The Challenges to Reaching Success

It was in the late morning and my friends and I were heading for English class. I took a brief look at my KC3 Project Overview Sheet. It had a list of project tasks, which included the individual, partner, and group portion. I scrolled through and noticed how this project involved the participation of every member in my group. I began to realize the challenges of fulfilling each task.

As I walked into English class, everyone were quietly in their seats awaiting for the agenda to be announced. I took my seat and listened carefully to what was being said. My teacher, Mrs. Sueoka, began to introduce to us the different parts of the KC3 project and how we must be making progress. There were two parts to the project, which are the individual and group portions. Each part required everyone in the group to contribute and to cooperate with each other. There can be no delays nor procrastination since it was a demanding project. Everything had to be done on a specific date and anything done later, will harm the progress of the group.

We dispersed into our groups and followed up on the research we have been doing so far. One of our group members hadn’t even done anything during the past week. He complained that his given subtopic was difficult and hard to comprehend. His subtopic was also one of the major parts to our presentations because its effects brought a great impact to Hawaii. He wanted something simpler and relied on me to change it for him. He told me that he wanted an easier job that would allow him to not stress over the project too much. However, if his subtopic is challenging, it would be difficult for him to present his research. I stressed over this situation and tried to switch subtopics with someone in the group, but they were already comfortable with what they had. It was hard for me to say, but he had to stick with what he was given.

It was 4 in the afternoon and we were still having trouble with his subtopic. I assured him that it wouldn’t be that difficult and that if he does his part of the job, he and the group will be benefitted. The interviews were already scheduled and I needed each member of the group to draft out some questions that they would want answers from. Again, the same person provided me with nothing and was having a difficult time researching for relevant articles. The both of us spent the night seeking for information. I finally found two fully loaded ones and he could only find one.

“Well, I guess that’s better than nothing.”

It was already late and I needed the questions from him. One interview was scheduled for the next day and that was going to be part of our group’s video. I checked my email and he was already signed out from chat. I was furious. I didn’t want to do the work for him because it wasn’t my job. So, I ended up leaving that portion of the video out.

It has been at least a month now and our KC3 essays are nearing their due date. We met up at G201 to do some follow up. I asked him about what he was doing so far and what he has learned.

“I don’t know.”

He appeared so clueless and so dispatched from our conversation. I needed information from him so that I could begin his portion of the video, but he wasn’t even cooperating. He blamed me for his lack of knowledge, so I pressured him even more. I lectured him as best as I could and hoped that what I told him was effective.

That same day, at around 8:00 pm, I looked through how much my group has progressed. Then, something caught me by surprise. That same person who was having a difficulty, had posted his essay up on his blog with pre-detailed information. I was relieved that he actually did some research.

“Now, I can finally cover each of our subtopics in the video!”

The stack had been lifted off my shoulders and I was glad that my lecturing was effective. I finally got his full cooperation.

Currently, our video is nearing completion. Just a few finishing touches will do the job and then, it will be ready for presentation day. I had confidence in all my group members and after all our hard work, everything payed off. Everyone was able to do their part successfully, even though we had a few arguments. The website is looking wonderful and the powerpoint has already been completed. The interactivity is being planned out and the scripting is currently in progression. I have to say, with the full cooperation from each group member and with their determination, we can truly become successful in the things that we do.

Interdependence Essay

Making Connections

One word, big definition - Interdependence. In our every day lives, we have experienced this. It is the act of depending on someone or something. In a sense, the little things that we do affect everyone and the environment. It may be for the better or for the worse. The experiences that we go through are what changes our thinking and activities.

Every single minute of the day, we are relying on someone or something. If we want to get to somewhere, we depend on transportation. If we need or want something, we depend on the stores and malls. So, without them, it's as though we are incomplete. Just like how we need our feet to walk and our eyes to see. These are also the things that help us get through the day. However, the ones who we depend on the most, are the people around us. They are the people who we trust and will support us through thick and thin. People are not the only ones who depend on other people. The most helpless things are what need people to help them throughout their entire lives. They are the animals who are suffering because of, ironically, people like us. So, it makes sense that we need to clean up our own mess. These animals depend on us to survive.

