could get in contact with them. The use of text messaging was a quick and efficient way of communicating with my group members.
c. My pet peeve was the occasional lack of communication that we would have at times because we would not always communicate each day. It would have been a lot easier for me to know what was going on so that I could be proactive and contribute my part in making the project a success. Even through the lack of communication, we managed to make it work and overcome it.
d. I think that my group worked well with one another. The only thing I think we could have done better was to arrive to the meetings with a predetermined goal of what was to be done at that meeting. Sometimes it would take a little bit to get our minds rolling on the topic, yet we were always able to overcome that and have success in the meetings.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteI would give my service-learning project experiences a seven because I feel that my group got along very well and that we were able to accomplish our tasks in an efficient manner. At the end of the day, it was all about seeing eye to eye on things, and constant communication was key. Ellie (at the BRC) was nothing but helpful and welcomed us like we were her own children. I would consider taking another SCOM class if a similar project was required because I now have had this experience and am knowledgeable as to what is expected of me.
I would recommend working with the BRC/Ellie to other SCOM students because it was truly a fun and enlightening experience. As college students, you sometimes forget about the enjoyment and low stress of being a kid, and it took me down memory lane in a way. I couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to work with Ellie—she is so kind and is always willing to help you. However, I can see why previous groups have tried to ‘loosen’ her up—let’s just say that she knows what she wants and how she wants it done.
Overall, I’ve learned that planning/coordination isn’t as easy as it seems, and that you are going to have to somehow deal with the people you will work with in life. I know that I’m not going to be as lucky with such a great group of people to work with all the time, but that working toward the common goal will keep you motivated. Communication, cooperation, and understanding are so vital for any given organization, and it’s difficult to operate without them.
Part 2:
Personally, I feel like I helped bring organization and frequent communication to my service-learning team. I always tried to stay on the same page with my group members, and we emailed non-stop to communicate with Ellie/get the group together for meetings. We were all comfortable with one another and I feel like we grew to a point from talking as group members to talking as friends. I don’t really have a pet peeve about my group, but finding a time for all of us to go meet Ellie was difficult at times. Overall, I really liked how we all went to the Clubhouse and made our Easter egg invitations (for the Kindergarteners/the BRC residents) together.
Part I:
ReplyDeletea) Overall I would rate this service-learning experience 7- the best score there is. I was fortunate enough to be able to work with the BRC in both SCOM 350 and SCOM 385. So, for this reason my experience may be different from those of my groups. I got to spend a significant amount of time at the BRC while performing an ethnography there and planning this event. Since I was able to spend time and get closer to the members and staff at the BRC for my 385 class (prior to our event on April 9th) the event just topped off my wonderful experience there. The event was such a success, everyone who attended had an amazing time and made sure to tell us that on their way out. The theme we picked was the beach and I think it was just perfect for the volunteers at the BRC. Everyone had fun, enjoyed the food and entertainment and even wore the leis we bought for them! The slogan we chose was, “volunteers warm the heart”- and I think it was our hearts that were warmed the most by being able to coordinate their recognition banquet.
b) If there was another SCOM class that I knew there was a service learning opportunity in I would be quick to sign up for it. I am from CT, and being far away from home seems less depressing when I get involved in the community around me. I like knowing what organizations are around here and the people that help run them. I also just enjoy meeting new people, so a service learning project really compliments that and my joy in helping others.
c) I actually do have an event I would love to share. Like I mentioned earlier, I was able to spend a considerable amount of time with the members of the BRC. One group I was particularly drawn to were the Belles and Beaus line dancing group. These dancers, all members of the BRC, were also one of our entertainment acts at the banquet. I was in charge of finding entertainment and asked the Belles and Beaus to perform to help make the night one to remember. Little did I know, they had something up their sleeves. Once they all got ready to perform, Leroy- the instructor of the group grabbed my arm and pulled me on stage with them. He told me “girl, you know this better than we do!” He’s referring to the practice I got week after week while attending their line dancing classes. I used their social activity of line dancing to observe for my ethnographic study. Long story short- I performed along side my new friends and had a great time. I think everyone in the audience also got to see just how happy I was to be there.
d) I would recommend our client to future classes in SCOM 350. Ellie Draper is just an all around amazing human being and I feel privileged to have met her. She really enjoyed working with us too.
e) Through out this experience I learned a few things about myself. First, I really enjoy working with elderly people! But looking more towards the work aspect I learned that when working in a group I have more motivation to do my best because I didn’t want to let my group members down. When I knew I needed to have something done by a certain date, I made sure it was done in advance so I would not disappoint my group. So I learned I work well in groups and I am motivated by making others feel content with working with me.
Part 2:
ReplyDeletea) I think I brought a good amount of creativity to my team. While I did not pick the theme myself (beach) I came up with different ways we could decorate the banquet room the night of the event. I thought of small beach balls- which we put on all the tables as centerpieces and we all came up with small beach pails (for their gifts). I was lucky to have such a cooperative group and we all fed off one another’s ideas. Also, I think my outgoing personality was a good attribute to bring to the group because I was able to meet and greet all the guests the night of the event. I gave them nametags and even “lei’d” them upon their arrival. Also, I had the guts to dance in front of a room of strangers!
b) My group was very good about meeting deadlines and I think part of the reason was because we communicated a lot. Aishah suggested using the site Wiggio in order to keep track of deadlines and important dates. We also were able to post whatever thoughts or suggestions we had. This was very helpful. We did not have much problem communicating and would inform the rest of the group if we had any conflicts etc.
c) Biggest pet peeve: I didn’t really have one. I would say the only problem was most of the time we weren’t able to all pick a time that we ALL could meet. That made things hard because usually it’d be 3 out of the 4 or us or 2 out of the 4. When this happened it was hard to get everyone up to speed on what we talked about with Ellie but we did take notes and emailed whoever missed a meeting.
d) I liked that we all kept our word when we said we were going to meet. If for some reason one of us couldn’t meet- we would quickly let the rest of the group know. The one thing I didn’t like was that I think we wasted a lot of time just sort of dancing around ideas and what not. All of our meetings were not as productive as they could have been. I think we should have come to a consensus earlier rather than later and I think my other group members put too much thought into things sometimes and meetings sort of seemed un-finished.
Overall, I would rate my service learning experience a four. Throughout our project, the wheelchair swing fundraiser, we got very little feedback from our only contact, Barbara. She seemed not to want our help at all and took forever to respond to any e-mail, her requested form of communication. The reason I am rating my experience at a four is because of all the knowledge and useful skills I now have in dealing with a virtual organization. This project taught me a lot about how to deal with people who do not cooperate. Another thing I learned from doing this project is how to start an event from scratch. I had to become comfortable calling strangers and asking them questions and become familiar with the ways to get our peers attention, so they would actually come. I would not enjoy taking another SCOM class if I had the exact same service learning project. In my experience, there was not much to do in the form of putting on an event. Our project was mostly just talking through e-mail to Barbara. In terms of learning about organizations and organizational skills, this project was not very good. The reason for my dislike of this project is the fact that there was no interaction between us and the “organization.” The only face-to-face interaction that we had was with the assistant director of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation, who was in charge of building the park. Because the director of HPR was the only person willing to meet with our group, the project was not very exciting and we did not have much to do. I would not recommend our client, the “A Dream Come True Playground,” to other SCOM groups because our client did not seem to want or need our help. She was very vague and did not pay any attention to our e-mails.
