After reading “Together Each Achieves More” by Jessica Ding, I paused and looked around my table. Everyone had their head down, busy reading. What makes this class run so smoothly? Was it the teacher or the students? Jessica’s memoir featured her school’s orchestra rehearsal for the upcoming concert. At the beginning of the rehearsal, the group ran into quite a few obstacles. Sophia, a member of the band, caused quite an uproar when she made mistakes. This made me remember a time when my seventh grade science class failed the grasp the concept of triangulation, the process of finding the epicenter of an earthquake. Many of us had questions, but the few that had learned this previously rolled their eyes.
Merriam Webster’s definition of the word “together” is to be in or into one group, mixture, or piece. My table consists of six other girls and we all come from different backgrounds. I can proudly say we all get along very well, whether it’s borrowing a pen to giving peer feedback on our writing. Jessica writes, “we need to show our potential as a team, which you are all a part of. A team cooperates. Together, each achieves more.” Members of a team help each other our, much like an orchestra. Jessica raises a good point when she says, “I made eye-contact with a violinist. She couldn’t play what I could, and vice versa, but she could play her part and well, and I would mine.” A basketball player couldn’t play the role of a point guard and defense another player at the same time. Even the best shooter must pass the ball. Our society is based off of fashion events and red carpet events. However, this has created the fashion industry. Thousands of people work together to pull off a stunning red carpet event.
The point of Jessica’s story is that we need each other. We rely on each other, and when we do, good things happen. Being on a team is like a trust fall exercise. Trust each other and fall. We’ll catch you.