The Essence of Teamwork

Day 5 of the SUSI program for civic engagement was very interesting. This day had team building as a vocal point, and we got to know and trust each other in a different setting. We started the day off by going to a park in order to do low-ropes activities. These activities were mainly about working together as a group in order to solve difficult exercises. An example is having to have all teammates move from one tree to another by balancing on ropes that are a foot or two above the ground. In order to succeed the activities, a lot of teamwork and communication was needed. Understanding that we had to listen to each other and the fact that the team knew everyone had their own special capability helped us significantly. I would say that this is the essence of teamwork.

After this intensive morning, we had our first touristic activity of the program. Our group went to the South Carolinian state house where we had a tour of the building and its history. We were informed about the politics in the state and how the trias politica in the state are organized. Next to the function of the building, the history of South Carolina was explained. It was very interesting to hear how the state’s history was formed through various battles and people and how this again affects the citizens today. Even though American history is significantly shorter than European history, it does not mean that it is less impactful.

It has been a very special day that has educated us on trusting each other and has also educated us on the history of South Carolina. On to the next day!