ReplyDeleteThe strength I brought to my service learning team was my willingness to work. I went to every meeting with a positive attitude. I came up with some original ideas and contributed every step of the way. I was also able to talk to strangers to set up our meeting with the assistant director of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation and set up the event at You Made It pottery. Our group used e-mail frequently, but I would say at the best way we communicated was in our meetings. When we had our meetings, we made sure everything was said and that each group member knew what was going on. In our meetings, we brainstormed to get the very best information out of each other. If an idea came to one of us that was not mentioned in one of the meetings, we e-mailed it to each other. The only thing that bothered me when working on our project was when people would not show up for the meetings. I do not like having to assign work to someone who was not at the meeting. I think assigning work without someone there is unfair to the group and to that person because they missed all the details that the group went over for that section. One thing that I liked about our team meetings was that our group was very open to new ideas. We liked having new ideas to brainstorm and talk about. Every lead that we came up with in our meetings was followed to some extent. I disliked how few meetings our group had. I think our meetings would have gone smoother if we had had more meetings to discuss what event to do. If we were more organized sooner, and had more meetings, we probably would have finished our project earlier and we could have started on another fundraiser project.
a. I would rate our service learning project at a six. We did everything we could to prepare, but it all comes down to one day. The reason I would rate our experience so high is because our group got along so well. We had really great group synergy and when one group member could not make a meeting, for example, we were really good about getting them updated and informed. Linsday, our coordinator and the activities director at the BRC, was really great and was really understanding of things that went wrong. She was so helpful and made the experience less stressful.
ReplyDeleteb. I would definitely take another class that required service learning projects. I think the things we learned were invaluable. Having hands on experience helped my group members and I learn about an organization and potential job interests. I think that anything that gets students out of a classroom to learn is so beneficial and way more exciting. After talking to alumni at the SCOM alumni event, I learned that the experiences they had taught them something, whether it was a positive experience or not. If our service learning project hadn’t gone well, then we still would have learned something, such as crisis management.
c. On the day of the event we had some things not go as planned. First, one of our food donors claimed we did not call and that caused a bit of panic, but luckily the manager set it straight and it worked out. Secondly, three of our vendors did not show up and only one called to tell us. Also, we did not get as many vendors as the event had in the past, which was upsetting. The reason was not our fault, as Lindsay pointed out, because the organizations are lacking volunteers. The economy affected our vendor turnout.
d. I would absolutely recommend the BRC to other service learning groups in the future. The organization has a lot of different sectors so there are a lot of different projects that could come out of it. Everyone that works at the BRC is really friendly and the residents really enjoyed the event. They really enjoyed talking to us. I think they like that students are learning and that younger people are hanging out at the BRC. The residents were eager to hear about our studies.
e. I really liked that Lindsay gave us free rein on the project. It gave my group and I the opportunity to be creative. I think the freedom gave us the best opportunity for learning and more responsibility so that we understood how important the event was to the BRC. I also confirmed my feelings that I would like to work with the elderly in the future in some way. In doing this project, I got to see a job that I could potentially do when I come out of college. Also, I think it was beneficial to learn how to report to someone to tell them my progress.
Part II. .
One of my strengths, along with the rest of my group members, would be my organizational skills and the fact that I can easily talk to people of all ages. The day of the event, it was vital that our group was able to listen to questions, concerns, and stories of the elderly residents to show our respect. On a similar note, I think it was also important that our group easily talked with one another. We had a lot of the same classes so our chats before class were essential. Most of our communication with Lindsay was done through e-mail, but the event could not have happened without our face- to- face meetings with her at the BRC. The thing I liked best about our meetings is they were fast and we got everything we needed to get done quickly. We were really efficient. I disliked not being able to meet more often because of schedule conflicts. I think the biggest problems we had were not getting vendors to come and vendors not calling us back.
a. I would rate this experience a 7. I thought this was a great opportunity to get involved with a local organization and practically apply the information that we have been learning in class. Amanda and Julia gave us a lot of creative freedom to design the event the way that we thought it would best work with a couple of loose guidelines that helped us to structure our planning. They were great to work with, as was RMH, and our group as a whole. I appreciated the transparency of our project and I never felt like I was in the dark about what was happening on another committee. All in all, I was very pleased with our performance.
ReplyDeleteb. I definitely would not rule it out. It was a great experience to get to work with another organization, see how it’s run, and have some event planning experience. However, it is a lot of extra work outside of class time and although I got very lucky with a good group, I couldn’t be certain the same would happen again. With those factors in mind, I think that I would depend on a lot of particulars about my schedule that semester to see if I have time for it, but if possible, I would take another service-learning course.
c. There aren’t any specific stories which stand out to me about our group. Things were pretty smooth-sailing for the majority of our work together, and there was never a time when I felt that things weren’t being completed to the best of their ability. Everyone worked really well together and was dedicated to the project. It was a shame to see so few people attend the event, but I don’t think that that was any reflection of our efforts, sometimes that just happens.
d. Absolutely. Amanda and Julia were great; they were very helpful and accommodating. RMH gave us all their support and a great structure to work with as far as what they were looking for and what they wanted from us. I truly enjoyed working with this organization and would highly recommend them for future projects.
e. I’ve learned about how to work successfully within a group. In my past semesters at JMU, I have only had an occasional (if any) group project here and there. This semester I was faced with about six or so, and have had to make time accordingly. With the timing of this project falling right about the time when I was very busy with a lot of other things, I learned a lot about making time for group meetings, planning my day so that I could be available when I needed to be, and similar concepts related to group work. Communication is absolutely key between committees and group members, and this sort of “reporting to the group” was not something that I’ve been used to with my individual work; I would say that this project has really helped me to work on that.
Part II.
ReplyDeletea. I love to look for creative ways to do ordinary things. I think that this creativity was very beneficial in planning something like a Dance of the Decades because it allowed us to make each aspect of the dance something special. I was on the Refreshments committee and although we could have stuck to the typical pretzels and chips for our snacks, I helped us to come up with a more exciting alternative (note: this was not all me by any means!). Instead, we picked some snack foods from each of the decades and presented them on the table with a little notecard that gave some fun facts about when it was first introduced and something they might not have known about it. It was really fun come up with these things and make them just a little more festive.
b. My group was very successful in dividing up the workload and completing our separate projects on time. It was important that each of us be accountable for getting our work done because no one else in the group would really know that it needed to be completed or that it wasn’t being finished. Dividing up this workload and assigning each of us a smaller set of tasks to complete brought out the best in me, because I knew what needed to get done and where I should start to complete my assignments. We used a lot of emails to keep everybody up-to-date about our progress and I think that being in the know about what everyone else was up to helped to hold them accountable for completing their tasks and ultimately brought out the best in everyone else.
c. Truthfully, I don’t really have a pet peeve about my service-learning team, but if I had to pick one, it would be the many emails. It could be difficult to keep up with them at times, although I appreciated being in the know about what was going on and they contained a lot of important information.
d. The way that we completed our meetings was with a basic agenda where each committee would give a run through of everything they had completed that period, and everyone could discuss or ask questions about anything they might want to know. After each committee gave their summary, Amanda and Julia would add any comments or special things that we needed to know. I found this to be very beneficial in that it was both efficient and kept us on topic. It was great to get to know what everyone else was doing and throw out some suggestions or ideas for them if we had them. Although it was structured, it was still pretty informal and wasn’t burdensome by any means. Sometimes they could get a little lengthy, but for the most part there wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about them.