One day, I realized the importance of interdependence. It was the day when I went out to find information for my KC3 project. My group needed a few pictures of the most invasive species in Oahu. I managed to get more than we needed, but as I was out taking pictures, I noticed many things in the environment. At Sand Island, I found more than piles of litter that filled the entire park. There were rusty tires that we thrown about and rotten car parts. The place was deserted and was not luscious green, rather, dehydrated and brown. There were a few feral cats, but many birds. The place that they lived in seemed impossible to survive in. As I walked the area to investigate, I found spam cans, juice bottles, Safeway plastic bags, soda cans, and much more. I caught a sight of a crane picking on the plastic bags and tried to bite on it. There was a van with four men inside. One of them threw a used cigarette bud on the ground and stepped on it. Then, I pondered on what would happen if we didn't do anything to clean the park. The area would be so polluted and filled with ill cats and birds. The park would have no beauty and other than that, the animals would lose their habitat and the food they depend on for survival.

I realized the importance of interdependence. I began to think how wonderful it would be if volunteer groups came together to beautify the park. The animals would be living in a safer and much cleaner environment. More and more of them would be flourishing the park, rather than garbage. They will be healthier and the park would attract more visitors.

Coincidentally, my KC3 project involved interdependence as well. The topic we chose was invasive alien species. In this topic, my group had to search about the different types of species that were deteriorating, ranging from the smallest of creation to the largest. The creatures that are found on Hawaii can not be found anywhere else in the world. However, they are becoming extinct because of humans. We brought in rats, mongooses, and other alien species that became invasive. Now, Oahu's native species, mostly are the birds, are disappearing everyday. We no longer hear their unique calls, since they have lost their habitats and lost against their competition with the more powerful invasive species. So, it is up to us to clean up our own mess. Multiple organizations have come together to evict these invasive species from wherever they are taking over and are trying to breed more of Hawaii's native species. These species are depending on us for survival and for safety. So, we are being depended on in order for these species to gain back the things that used to belong to them and they have lost. In this case, interdependence plays a very important role in every single living thing's life.

Not only do animals depend on people to sustain them, but we as individuals, depend on other people as well. In our every day lives, we look upon someone for our own benefits. I came across this very situation multiple times in my life. Just like this one day that changed my life. It was in the late afternoon of a school day. I was watching the news and was struck by one of the articles. The Philippines was hit by an unfortunate event. A devastating hurricane happened to make a trip to the country. More than 80% of the Philippines has been flooded and the people there have lost every means of living. Their homes have been washed away and everything inside has flowed away with the water. I saw a video of a family that were being carried away by the strong current of the water. There was screaming and crying in the background and I could see a small child that was clinging very tightly to his mother's shirt.

Something has to be done, I thought to myself. They can't just be left out like that without the support from other people. There was a donation that was occurring in school that was going towards helping the cause. I donated from my heart and prayed that the people will be able to gain the things that they need as soon as possible. I watched the news the next day and found our that most of the celebrities were donating thousands of dollars and were giving away all the things they needed, such as slippers, clothes, bags, and importantly, food. Even people from other countries and states decided to pitch in as well. Then, I realized how important it was to have a helping hand. Without the world's help, it would be impossible to reconstruct what Philippines has lost.

Many people have depended on me as well and I have depended on others, too. My friends and classmates look up to me to help them with the simplest things. This would include teaching them how to work something or providing them with the notes they need to get the work done. It is my responsibility to provide these people with the things they need. If I didn't do my responsibility, they would not be benefited. In the end, it all comes down to me and they would learn that I shouldn't be the person they should be seeking for. This can harm their lifestyle and their personal interests.

My family also look up to me to get the job done. At home, I have multiple chores to do and they all can be very tedious. I don't get paid whatsoever and I do these things voluntarily because it is for my own well-being. When I have done everything that I must be finished, I feel complete and I know that I have made my family happy. However, if I didn't do any of my responsibilities, the privileges that I have been given would be taken away and this would cause distress in my family. Everyone would be disappointed in me and I would feel guilty myself. In this case, it would be very hard for one person to gain back their confidence.

Not only have I been depended on, but I have relied on others to help me throughout my life. I looked upon people to provide me with the things I need. This has benefitted me because I know that I can count on that person no matter what happens. During the times when I really need that person, I wouldn't know what to do if they weren't there for me. I would feel empty and helpless. This may affect me emotionally, physically, and mentally. That is why interdependence is important in my every day life. Without it, I wouldn't be getting anywhere.

