2 Scene 2. A Horse?
Linor David
ELAINE: Hi hi hi! Sorry I’m late! Ohhh, we are going to do so well on this project! Want candy? I have red, green, blue.
CAS: Yes! Let’s get going already.
TRACEY: I don’t really understand what we are supposed to do here. And this table is so sticky and gross. I don’t want to meet in the caf anymore.
MICHAEL: But what about my pizza needs? I need my..
TRACEY: You’ll live.
MICHAEL: (waving to a friend) Hey man? What’s up?
SOHA: Ok-we are all here. Let’s start. Who has read the assignment?
ELAINE: Me. (long pause) Anyone else? Soha?
SOHA: Not yet. But I think I know what we’re supposed to do. I was thinking maybe we make a horse.
ELAINE: A horse?(looks at her phone)
SOHA: Can you not facetime your mom right now Elaine?
ELAINE: I’m sorry. She worries about me. But I love horses! I got to ride one this summer!
MICHAEL: Isn’t it something about group work and a statue?
TRACEY: I thought there was something religious about it. Right- spiritual? Which is weird ‘cause what does religion have to do with group work?
CAS: That doesn’t seem right. I don’t remember anything religious from last time. Elaine?
ELAINE: Me? I don’t know what you are talking about anymore.
SOHA: Yeah, because you are still on your phone.
ELAINE: No, because you talk so fast all the time.
CAS: Ok, Elaine. You read the assignment. Can you tell us what the assignment actually says.
ELAINE: Ok. So here it says, “You need to work together as a group to build a sculpture that represents the ‘Spirit of College’. Each group will present on their group process”. I think that means how we worked together. Also it says, “You will receive a group mark, and you must show evidence that all the group members participated in the project”.
TRACEY: Ok- so we need to figure out how we are going to work together and what we are doing for the sculpture and who is doing what. I feel overwhelmed.
CAS: Wait, so what are we meeting about?
MICHAEL: I don’t know- why don’t you tell us (nods at Soha) you seem to have all the ideas. Neigh!!
SOHA: (rolls eyes) Right, so first we need an idea. We all know that we need to design a sculpture that represents the ‘Spirit of College’.
(everyone nods)
MICHAEL: I can’t. What even is the ‘Spirit of College’?
CAS: No clue either. Do we have spirit? I keep trying to get things going on campus and there doesn’t seem to be much spirit around here.
SOHA: I told you before, I have an idea. We make a horse. Like the our mascots, the Colts.
TRACEY: Ok
CAS: Sure
ELAINE: I like horses
MICHAEL: Yo fam. For real, we can’t think of anything else?
Instructions
In this scene help the group come up with ideas for their project. Each character should share at least one idea. Don’t judge each other, instead expand and elaborate on each other’s ideas.
Key Takeaways
- Groupthink happens when a group decides on an idea before taking the time to contemplate and hear out other ideas. In this situation, Soha suggests creating a horse for their project and the group agrees to it without offering up other ideas or questioning her idea. Groupthink often occurs because group members do not want to upset others by not going along with their ideas or if they do not feel prepared to participate in a constructive way.
- Group work requires preparation. To become a valued contributor to the group requires each member to be prepared. In this group everyone expected the other members to have done the work of reading the assignment beforehand. Between them they had a confused and unclear idea of what they were meant to do. In a well functioning group each member has a strong idea of they are expected to achieve.
Discussion Questions
- How does Michael help prevent the group from groupthink?
- How does brainstorming improve the quality of ideas? Consider how different backgrounds and experiences can increase creativity and originality.
- The group encounters a problem when trying to problem solve. They realize they don’t know what problem they are trying to solve because they don’t know what the project is about. Who identifies the problem? What would have happened if they group began immediately working on it without taking the first step?
