A little collaboration between Gustavus students and local students in Kopal, India!
On a walk the other day, my friend discovered a great insight. She said, “If there is one thing that Gustavus has trained me to do, it’s how to collaborate.” We had been talking about our futures, as seniors in their final semester often do. My friend is a dancer, and I understood her comment immediately in the context of dance. And, the more I think about it, I find this insight rings true for myself across all of my interests. At Gustavus, I have had first-class training in collaboration.
Collaboration isn’t always a favorite. Take, for instance, group projects. Many people throughout college, even high school and middle school, have equated “group project” with “frustration,” and there is some truth to it. To coordinate a group project is to work a miracle. Dividing the work between group members, making sure all the work is done on time, and when everyone has a busy schedule, it’s almost impossible to get everyone in the same room at the same time! And don’t get me started on slackers. Someone always seems to be carrying the load without help from other group members (I’m sure I’ve been on both sides of this spectrum at some point). Group projects can simply be a pain in the butt.
Collaboration is not always simple, and at a community like Gustavus, by design, we are always learning to work together.
I am apart of the Servant Leadership Program here, and I work closely with a group of 5 other people. It’s an eclectic group: a Communication Studies major, an English and Religion double major, a Spanish and Management double major, a Biology major headed for Medical school, a Psychology major, and myself, a Community Development major, all in the same room. Spending time with this group of people has been one of the best experiences of my Gustavus career. We are conducting Community-Based Research in order to find ways to make our volunteer programs more effective, a huge task! One that would have been much more difficult had one person been asked to carry it alone. All of the skills in my tool belt would not begin to cover the range of skill needed to see the project to the end. In all our uniqueness, for the most part, we speak the same language. At other times, we’re not able to agree on anything, we get distracted, and the work becomes frustrating. But when our focus is on allowing each person’s skills to contribute to the final product, we are amazed at the quality of ideas, proposals, and projects that we produce. The same can be said for any team: basketball, a task force or committee, a youth group, or any circle of friends. Speaking of, our Men’s Basketball and Men and Women’s Hockey have been showing some pretty awesome collaboration in their National appearances as well.
We work in groups because nothing is accomplished alone and the work of a group can transcend the work of any single person. When people with different gifts and diverse skills come together to accomplish a goal, creativity knows no bounds. The Gustavus community has a knack for helping students work together, which is both challenging and rewarding. And out in the wide world, it is groups of people with diverse interests that are working together every day. With practice, group work doesn’t have to be frustrating, and can be satisfying. What better way to prepare to enter a diverse world?
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My name is Ben Batz, I’m a part of the Sesquicentennial class at Gustavus. I will graduate with an Individualized Major in Global Community Development. Born and Raised in Bloomington, MN, my parents, Paul ’85 and Melinda Batz ’86 are Gustie grads and it has been a thrill to carry on the tradition with my sister Katie ’13. I sing tenor in the Gustavus Choir, have been active in the Center for Servant Leadership, the Diversity Center, the Department of Theatre and Dance as well as a number of student led organizations. Feel free to connect with me: bbatz@gustavus.edu