Throughout my everyday experiences, I have learned to be very thankful and not to be so high-pride. I noticed how the entire world evolved around interdependence. In a way, we become a better person. We learn from each other and from our mistakes. We learn about how to care for each other and to take action when someone is in trouble. And when the day is over, we feel more refreshed and happy because we know that we did something that helped the other person or thing. On the other hand, when we are being the one depended on, we feel good because we know that that person can depend on us for everything and we know that we can provide with them the things that they need. In our inner selves, if we have been successful, we have every reason to be proud of ourselves. Not only have I improved myself, but I have learned how to become a better person. So, in the end of the day, we can pat ourselves on the back and be relieved to know that we did good.

Interdependence is what helps mold all of us to become the person we are today. We depend on other people and other things and they depend upon us as well. We lean on each other's shoulders because we feel like we can trust them. We know that they will be able to provide us with the things we need in order for us to survive in this world. Without the people or things that we depend on, it would be impossible for us to get through this sinful world. We wouldn't know what to do in life and we would be completely lost. We would be out of our minds and going crazy looking for what we need. That's why every human feels the need to have their own guardian angel. We create personal relationships with each other that makes us feel complete.

Journal #18: Interdependence and Empathy

a) Empathy means that you understand and you know what the person is going through/feeling. You can put yourself into their shoes.

b) When my friend was arguing about this person in school, who I have no knowledge of, I began to feel the same emotions. She told me how bad and mean the person was and I began to develop anger inside of me. I felt like I wanted to punch whoever that person is.

c) SS: We learned about segregation between the Caucasians/Europeans and the Asians. The Caucasians and Europeans were allies and they were always the one who had authority and had complete control over how they wanted to treat their people, which were the Asians. The Asians were the ones who were seen as the most unskilled. This occurred during the plantation days.

SC: We are doing this Ecybermission project, but we haven't chosen our topic yet. However, this project does deal with empathy because we are supposed to be doing our project on a current issue in Oahu that is yet to be solved. And in order to be able to solve these issues, we need to be able to have a full understanding of it. Instead of feeling sorry for our environment, we actually know how the environment is feeling, i.e. we know what the environment is undergoing.

LA: We are doing this KC3 Project and the topic that we chose was "Invasive alien species." This topic involved empathy because the native species who were once flourishing the islands of Hawaii are dying out. They are still here, but most of them are already extinct. The few that are still living in the island are suffering diseases caused my mosquitoes, loss of habitat, loss of food, and are dying out day by day. Now, these invasive alien species that were brought in overseas have been flourishing our island as of today and are taking over the natural beauty of the island.

a) Interdependence is the act of depending on someone or something. The things that we do affect the well-being of others and the environment. For example, if we litter, our oceans will become filthy and the animals will not be able to survive, eventually, the oceans can no longer support us.

b) Instead of polluting our oceans, air, and our Earth, I decided that I'd rather help improve the horrid conditions of our planet. So, in a sense, our planet is depending on us to help it survive. So, just by doing these little things, we can make a big difference. Now, if everyone or majority of people came together to help in volunteer projects, then we can greatly improve our planet and alter the minds of those who have no care. Another experience was when I needed a helping hand from someone for a problem that I was undergoing.

c) SS: We learned about the challenges that the people had to suffer during the plantation days. The Asians demonstrated interdependence because they depended on the Caucasians and Europeans to supply them with the basic living that they needed. They were the ones who had to provide them with food, water, electricity, housing, clothing, some spending money, and they had to pay for their personal taxes. They also needed money so that they could bring some back to their homeland and make a better living. However, this didn't happen. They were paid very low and suffered harsh living conditions. So, they depended on the government to improve their living and for higher pay.

SC: In our Ecybermission project, the topic that we have chosen depends on us to find the solutions.

LA: In our KC3 projects, we are learning interdependence because the topic that my group chose, which is invasive alien species, involves this. We learned that Hawaii's ecosystems, which include underwater sea creatures and plants and land creatures and plants, depends on us to make a difference. Our native species are getting extinct and these invasive alien species are beginning to take over Hawaii. So, these many organizations are coming together to evict these alien species and to breed more of Hawaii's native species.