Less "Me" and More "We"

This week in capstone we learned all about teamwork. This is an important element in the world of broadcasting because everything runs by the work of many. Each week we produce a show called the County Line, where we present local news, sports, and feature stories to the community. Putting together a show like this each week takes an immense amount of preparation, skill, and teamwork. In order to learn a thing or two about teamwork, our capstone class met with members of Titan Traverse who put us to the challenge.

We started off by pairing up with another person and introduced them to the rest of the group by using our creative skills. We were given paper, markers, and play-dough and were instructed to use the materials in any way to help us describe our partner. After introducing our partners and playing a few quick games, our real challenge was presented to us. The members of Titan Traverse set up a smaller version of The Amazing Race. After being separated into two teams, we were given instructions and then began our race. The race included a scavenger hunt for clues, a puzzle, an obstacle course, and a blindfold game. Unfortunately, my team fell far behind on the puzzle part and we were unable to catch up. After my team finally finished we talked together as a group on how teamwork relates to and is used in our major.

I found this race to be exciting, fun, and challenging all at the same time. One thing I realized about myself is that I am a very competitive person. I use to play sports in high school and I was always competitive then, but I never thought I would be so competitive in something so small as a Titan Traverse activity. I found myself sprinting across the quad as fast as I could to get to the next clue. I also found myself becoming frustrated when members of my team would step on an object during the obstacle course causing us to start all over. However, I feel that a competitive spirit is a good quality to have, especially in broadcasting. Television shows, newspapers, and magazines are all about ratings and competition. When you're not number one your constantly striving to be number one. However, I realize that although I'm a competitive person who really wants to win, sometimes it takes more than just one person to be successful. This is where teamwork comes in.

In order for a television show to be successful and gain ratings everyone must work together and do their part to achieve this common goal. Without the producer there would be no one to produce, without the director there would be no one to direct, without the reporters there would be no one to report, and so on. It's important for each person to do their part, but it's also important to communicate with the rest of the team. I feel that The Amazing Race activity really brought a new light to the definition of teamwork. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses; however we all have the same goal. In order to accomplish that goal we must work together as a team.