I. I would rate this service- learning experience a 7 because the experience was incredible. I have done volunteer work in the past but I have never organized and event and seen it from start to finish. This experience opened my eyes to a variety of jobs I might be interested in, anywhere from event planning to working with the elderly or children. After completing this service learning project, I would definitely take another SCOM course if I knew that there was a service- learning project. The service learning project that I did got me out of the “JMU Bubble” and into the community. I would almost sign up for a class solely based on the fact that we would have a service- learning project because this past experience was so great.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have a specific story about why I had such a great experience or why I want to participate in more service learning projects. However, the smiles on the faces of the residents, the children, and Ellie were what made my experience so worthwhile. I would definitely recommend the BRC Easter Egg Hunt project to future students because Ellie is so great to work with. Not only is Ellie great to work with, but the entire event was so much fun! Through this experience I have learned that people’s appreciation and happiness is what motivates me. The BRC and Ellie were so excited for this event and really appreciated everything that our group was doing. Even though we were only volunteering at the BRC, I felt like I was a part of the BRC family.
II. I felt that the main personal strength I brought to the service- learning team was my outgoing personality. I was eager and comfortable to complete any task that was needed for the project. I think over all our group had really good, open communication. This helped make sure that everyone’s thoughts were out in the open so no problems arose later in the project. I did not have any “pet peeves” with working with this team; I can honestly say that this was probably the best group I have ever worked with. I feel like everyone worked really hard and wanted to make this the best Easter Egg Hunt ever! There was nothing I disliked about our team’s meetings, but I liked how they were always productive and everyone was able to express any concerns or ideas. Overall, this was a great experience and because I enjoyed working with the BRC and Ellie so much, I will be helping Ellie out next Fall!
Part I. a. I would rate this service learning experience at a 5 overall. This was an excellent experience on many levels including new communication strategies,. It was hard to see what I had learned at first because of the amount of teens that actually showed up to our event. Once I looked back, I realized it was a worthwhile experience and an important process to have gone through.
ReplyDeleteb. I would consider taking another SCOM class if there was a service-learning project required. I know that it was a lot of work, especially on top of other assignments within the class and other classes I was taking, however, it was a good real-life experience.
c. It was more of general problems that would lead me to not wanting to do another service learning project. A lot of times it was difficult to have our entire group meet because of the size of it. Everyone is VERY busy with other classes, organizations, and life in general. It was hard to communicate through mainly email at times. Also, it was a let down at the event when not many teens showed up. We all worked so hard to produce this event and it was just kind of sad.
d. The E.D.G.E organization was a phenomenal organization to work with. They left a lot of decisions (almost all) up to us. They kept us organized with reminders and had outlines given to us at every meeting. We met with our supervisors every three weeks to make sure we were on task, and they were very fast in replying to emails and helping us out when needed.
e. I have learned how important quick communication is to my working environment. It often just makes me more stressful when I am not aware of what is going onI really liked the idea behind the event and dealing with a younger target audience. I am motivated to work through deadlines (setting specific objectives and goals and having dates to complete them by) and when I see things coming together.
Part II. a. I would say that a strength that I brought to the service-learning team was enthusiasm. I was always excited to see the project progress and I always had a lot of energy at meetings. It seemed important to me to stay enthusiastic and positive when everyone was stressed or down from not seeing things come together. Overall, I would say a lot of our team was enthusiastic, especially at the event.
b. The time we had in class to recollect and plan for our next move/step in the process was probably the best. I thought it was good that everyone assumed we needed to meet and seeing each other face-to-face was the best and easiest way to communicate. We were able to use class time for this, which was very helpful. Because I felt this was the best strategy for communicating, I would initiate conversations at the end of class to get the ball rolling.
c. Our team worked very well together. We helped each committee out when they needed it and were excited about the completing the project. We met challenges along the way, but nothing repeatedly happened during the course of the planning that bothered me. At times, we all had A LOT of ideas that we wanted to see come to life and it was hard to limit or cut some out.
d. I really liked how organized our team meetings were. Amanda always came with prepared schedules of what we needed to go over. This was good because we were able to highlight progress on goals and go to each committee to see where they were if we hadn’t been able to discuss it outside of meetings or during class. I disliked that not everyone was always able to attend. This made it hard when we were trying to get tabs on everybody and communicate progress. Overall I would say our meetings were beneficial, it helped us to stay on task!
a. On a scale of 1 to 7 I would rate this a six because this was a great project, but I wish that we had more freedom with the end product.
ReplyDeleteb. I have absolutely loved the project and if other service learning projects were like this one then yes I would take another class with a similar project. It gave me a real sense of accomplishment.
c. Getting to interact with the kindergarteners was a real treat. They called me “Danny the magical pink Easter bunny.”
d. Ellie was an angel. She was very nice to talk to and made sure that we had all of our bases covered. She was limiting with the creativity but the end result was that the project would not fail.
e. I learned that this project had to get done because there were people that were counting on me. That was what motivated me: the fact that there were people that counted on me and I did not want to let them down.
a. I brought a work ethic that is very dependable. I get my work done. Even if it is down to the wire, it gets done.
b. We set deadlines for each of the components for the project. By setting these deadlines, we accomplished everything that needed to get done.
c. My only pet peeve would be our lack of communication at times but that only happened a few times.
d. All of the meetings were at the BRC so the drive was a little annoying but the meetings were well run and Ellie was always there to update and it was run very efficiently.
Part I:
ReplyDeletea. On a scale of one to seven, I would rate this service learning experience a 5. Although this may sound a little odd, the negative parts of this project were what taught me the most and really gave me insight into working with an organization you are not a part of. This experience taught me how crucial it is take your own initiative in this type of situation and to fight for what I think is right, even if not everyone involved agrees.
b. I would definitely take an SCOM class that required this again. Despite the fact that these projects are really time consuming, it was more enjoyable than simply taking a test or doing a project involving a hypothetical situation. I love to be hands on and I find that this is when I learn the most. I definitely will look back and remember every aspect of this project, it wasn’t just some assignment I completed in college.
c. I think a lot of the negative stories we had (with the Gus Bus) have been discussed in class but one of the positive experiences I had came last week when we actually got to go on the Gus Bus. Within the first few minutes, every child on the bus wanted to come talk to us or have us read to their group. Their energy was amazing and it was great to see that they actually enjoyed coming on the bus. Lea, one of service learning supervisors, was also really fun to watch. We could all tell she was truly enjoying herself and it really set in that despite our setbacks, we did something of value for this organization.
d. I have been going back and forth on this question a lot over the last several weeks. It’s hard for me to make this decision because as a whole, I really believe in the mission of the Gus Bus and think their cause is extremely beneficial to the Harrisonburg community. That being said, their contact with us with extremely limited and their ideas and goals for the project were extremely unrealistic. If they were to make changes in the way they dealt with students trying to help them, I would give another chance. If not, I would find an organization more willing to work with their students.
e. I learned that not every organization you work with is perfect and that problems will always arise; it’s how you handle these imperfections that arise. I think my group can really take pride in what we did because it was original and it was ours. I don’t think I would have been as proud of what we did if my job was to just pick something up for a party or event.
Part II
ReplyDeletea. I think the strength I brought to this project was my experience with event planning and creativity. In the beginning of this project, we had considered the option of actually hosting an event to raise funds and when I actually stepped back and thought about it, I realized it just wasn’t in our best interest. We then went back to the drawing board, brainstormed several ideas until the word I don’t think any of us ever want to hear again came to mind- koozies. After that, I went to a local sporting goods store, created the design, and the group then commenced the PR aspect of our project.
b. I think we were able to get the very best out of each other because we all felt the same frustrations with our organization. In a way, this bonded us and I think we knew if we didn’t communicate with each other, there was no way we would succeed. We talked frequently about progress and money made and I think this also motivated us to keep going since we were able to witness our progress. On a more technical level, my group used e-mail and texting as a way of communicating.
c. My biggest pet-peeve about working with my group was the initial disorganization we had with selling the koozies on campus. We couldn’t get a spot on the Commons so a lot of people wrote in to the Facebook group saying they couldn’t find us. This was frustrating because we knew we were losing business, but there wasn’t a lot we could do about it. We also had confusion with where our group members were supposed to be at those times.
d. For our unique project, constant group meetings were not completely necessary. Mostly, we just kept each other up to date on progress, which I think was appreciated by all. However initially, when group meetings were imperative, they were sometimes unproductive as there was a lot of ambiguity on what we were doing. But once we got over that issue, we all focused on the task at hand and were able to be successful.
