Wordwise by Monsoon Musings was a literary event where participants were given a platform to present their literary pieces. Being interested in literature and trying to explore my organization skills, I volunteered to handle the logistics of the event where I was helping in things like decor, event management, and more.
LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
At the start, we were asked to be in one of the 2 teams for the event, either language or logistics. The language team had to proofread the pieces, write the hosting speech and manage other literacy-related tasks while the logistics had to manage the decor, coordinate with participants/staff, and do similar tasks. I knew that I had an upper hand in logistics over language therefore I chose that team. Apart from working on my strength, I tried to work on my weakness by helping a little in proofreading. Overcoming this weakness would also help me further in managing such events as well as academically.
LO2:Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
During the entire process, there were several challenges that were faced by us. One of the biggest was the decor. We had very little budget and time in hand to decide the decor. We wanted to do something new but also keep up with the essence of monsoon musings as a legacy. With a lot of hard work, our team overcame the challenge. We did so by using old resources and combining them with new ones. We made the best use of available resources like making hangings out of waste paper. I juggled between this event and academic deadlines by using a timetable. I was also able to take out extra time for the event by attending school for extra hours (early in) and dedicating my free slots to this. I improved my time management skills through this experience which will help me a lot in the future.
LO3:Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Planning the event was one of the main reasons we had a successful event. In order to make sure that things were running smoothly, we made a timeline and a checklist where all the tasks were mentioned along with who was responsible for them. The literary team planned the flow of the event according to the topics of the literary pieces in a way that the audience does not get bored while the logistics team had to ensure that the decor was done,the stalls were final, and more.
LO4:Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
We had started planning the event at the last of term 1, before the Diwali vacations because the event was soon after the school reopened for term 2. As the planning started, we were also busy with exam preparations which is why a lot of work was left to be done. Committing to the event, our team met outside school hours during vacations and completed planning the event so that execution can be done easily in school.
LO5:Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
Despite lack of time and budget, we were able to conduct a successful event because of hard teamwork. As a team, we worked together by identifying every individual’s strengths and skills and putting them to the best use. Like getting divided into 2 groups of logistics and language, we also divided the tasks internally. If one team member was responsible for coordinating with the school management, the other was responsible to get the resources from them and using them properly. By working collaboratively, we were able to complete every task in hand without taking a lot of stress or workload.
LO7:Recognize the ethics of choices and actions
The entire decor of the event was based on the concept of sustainability. We were adamant about using materials that were safe for the environment and only opting for alternatives if there is no other option. Fortunately, we were able to stick to our goal by using decorative items from previous events, using handmade, and using materials like jute and cloth which can be reused later on.
Evidence:
Playlist of the event: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Yna4g2Yc2u723c-qqFWxfJ2sqYKZMB6
