RMHS takes RWPS

Editor's Note: This article fuses one of our very own Orbit member's experiences throughout Real World Problem Solving this year, with many of the opinions of the greater student body of the junior class.

The week leading up to midterms is always filled with stress and anxiety. However, as a junior these feelings were replaced with a sense of relief because instead of taking exams we would be taking part in Real World Problem Solving (RWPS). Going into RWPS, I did not know much about the program, but I was excited to not take midterms, while experiencing something new. Fellow participant Lauren Blasi agreed, explaining, “It was good because we didn’t have to deal with the stress of midterms, on top of all of the stress we have this year.”

The first day started with the stressful experience of finding out our groups, as multitudes of students crowded Main Street to see their group members. After spending some time meandering my way towards the front, I finally found out my group and was pleasantly surprised. However, some students did not have as pleasant of an experience as I, as explained by Nora Jerrett, “It all depends on your group, and if you have a group that is not willing to do the work, you’re out of luck.” After everyone knew their groups, we were then divided in half and half of the groups went to the field house to take part in team bonding games.

These included activities such as the human knot, which was particularly difficult for my group. The other half stayed in the Performing Arts Center to watch a short video about a company’s techniques for solving given problems. Although the video was interesting, everyone was antsy about finding out what their problem was going to be. Considering everyone’s anticipation, each group received a binder with their case study after lunch.

My group had case study six, which was about protecting intellectual property. After two hours of brainstorming we came up with three solutions. The next two days were consumed with making a slide show, videos, a poster, and a website. My group had more than enough time to finish and edit our work. However, I wish that we would have been able to leave campus, as were just sitting in our designated classrooms. Other students faced similar issues regarding their lack of off-campus mobility, “The rules are too strict, making field research way too difficult,” said Jerrett. Julia Jack agreed, saying, “The teachers intervened too much, and their wasn’t enough freedom to actually go out and solve our problems.”

On Friday, each group set up their poster and materials on their tables and presented their solutions to a panel of judges, as well as their peers. Although this was intimidating at first, it became easier and I felt like a true professional by the end. Anna Barbo experienced this similar fear, “I was excited to show off my group’s work, but it was still nerve-wracking!” She continued, agreeing with its value despite the intimidation, “I felt as though it helped me to learn how to speak better in front of crowds, which was never a strength for me in the past.”

Each day I was excited to go to school and work on my group’s project because I didn't have to worry about tests or quizzes. RWPS allowed me to apply everything I had learned in school up to the point, in the real world. Although it was difficult to interpret the case study and figure out how to solve the given problem in a feasible, viable, and desirable way, it allowed everyone to apply their knowledge in a realistic setting. However, I wish that the problems involved more ethical and political questions, such as school shootings or the Syrian Refugee issue. These problems would have allowed us to think about worldwide issues and share our opinions with peers that we wouldn’t usually interact with. I am glad that I was able to take part in RWPS and I hope that RMHS includes more programs similar to it into the school year for all grades to add a new, dynamic aspect to education.