Part I.
ReplyDeletea. I would rate the E.D.G.E. service learning project a 6 overall. I had a great time at the actual event as well as in the planning process that preceded it, but the low attendance at the dance keeps me from feeling fully satisfied by the experience. Our team worked extremely hard and well with one other and with Julia and Amanda, and put on a great event despite the low turn out.
b. I would definitely consider taking another SCOM class if I knew that a similar service-learning project was required for completion of the course. Although it was a considerable amount of extra work, it was well worth it and it felt nice to give back to the Harrisonburg communit. I also enjoyed meeting new people in my class and getting to know them better.
c. The most obvious story would be from the actual event. We were all disappointed that not many students showed up for the dance, but we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying the work we had put in all semester to make this happen. It was incredible how all of us kept our chins up and had a great time, making sure the few people who did attend the dance did as well. When the first student to arrive (whom had been reluctant to talk to us at first) was leaving the event he asked us, ‘When’s your next party? I’ll bring my friends next time!’ That made everything worth it, knowing that he had such a great time just hanging out and dancing with us. I think this was a good reflection of our attitudes throughout this project and explains why I would be so willing to do another service learning project in the future
d. I would absolutely recommend the E.D.G.E. organization and Amanda and Julia for the future. We had tremendous support from E.D.G.E. and RMH during every aspect of this project, and Amanda and Julia were wonderful. They encouraged us to be creative and really put the project in our hands to do with what we wanted, trusting us to do a good job. While giving us this creative freedom they also served as valuable resources and guides whenever we needed them.
e. I learned that I am more motivated to do things more quickly when I work in a team and have a group of people I respect counting on me. I also learned that having a laid back yet productive environment is the best way for me to work as that is how I tend to work as a person, and I feel that that is how most of our meetings were run (we met in TDU, for example).
Part II
a. I think I brought my sense of humor to the team, allowing us to loosen up if we started taking ourselves too seriously at any given point. This was, after all, supposed to be a fun event, and I tried to help everyone keep that in mind if we ever started stressing out too much.
b. Our group all had a lot of fun together and got along well, which was nice in and of itself, and also lent itself to us working well together. We were very supportive of each other’s ideas and were always willing to lend a helping hand to each of the other sub committees if they needed any assistance. I think we all brought the best out of each other with our willingness to do the necessary work and the excitement we carried throughout the project. I felt more motivated by the encouragement I received from my group members as well as the positive attitudes everyone displayed.
c. The only thing anyone could complain about was the constant emails. With such a large group of people, all of whom are involved and have hectic schedules, however, this was the most efficient way to communicate with each other as well as with Julia and Amanda.
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ReplyDeleted. Meetings were very organized and informative while still leaving room for interjections, opinions, and ideas. Amanda and Julia gave us so much freedom to come up with ideas and were very encouraging every step of the way during the planning process. Amanda came to every meeting with an agenda with the topics we needed to discuss which helped us keep on track and made sure we were all up to date with everyones progress. We were all comfortable speaking our minds and knew our thoughts would be heard and valued. Meetings were always efficient, not taking longer than necessary, which I felt showed us as a group a great deal of respect, acknowledging we all had busy schedules.
ReplyDeleteA. I would rate this service learning project a 4. It was pretty standard. The Gus Bus wasn’t the most helpful organization to work with and we were kind of left in the dark as to how they wanted us to raise money. Our group worked well together, so that made things tolerable. Since the Gus Bus is mainly a volunteer controlled organization, I felt like they didn’t really want to expend the extra effort to help us help them.
ReplyDeleteB. I like the idea of service-learning projects because it gets students involved in the community and it gives us an experience with how organizations actually run. I wouldn’t want to do another though if there wasn’t a planned event already in the works, that other people in the organization either have worked on before or are already in the planning stages. I think it’s more beneficial to us when there is a guiding force behind the work we are doing, so we know what is expected and we aren’t left to figure things out on our own, with our own resources, hoping things will run smoothly. These projects make you feel like you’ve accomplished something and have helped someone else. The right organizations just need to be in place so everyone can have a good service-learning experience.
C. Well with the Gus Bus, we were given free rein on fundraising ideas, when none of our group members have ever been involved in an event of that nature. Having no boundaries sounds like the ideal project, but its hard to start from scratch when you don’t even know where to start and all the ideas you produce get shut down, almost as soon as they leave your mouth. Also, we weren’t given a budget to work with, so we felt like we needed to front money to produce a product to sell. Scrambling to make sure we just broke even put unnecessary stress on the project and made it more about profit making like a business class, instead of helping raise money for a charitable cause and focusing on how organizations run.
D. I would recommend working to benefit the Gus Bus, but not necessarily working with the organization. The two people that we worked with weren’t as helpful as a service-learning organizer should be. The Gus Bus is a wonderful cause that benefits the community, but isn’t the best organization to work with to learn about organizational communication.
ReplyDeleteE. I have learned that it is easier to work directly with people instead of through other channels like email. When you are face to face there is less room for miscommunication and it’s a faster way to get things done. It may be more convenient to shoot an email while sitting at home, but more gets accomplished when you’re face to face with someone. I work best when Im alone because when we are in a group I find myself second guessing things more. And I have found that my motivation comes from having an end goal.
A. I brought organization to the meetings. When we sat down I would always try to figure out the goal of the meeting so we weren’t just talking aimlessly about what was going on. I tried to set goals for the group and have future milestones that we needed to hit as a team in order to stay on track. I think everyone did a good job of this as well.
B. Our group communicated with each other the most through texting and in-class planning. We would send out a quick text to see when we wanted to meet or sell koozies and then plan from there. It was quick and efficient. We also used a lot of brainstorming techniques to just see what everyone’s ideas were so we could make the most informed decision as a group. Our group was always open and considered everyone’s opinion so it made communication easy.
C. My biggest pet peeve wasn’t very big at all. We just had a hard time getting everyone to our meetings, so we missed out on some insight sometimes. It wasn’t a huge deal and they were informed when we got together the next time, but it would have been nice if everyone could have met every time. It’s nearly impossible for everyone’s schedules to match up so it’s no one’s fault, but we may have missed a good idea because of it.
D. Our meetings were always laid back and easy going. We kept things light even when it got stressful. Everyone in the group meshed well together so our meetings always ran smoothly. We didn’t run into any misunderstandings between us, and when there was a misunderstanding with the organization, we pulled together as a group in order to fix it. Everyone had something to say so meetings were always beneficial.
Part I
ReplyDeleteA. I would rate my overall service-learning experience as a 7 because every aspect of it was educational and I was fortunate enough to have everything run smoothly and successfully. Not only was I exposed to a culture outside of JMU, but I was able to go to a neighboring community in a different town and culture than I am typically surrounded by. Having to work outside my comfort zone and my familiar environment challenged me on many levels.
