Day: September 26, 2018

This past weekend, Mr. van der Merwe and Michel, TASOK’s plumber, sacrificed a significant slice of their weekend to tackle a preventable problem in our pod. One of the toilets was clogged after someone flushed a light switch down the drain.

While not very nice for Mr. van der Merwe and Michel, it provided a perfect opportunity for us to invite real life problem solvers in as our guests. During their time with us, they gave us some insight into the function (process) of problem solving, allowed us to see the connection of the process applied to multiple contexts, and provided us with some perspective by encouraging us to consider how someone’s “solution” can be another person’s problem.

We are grateful for their willingness to share their experience and to challenge us to think about how our choices impact others. As scholars who consider different points of view, it was important for us to think about how our actions affect others and at times create unnecessary and preventable problems. This was a powerful message!

Here’s a peek at the problem they faced and the process required to fix it. (Photo credit: Mr. van der Merwe)

We are grateful for their selfless service and for their willingness to tackle even the toughest problems.

 

After several hours work, they were able to answer the question posted in the French room… “You may go to the toilet as Michel the plumber has repaired it.”

Below are some additional photos of our time with Mr. van der Merwe and Michel.