CPW Blog: Winter Reflections & Amanda's Farewell

Trafton B.

March 11, 2011 - 2:13 PM

It's officially the last day of classes for Winter 2011, and this morning's CPW class put a proper end to ten weeks of hard work. According to the syllabus it was Reflection & Peer Feedback day. Might sound a little hokey to some - I mean, that's what I thought when I first noticed it a couple weeks ago - but today was without question my favorite day of CPW and possibly of the entire quarter.

First, we started out with a classic game of "Cross the Line." My classmates and I stood in two lines across from each other while Amanda, one of our two teachers/senior project mangers, posed several questions asking about what we've learned or accomplished throughout the term. The game is fairly simple, if you answer ‘yes' to any of the questions, you take a step forward.

Questions included things like: "Do you feel that your public speaking skills have increased this term?" "Have you spent time with your teammates outside of CPW?" "Has your project manager ever sent more than ten emails to you in one week?" "Did you practice any of your presentations by reciting your part out loud, by yourself, somewhere in your home?" Naturally, the majority of the class stepped forward for each question. I know I've made a lot of progress in CPW since being introduced as the "token undergrad" on the first day of class, and I'm glad to see that my classmates have been working hard to develop themselves as professionals as well.

For the next portion of the class, we split up into groups to discuss common topics and challenges that teams face over the course of their project. Here's the kicker, though, each group had to develop a short skit about the ideas they heard about their topic. Now I knew we had a lot of talented planners in this class, but I was blown away by the creativity and character of each of these skit.

We had a rap about the uncertainties associated with the iterative process of city planning. There was an interpretive dance about team cohesion and the need to understand your teammates' work habits to optimize your team's working potential. And, finally, we saw a skit about politely dealing with clients who like to change the scope of a project every other week without seeming too frustrated. I honesty could not stop laughing.

Finally, despite the already fun-filled morning, Bethany, our other teacher/senior project manager, had one more activity planned for us, and specifically for Amanda, who will sadly be leaving CPW after next week to move to Portland with her husband to start their own business. So, in order to honor her dedication, or dare I say legacy with CPW, Bethany decided to surprise Amanda with some kind words and a send-off inspired by one of Amanda's favorite movies, Disney's Up.

At precisely 9:28AM, as per Bethany's orders, the entire class stopped what we were doing and silently walked out of the room. Moments later we walked back into the room each holding an individual balloon as we circled up around Amanda, who stood in the center of the room with a stunned smile across her face. Amanda's husband, colleagues in the PPPM department, and even one of her old CPW team member's from when she was a grad student were all in attendance.

The classes ended with each of us saying one story, thank you, or any sort of comment showing our appreciation for Amanda. Laughter, tears and tenderness filled the room. And, it's impossible to sum up everyone's words into a single sentence, but from what was shared I will say this:

Amanda, your passion and enthusiasm will be sorely missed, as will the unrelenting support that you offered each of us. We wish you the best of luck in your future adventures and there isn't a single person in that room that questions how successful you will be. Thank you.