.B. I would absolutely take another service-learning SCOM class. The emphasis on service-learning within the Organizational Concentration of Communication Studies is one of the reasons why I love my major so much. The actual experience of going ‘into the field’ and applying the concepts that you learn within the classroom is irreplaceable. Experiences outside the classroom are most often where you learn the most because there is no way to determine what you retain from the classroom until you are required to put it to use.
C. I gave the BRC and the Service-Learning Experiences high ratings because of my personal experiences with both. It is imperative to be able to go into an organization or environment that is not familiar and be able to assimilate and/or understand how they work and what makes up the culture. Ellie aided us in this endeavor on our very first visit when she gave us a tour of the BRC and told us stories and shared the beliefs, lifestyles, and activities that make the BRC what it is. She even introduced us to many of the staff and residents. In addition, the ability to be thrown into a group of strangers and make an operation run smoothly by working together and around each others’ schedules and differing personalities, as well as opinions and work style, I believe is essential to surviving and exceeding in the business world, no matter your profession.
D. I would recommend Ellie Draper and the BRC to anyone without hesitation. It was a great opportunity to be exposed to a different way of life and belief system outside the ‘college bubble’. Ellie was wonderful to work with and although all five of us had difficult schedules to work around, we were able to not only schedule our meetings with her at the BRC with ease, but she made it possible for us to gain a sense of their culture and was sincerely interested in our ideas and contributions to the community. The residents, staff, and volunteers at the BRC were also very welcoming and when we encountered any of them we were always welcomed enthusiastically and without prejudice, making our collaboration peaceful, personal, and productive.
E. I believe that my best working environment is one with a mixture of structure and freedom, which is what Ellie provided us with. Because she has held the Recognition Reception every year, she had a checklist of things that were absolutely necessary to have, and certain dates on which things needed to be finished, such as the invitations and booking of entertainment. At the same time, she was open to new things and encouraged us to be as creative as possible and suggest additional ideas to her. What I learned about what personally motivated me is how being placed in a group and organization that is so excited about meeting us and witnessing our project really makes you want to go to the max, not only going above and beyond, but achieving perfection. When people feel that what they are doing is important and cared about, not just seen as busy work, motivation spikes sky high.
Part II
ReplyDeleteA. I personally brought my ability to organize and think big-picture. In a project such as this, where we are working in a group and with an outside client, it is crucial to be able to organize and set goals and deadlines, while at the same time anticipating setbacks. Fortunately, we all were extremely organized and kept track of every detail, putting things in writing and sending our confirmation emails to keep each other on the same page. My ability to think big-picture allowed us from the very beginning to not get carried away with extravagant or unattainable ideas, while at the same time assuring we stay on task and be aware of our time restraints.
B. Our group was very big on teamwork, equality and collaboration. Whenever there was a decision to be made, we would ask the opinion of the group, allowing each individual a chance to contribute their opinion and vision. We then would take our final decision to Ellie for her approval before moving forward. If there was a member missing from a particular meeting, the group would pass on our detailed notes and leave all decisions open until we received the last member’s input. I believe this was the best strategy that we could have employed because it insured maximum teamwork and prevented any groupthink.
C. The biggest pet-peeve within our team would have to be our busy schedules. Each of us, Ellie Draper included, had busy, full schedules on top of jobs, and numerous extracurricular activities. Although we possessed the organization skills to make it work, there were a few times when the entire team could not make it to a meeting, or we would have to split up tasks in order to complete our checklist for the event. However, I believe that it only increased our level of teamwork because it challenged us to find alternative ways to reach or destination, even if it wasn’t the easiest or most desirable.
D. My favorite thing about how our team meetings ran, and what I feel made us such a successful group, was that each of us possesses the same working style. We all have the same determination and drive to finish our tasks and strive for perfection. We also made the most of our meetings, and everyone was aware of how precious every minute together was to our success because of our limited time to meet in the first place. Our shared vision of what we wanted our event to become brought us together and eliminated the need to drastically alter completed tasks in order to align them all. If I somehow ended up in a group with these girls in the future, it would be a great collaboration.
Part I.
ReplyDeleteI would rate the entire experience a 6.5. I learned so much through working with a new organization outside of JMU and meeting people in our class that I would have never gotten to know otherwise. As a group we were force to work together toward one common goal and reach out to the surrounding community. I loved working with Ellie and learning to adapt to her ways of thinking and doing things. I also really enjoyed getting to spend time with the residents. I gained so much from the experience and really enjoyed the process.
Yes, as long as I wasn’t put into a gus bus situation and knew that the project had potential to be a success. During the volunteer recognition banquet so many people came up to our group and thanked us for all our hard work and said how much they appreciated it. During the entire program people seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves making me feel great for being able to give back to volunteers who give so much to the BRC.
Definitely, although I would have a disclaimer that you need to be easy going and let Ellie have her way since this is her event. She is a great woman and super enthusiastic about the project. It is also refreshing to know she is there as a manager figure to go to if you have questions or concerns.
Part II.
I was very adaptable and flexible with decisions and ideas. I truly believe in a collaborative setting and helped create that within our group. I was very fortunate to have a group that held similar strengths as I did. I also knew how to stay on task, for instance Ellie can diverge a lot with her topic of conversation so for our meeting I typed up an agenda so we could stay on task which was very beneficial.
We used on a online group called wiggio which was great that we would email eachother through. We also would cc each other on emails to keep everyone in the loop. We had a check list with due dates that we tried hard to abide by as well. My group was awesome and I felt so blessed to have them as members, however because we were all so busy the hardest part of the project was to coordinate all of our schedules. Our meetings were very structure d, we sometimes would have an agenda and we would discern our meetings from brainstorming sessions to work sessions which was beneficial. Again trying to find the time to meet was the hardest thing but with the help of wiggio and my great group members were succeeded with flying colors.
1. I would rate this service-learning experience a 6 out of 7. I thoroughly enjoyed working with my group as well as working with the EDGE staff, however I was disappointed that after all of our hard work and dedication over the course of the semester that only a handful of high-schoolers showed up to the Dance of the Decades. I would definitely take another SCOM class if there a service learning project like this was offered because I enjoy working in groups and also community service. I would definitely recommend EDGE to future SCOM students; the staff was very accommodating and helpful, and also fun to collaborate with. Through this assignment I have learned that I work best when I am surrounded by others that are as passionate about the topic/event as I am. I also learned the importance of delegating responsibility to group members and the imperativeness of completing your part.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that I brought optimism to my service learning team. I always try to make the best out of every situations, even difficult ones. Our group was very effective in group meetings, even if the whole group could not be there we made sure to get as much done as possible. I found email and GoogleDocs to be very helpful to our team. My biggest pet peeve was that with a group of 8 team members, it was nearly impossible to find a time when all of us could meet together. I really didn’t dislike anything about my team’s meeting, we were always productive and had a great time.
Part I
ReplyDeleteI would rate my experience with a 6 because I thought not only did our group work well together to help execute a great event, but we were also fortunate enough to have Ellie who was a great advisor for the project. Ellie trusted us to help her with the event and gave us the ability to show how well we could do, and I think the final project was a great success and showed how dedicated everyone was to the end result. I would definitely consider taking another SCOM class if I knew a service learning project was involved because I had such a positive experience with mine. However, I would want to make sure, based on hearing other groups experiences with their service groups, that the organization we were working with was well established and organized enough to be able to give guidance and help throughout the process. I think it would able be important for the amount of work for the various service-learning projects to be as equal as possible. We were lucky that Ellie had done this event before and had many of the plans laid out for us already, but other groups seemed like they had much less guidance and had to do much more to even get to the stage our group was at after the first meeting with Ellie. I think the end result of our project alone was enough to make me want to do another project similar to it. Our group worked so well together and the project became enjoyable for us instead of considering it a project. Seeing Ellie’s face light up every time we told her of another donation we received or a fun idea we had for the event, such as wearing bunny ears all day, made all of our work and effort worth it. Also, to get the email Ellie sent out thanking us for our hard work was great to hear and I know everyone in my group appreciated it. I would without a doubt recommend Ellie and the BRC to other SCOM students. Ellie is such a wonderful lady and she was wonderful in working with us to plan the event. She was very organized and made our job easier, while at the same time we helped her out to relieve stress for her as well. There was a strong sense of teamwork between Ellie and our team, and all the other employees and residents especially at the BRC were a delight as well. It was a very fun atmosphere to work in. Through doing this project I learned that one strong motivator for me is working towards something that will help others and realizing the impact it will have on them. Seeing the reaction of all the residents who received Easter baskets and all the children who arrived to do the Easter Egg hunt and deliver baskets showed me that this event I was helping to plan meant more to them than I could probably imagine. I learned that envisioning a successful “end product” is a strong motivator for me to put my best foot forward.
Part II
ReplyDeleteI think I brought a sense of organization to the group. I always tried to stay up to date on everything that happened at meetings and what each member of the group was working on and was able to relay that information to the other members of the group so that everyone was always on the same page. The communication strategy I think our group used to get the very best out of each other was just a continual flow of communication. As the event neared, every class we would check in with each other on updates and reminders, and between all those meetings we would use email to communicate. Everyone was comfortable approaching every other member of the group and I don’t think we encountered a lot of awkwardness. My pet peeve when it came to working with the group would I guess have to be the sometimes last minute change of plans in regards to meeting times with Ellie or each other. With 6 people in a group it was hard to coordinate schedules sometimes but we always worked it out. I liked that our team meetings were usually fairly brief and to the point. We gave Ellie updates that we had, and she gave us updates she had. It was a very relaxed meeting atmosphere which we liked and Ellie always answered any questions and showed us anything we needed to see. Sometimes the information exchanged could have been done via email or the phone to reduce time spent driving there and back, but it was nice to see Ellie face to face often to build that relationship with her.
Part I: I would rate this experience a 6. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the BRC on the Easter Egg Hunt and wish that we could have done more with it! I would absolutely take another class that had a service learning component and would hope that my group would be just as good for a future project. While I cannot pinpoint any one thing that made the experience so good, I will say that Ellie had a lot to do with it. She made us feel so welcome and really seemed to enjoy working with us, which made us enjoy working with her even more. I would recommend that future projects use Ellie and the BRC as a client whenever possible! During this assignment, I learned that one of my weaknesses is delegating tasks to others rather than trying to get everything done myself. I also learned that motivation can be very subtle and come from seeing how much of an impact your work has on even just one person. I was motivated to do the very best that I could because I knew it meant a lot to Ellie, the elementary school kids, and the residents.
ReplyDeletePart II: As far as strengths, I think I brought passion and organization to the team. I was often the one sending out an email requesting that our group get together and meet, or at the very least, “reply all” via email to share the progress we had made. My passion [and that of the other group members] was also a strength because our excitement for the event was what made it so smooth and rewarding. Our group used open communication strategies and all listened to each other’s ideas to make things go well. Every time someone had an idea we were all willing to listen and weigh the options fully before making a decision. I honestly cannot think of a pet peeve because our group worked so well together, except that it was sometimes difficult to find a time to meet that worked for everyone. Our meetings were run well and seemed to be very efficient. We would often finish up business pretty quickly and just hang around talking to each other about different things. We never had one person that was in charge, but delegated tasks equally and gave everyone a voice.
a. I would rate my experience a 5 because although it was very difficult not being able to actually meet with our client, our group was able to come together and create some concrete ideas. We brainstormed and contacted different people who would have more information about A Dream Come True so we could put more of that information into our project.
ReplyDeleteb. I would because I enjoy doing work where you are able to see concrete results. While our project is probably not going to be used by Barbara, I know that other groups planned events and such that actually made a difference in the community and had concrete examples of their work.
c. No real stories, only our group finally finding the humor in Barbara really not responding and us realizing that it really would be a blind experience working with the virtual organization.
d. No because of the fact that they did not seem that interested in working with us or giving us anything to do. Even when we spoke with other groups involved with the organization they were not very helpful or willing to let us participate in their activities.
e. I have learned that I can be more resourceful than I had previously thought. Also, I am a better leader and delegator because with no real direction from our client, we all had to just think of things and decide who was doing what on our mock-ups, etc.
Part II. Please write at least one paragraph in which you answer the following questions about yourself in SCOM 350 this semester.
a. I feel like I brought creativity to our group. I liked to think up new ideas that our team could try and work out with Barbara. I created a list of ideas that could potentially work for what we were trying to eventually create and accomplish. I also was able to bring the creativity into putting together our website for the portfolio part of our project.
b. My group was very cohesive and we would always try to get the best out of each other. My group members were very organized, where that was something that I am not the best at, so my group members would be direct with me in instructing where the meetings would take place, etc. I, however, liked to delegate the information to get people's ideas rolling and get creative in our ideas. I liked to have our group be as innovative as possible since our project was kind of a struggle.
c. Getting rolling on our work would be something that was a pet peeve. Sometimes I felt that we were a little bit lost which made it hard to really get down to work. Although, in the big picture, I feel like this would have no happened had we had another contact person that we were working with. I greatly enjoyed my group and we worked well together.
d. Sometimes I felt like some of our meetings were a little unnecessary and could have been done via email. Other times I felt like no one really "took charge" until we were running out of time to get things accomplished. Once we did get things going, our group was able to accomplish a lot and I am proud of our end product.
I. On a scale of 1-7 I would rate this service learning project (BRC Health Fair) a 5. For the work that we put into it, it was a little disappointing on the day of the event that 3 of our vendors, who we had spoken to the day before, simply did not show up. There came a point where it was out of our hands and it was then up to the vendors to show up and do their part. I would definitely take another service-learning based class. It was nice to get out of the classroom and plan an event, because later on in my career, I hope to be doing similar work. It was also interesting to be able to apply all of the textbook information to actual examples that we were a part of. I would recommend the BRC to other SCOM students for service-learning because it was a very friendly atmosphere. I would also recommend working with Lindsay Billhimer again because she is very open and helpful (the only reason towards the end that communication was a little slow was because she was 8 ½ months pregnant and not feeling well). Working on this assignment showed me that I work well under pressure, such as when the day of the event came around and people did not show up. You have to make do with what you have, and the event ended up being a success. Other than people not showing up, there was a slight confusing with Food Lion, who had agreed to donate baked goods, but on the day of the event when Lindsey went to pick them up, they had no record of it.
ReplyDeleteII. I think that I brought organization to the team. All four of us are very organized and efficient workers, and once we set out what we would be doing during a meeting, it was done well. It helped that I had a background in putting on an event with vendors (Relay for Life) so I had a good sense of how to organize charts, logs, and how to deal with local businesses. The group relied a lot on face-to-face meetings that we would have together, as well as with Lindsay Billhimer. That is where we got the most accomplished, since email could sometimes take days to receive a response. My biggest pet-peeve about working with my team was that it was sometimes hard to find a time for us all to meet. Luckily, we all had similar schedules with each other, but that schedule often conflicted with Lindsay Billhimer. We found that the best times to meet were at night, but Lindsay Billhimer only worked until 4p.m. so that made it frustrating to get things done at the pace we may have liked to. Other than that, I have no complaints about how the meetings were run. We were productive when we had to be, and once all of our work was done we were still able to hang out and socialize.
a. On a scale of 1-7 (1=low, 7= high), how would you rate this service-learning experiences overall? Why this rating?
ReplyDeleteOverall, I would rate this service learning project a 5.5. The foundations of the project have a great purpose bridging the gap between JMU and its surrounding community. It doesn’t get any higher because I feel that there is a lot of room for improvement for future groups. I have learned a lot about communication and how organization structure varies.
b. Would you consider taking another SCOM class if you knew that a similar service-learning project was required for completion of the course? Why or why not?
Yes, I have a passion for trying to help others. I think that working with a different organization n may be more of a success than our current project. I think there is a lot to be said for someone who maintains an academic as well as a solid extracurricular portfolio. There is much to learn from organizations and the realistic feel of the course draws students in.
c. Do you have any specific stories or incidents that would like to share that have affected your responses to the two previous questions? If so, what are they?
When working with my group when often came across communication barriers. So as I mentioned in question one, there is a lot that can be improved. Having an established relationship with the organizations would help students transition from classroom learning to real application of the theories we have discussed. In addition, I felt almost let down by the lack of helping others. I had big goals as far as what I wanted to accomplish and I wished there was more of a lesson than what I came out with.
d. Would you recommend your “client” to other SCOM students for service-learning projects in the future? Why or why not?
Yes, the cause needs help. If this org is chosen again I do think there needs to be an internal change in communication first. Guidelines and structure must be implemented. If these things cannot be changed it wouldn’t be worth it to place students in this position again.
e. What have you learned about yourself while doing this assignment (e.g., your best working environment, what motivates you to work, etc.)?
To me this project did have some successes. I learned that my work ethic can only take me so far. Perseverance was definitely a main accomplishment. After I knew I wouldn’t be raising enough money to make a huge impact on the cost of the swing, I was extremely sad. Persevering and accepting that sometimes things workout different ways was probably my biggest lesson learned. The type of environment I would work best in would be one that is not completely scheduled and set in stone, but rather one that allows flexibility given certain situations. Everyday isn’t going to be sunny so you need to have a rain plan. I learned that I am intrinsically motivated to work and that encouragement from those around me pushes me further.
Part II. Please write at least one paragraph in which you answer the following questions about yourself in SCOM 350 this semester.
ReplyDeletea. What one strength or skill did you personally bring to your service-learning team?
I feel that my best attribute to the team was versatility. I am able to manage several tasks at once. I also think that this enabled me to compliment some of their traits as well. Overall, we worked well together.
b. What communication strategies (if any) did your group use to get the “very best” out of you? What strategies did you use to get the “very best” out of them?
Multiple methods of communication are the best. So sending e-mail, then talking to me, and finally text if you have to. As long as the point gets across everything works out. To get the best out of them I tried indirect methods. I asked a lot of clarifying questions to get feedback on things I was working on.
c. What was your biggest “pet peeve” when it came to working with your service-learning team?
Biggest pet peeve was working around everyone’s schedules. It seems like all of us had crazy lives that required a little more finesse when coordinating times and places to meet.
d. What did you like and dislike about the way your team’s meetings were run?
Sometimes it felt as if the agenda is all we had to talk about. There is nothing that makes me more upset than setting time away from my other studies only to discuss things that could have been mentioned in an e-mail. It just becomes frustrating, especially when you move another meeting to ensure your attendance at the one that doesn’t have much planned.
Part 1: On a scale of 1-7 I would rate my service learning project a 4. We were not directly involved with the project so much of our work was done using email. Our email contact was not the most responsive and often we had to wait several days and even up to a week to receive any correspondence from her. However, the project was interesting and the playground itself is a very positive thing for Harrisonburg. I enjoyed being able to work on a project that will be benefiting children. I have taken classes before that require service learning projects and I find them very rewarding and fun to be involved in. I would definitely take another SCOM class with a service learning component if I wasn't graduating because it is a good resume builder and gets you directly involved with the community. As previously mentioned most of our project was done in a virtual environment so we found it difficult to get involved as we originally wanted to. We did not raise as much money as we could have so that was definitely a disappointment. I do not recommend Barbara as a future client because she is very difficult to keep constant contact with and gives very vague instructions. It was difficult to set up any sort of fundraising event with her and therefore we did not raise as much as we wished. From this project I learned that I am better than previously though in working with groups. My major is typically very individual in orientation but I liked my group a lot and we got a lot of work done with the limited resources we were given.
ReplyDeletePart 2: With my group I think I brought a lot of flexibility as well as organization. I typically opened my schedule in order to meet with the group and was able to organize meetings and materials effective. Our group was able to communicate effectively and most often through email. When we did meet it was an open forum without any real managers of the group. We all were equal in our input and no one person dominated the communication. The one pet peeve that I had was the random times we had to meet because of our conflicting schedules. With a group as large as the ones in this class it is difficult to find times that convenient for everyone to meet. We often had to meet at times that weren't ideal. I had no issues with our team meetings and I enjoyed that we could all effectively give our input and no one person dominated conversation.
I.a. I would rate this service learning project a 6 because there is always room for improvement. The Easter Egg Hunt event ran very smoothly, we accomplished all of our goals, and it was a fun experience for everyone involved. I had so much fun interacting with the 5th graders, kindergarteners, BRC staff and residents, and teachers. The only reason I gave it a 6 was because everything was already planned out for us. I think the event could be improved if we were given more creative authority with the same basic goals.
ReplyDeleteb. Yes I would consider taking another SCOM class if a similar service-learning project was required for completion because you the skills you learn in the classroom are applied to a real world situation. It is truly a test of your organization skills, communication skills, and your ability to work with a team. I enjoyed working with the larger community that exists outside our JMU bubble. I think it is important for the outside community and JMU students to understand each other better.
c. The overall experience affected my answers to the first two questions. However, I’ll touch on a rewarding story of helping a few 5th grade boys deliver Easter baskets to residents in nursing care. Now, 5th grade boys can be pretty rowdy especially when all together. I was truly impressed when I helped them deliver Easter baskets to nursing care residents and how they interacted with the residents. The residents were so grateful for the company. We were in one room so long we got in trouble because we needed to deliver more Easter baskets.
d. I would recommend the BRC to other SCOM students for service-learning projects in the future because they are a wonderful organization that enjoys having the help of JMU students. The residents enjoy the company of JMU students and Ellie loved having our help. Everyone is so grateful and makes you feel like you have something to contribute. Also, Ellie always answered our emails in a timely fashion and we met with her frequently throughout the semester to make sure everyone was on the same page.
e. I have learned I really like working with a group of people to accomplish a task because everyone has different things to contribute. Group work allows for piggy backing and feeding off each other’s ideas. I think also when you work with a group you are dependent on each other. I have learned my best working environment is relaxed with group members tossing out ideas and being excited to accomplish the same goals. I think what motivates me is to be passionate about what I’m doing and having others be passionate too. I was fortunate that my group members were as excited as I was about the Easter Egg Hunt Event.
II.a. I was the one who communicated to Ellie about setting up meetings and asking any questions our group members had. So, I guess I was the mediator between the BRC and my group members to convey the answers to our questions to my group as well as conveying my group’s questions to Ellie. So, my strength was adequately conveying messages between the two groups.
b. I think we all just kept each other excited about the event and made sure everyone knew how the event was going to run. We kept communication open. Throughout the day we kept each other excited as well by telling each other funny instances that happened and how their day was going because we weren’t together the whole time.
c. I didn’t really have a “pet peeve” when it came to working with my service-learning team. Possibly the only thing that was frustrating was that it was very hard to find times where everyone could meet between our 6 crazy schedules and Ellie’s as well.
d. I didn’t have any problem with how our team meetings were run. I felt like everyone had a chance to voice their concerns and update everyone on the progress of their specified task. I think everyone was content with how the tasks were divided and when we realized something wasn’t working we adapted.
a.Optimism…. Though there were plenty of obstacles that we had to overcome I tried my best to lighten up the situation with a pleasant outlook and an encouraging attitude. There was one instance where are koozies came a day later than promised and we couldn’t sell them at Softball game that we were hoping to sell most of the koozies at. One member called me in shambles. I did my best to lighten up the situation and explain that everything would be ok and in the end everything was.
ReplyDeleteb. Email and meeting before class was our best communication strategy. During the service project texting became our main way of communicating. I am pretty bad at responding to texts in a timely fashion so calling me was probably the best strategy team members used to get in touch with me.
c. Scheduling conflict was our teams biggest issue and my pet peeve especially when it came down to selling the koozies. Everyone had a very busy schedule and we HAD to sell the koozie because of our down- payment.
d. I can’t really think of anything that I disliked about our team meetings. Everyone gave input regarding all aspects of our service-learning experience and I thought meetings in general went very smooth
a. On a scale of 1-7 (1=low, 7= high), how would you rate this service-learning experiences overall? Why this rating?
ReplyDelete5.
For the most part I enjoyed working with The Gus Bus this semester. It was cool putting together a fundraiser that you actually went through with and in the end made hundreds of dollars to give to a non-profit. Aside from getting almost no guidance from the volunteer coordinator I think it’s safe to say the service-learning was an “interesting” experience.
b. Would you consider taking another SCOM class if you knew that a similar service-learning project was required for completion of the course? Why or why not?
Yes! Although it was stressful at times, serving your community is a very rewarding experience. It looks great on a resume and is a project where you truly learn a thing or two about yourself. I have a new respect for those who are able to put together successful fundraisers.
c. Do you have any specific stories or incidents that would like to share that have affected your responses to the two previous questions? If so, what are they?
Yes. Sadly, if it wasn’t for this project I wouldn’t have taken part in any kind of service oriented projects in Harrisonburg. It was a great feeling finally completing the fundraiser and raising hundreds of dollars for the Gus Bus but the most rewarding aspect that came out of the whole experience was hanging out with the Gus Bus kids and reading stories. I think it’s pretty cool that this project can be tied into the class and don’t see why it’s not more prevalent in other classes that I have had.
d. Would you recommend your “client” to other SCOM students for service-learning projects in the future? Why or why not?
Yes and No… Pat was very unclear about what she wanted us to do for our project. She gave us weird restrictions to some of our fundraising ideas and didn’t give any guidance to anyone on our team. Though she was unclear about certain things, she was very reliable and followed up on everything we did.
e. What have you learned about yourself while doing this assignment (e.g., your best working environment, what motivates you to work, etc.)?
I’ve learned that patience is a key component to fundraising projects. There were plenty of instances where we were overwhelmed with selling koozies and thought that we were never going to sell enough to even make our money back. Patience came into play throughout the whole process.
a.
ReplyDeleteI would rate my service learning experience a 6. It was fairly successful but we had a few minor setbacks. Our service learning partner at BRC was great but she was days away from maternity leave and her mind wasn't set on the health fair but who can blame her. Also two of our vendors didn't show up to the health fair even though we had contact them that week to remind them.
b.
Yes I would consider taking another SCOM class that involved a service learning project. I really enjoyed giving back to the community and also receiving class credit for it.
c.
My experience was really great and I couldn't have ask for a better group. But we had a few issues with our vendors showing up. One of our vendors, American Cancer Society didn't show up because they didn't have enough volunteers since it was relay for life weekend. Also our service learning partner at BRC, Lindsey was great but she wasn't really into the health fair because she was about to leave for maternity leave. She was more concerned with preparing for maternity leave and actually becoming a mother. But if I was in her position I probably would be more concerned with those things as well.
d.
Yes I would recommend our client to other SCOM students because they were very cooperative and so incredibly thankful for us putting on this health fair. I also enjoyed meeting all the BRC residents who were so friendly.
e.
I learned a lot about myself while planning and executing our service learning project. My best working environment is definitely working with people and I love to plan things. I also learned that I am good at getting people to commit to things over the phone. I got all of my vendors to come to the health fair which helped out the success of the BRC health fair (except the two who didn't show the day of).
Part II.
My love for working with people allowed me to bring great communication to my service learning team. Also my ability to work well with the vendors and Lindsey helped in our success
We communicated through meetings and email. This kept all of us on track and allowed us to keep our goals and deadlines in sight.
I think the biggest pet peeve was having to plan everything around Lindsey's schedule and not being in close proximity to the BRC which limited us to the amount of meetings we could have with Lindsey.
I really liked how informal our meetings with Lindsey were. But sometimes they were a little disorganized on Lindsey's part because she was so busy and somewhat checkout due to her pregnancy.
a. I would rate my service learning experience as a 5. I am glad that I was assigned to the Health Fair because that was my first choice and most relevant to my major. I was overall satisfied with how the entire planning of the event went and how the event went on the day of. The only issues that I had were that Lindsay, our leader, did not seem to be as organized or as concerned about the Health Fair. Granted, she was pregnant throughout the time we worked with her, but her enthusiasm for the event seemed low.
ReplyDeleteb. Yes, I would take another class but I would probably take it during a less busy semester because planning the event took a lot of time and I currently work 25+ hours a week on top of completing my school work. It was a good experience and something that I will definitely put on my resume and tell future employees about.
c. There weren’t any specific incidents that affected my responses to the last two.
d. Would you recommend your “client” to other SCOM students for service-learning projects in the future? Why or why not? Yes, I would recommend my client to other SCOM students. Working with the BRC was a good experience and I think that if Lindsay had not been pregnant and occupied with other important things in her personal life, that she would have been more involved. She was still very helpful, but we could tell that her energy and enthusiasm was low, especially on the day of the event.
e.I learned that I enjoy working with the elderly. I’ve never had hands on experience with them, but I had a lot of fun talking with them and getting to know the residents that live there. They are very nice and had a lot of stories to share with us. I have plans to join a Wii bowling team with one of the residents that I met at the Health Fair. As one of their weekly activities, they hold tournaments and he invited me and my roommates to come.
Part II.
a. I believe I brought patience to my team. On the day of the event, I waited at Foodlion for 45 minutes for the manager to get back so we could pick up their donations, only to find out that I didn’t need to speak to that manager, but that I needed to speak to the Bakery manager who was already there. I also had to make two trips to Mr. Jays for bagels because we were not given enough the first time. None of these things I minded doing because in order to reach our goal of having a successful Health Fair, they needed to be done!
b. I can’t think of any specific communication strategies that we used to get the best out of each other. I never found it hard to communicate with my group. We either called each other, e-mailed, or spoke before or after class. We all cooperated with each other and communicated efficiently. I was always very comfortable around my group which I think contributed to us being able to work well together.
c. The biggest pet peeve for me was driving to Bridgewater. Although it was not that far, it was just inconvenient to go there for meetings and that was the only time that we could really communicate with Lindsay.
d. I did not like that Lindsay was not very organized or prepared. It seemed as if everything she did was last minute and we had to remind her what we needed for the fair. She did say that she normally was more prepared than this but given the circumstances she had a lot on her mind. She was still very pleasant to work with and I was still satisfied with our meetings. They just seemed a little less organized than I would have thought.