Introduction

During this semester. I developed many strengths and learned how to improve in many different aspects. Overall, I enjoyed the semester, each discussion and assignment helped me build character and attain more knowledge. I overcame being introverted and learned how to participate more in group discussions, while also practicing my communication skills. When it came to group discussions, I learned how to not only be an active listener but also participate, while giving and getting feedback. Going into the second semester I want to continue to develop better communication skills while also improving my team-building skills so I can be more engaged and get the key concepts of CODES 120.

Goal 1 (25%)

10c: Quantitative Literacy

Uses Quantitative information to support arguments and draw logical conclusions. 

“I believe the term wicked problem is a broad term created for different problems. Some with different factors and resolutions I disagree with the aspect of a wicked problem, to one individual it might be very different for another individual, especially when it comes to the aspect and severity of the problem and issue.

The six characteristics are a great way to take a deeper dive and look at problems. I disagree with the sixth characteristic which is urgent. Urgency is different for everyone, what might be urgent or important to one person, can be non-urgent or insignificant to another. Everyone views things differently. This source is a little subjective to me because problems and solutions are different for everyone and everywhere. After all, each person lives a different life and grows up in different areas.

Two situations in the book that I can compare are “the Mexican farmers and the Worst Global Coffee Crisis in History” and “The 2007-2008 Food Crisis: Holistic Thinking Cascading Effects and Multiple Scales”. Both of these can be considered a wicked problem but each problem has different characteristics and different resolutions. Both situations have different issues, locations, and time sequences. To some coffee distribution and problems might serve as important and be considered a wicker problem, to others it isn’t as important. I don’t think it’s important. It’s more so a minor issue, the food crisis was way more important to me. Food is essential to human life, but coffee isn’t, without food or the proper access to to. It comes down to life or death. Going back this relates to what I said earlier some things are urgent and others aren’t.

Overall the text did have good information and sources and each example was educational and important in its own way. I just don’t agree with the “wicked problem” term when it comes to certain situations.”

In Source Analysis one I was able to use the information given in the textbook to make arguments and conclusions surrounding the concept of a “wicked problem” and even create arguments about several wicked problems that were mentioned in the textbook. While using the information given and my prior knowledge to conclude the wicked problems given. With the spring semester coming, I hope to do work with my research team that will show quantitative literacy and will help me support my goal more.

Goal 2 (20%)

13b: Written Communication 

Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to illustrate mastery of the subject, conveying the writer’s understanding and shaping the whole work. 

“I always enjoy movies that depict real stories and events. The movie helped me gain more knowledge and information on the Flint water crisis. I didn’t know it lasted so long. Also, I didn’t know that lead and contaminated water can cause so many side effects. Things such as hair loss, miscarriages, and even cancer were all caused by the contaminated lead water. 

Watching the movie helped me better appreciate organizations like Heartland and JJK Fan for the work and effort they put into surrounding low-income communities that go through similar issues. The movie also gave me better insight and a clear perspective on water equity as a whole and how detrimental not having clean and safe water can be for humans and wildlife. It can have a mental, physical, and emotional effect on their everyday life. 

The article “The Poisoning Of An American City’ gave great information, while also including emotion and real-life accounts. Using witnesses from Flint and showing the impact it had on them and their lives. Poison water is something Americans shouldn’t have to deal with. It should be free and healthy. The residents of Flint dealt with something they shouldn’t have to endure. The poisonous water caused long-lasting effects on residents mentally, physically, and emotionally. It affected their bloodstream, bones, and brain, and many of the Flint residents are still dealing with the health problems the lead and contamination caused. The government also failed the residents, they could have changed the water system or filtered the system better for the residents. The article and movie showed how the system failed them and how little attention is given to poor communities. Action isn’t taken until it’s too late. Overall both the movie and article intrigued me and gave me deeper knowledge.”

In Source Analysis Two I was able to illustrate the mastery of the movie and article, using the content and research provided to me. I created an analysis that was concise and clear while also stating my claim and opinion with the evidence from both pieces of work. 

Goal 3 (20%)

4a: Global Learning 

Adapts and applies a deep understanding of multiple worldviews, experiences, and power structures while initiating meaningful interaction with other cultures to address significant global problems. 

Lack of clean water was a wicked problem citizens of the community in Jackson, Mississippi had to face for multiple days. This issue showed all six characteristics of a wicked problem: vague problem definition, undefined solution, no end point, irreversible, unique, and urgent. Like most things, this was a cause-and-effect situation, but the effects left an irreversible mark in the community of Jackson, Mississippi. Youtube Video 

This issue all began in late July 2022. It started at Jackson’s Curtis Water Treatment Plant.  According to CNN, the water treatment plant pumps were damaged, causing them to use smaller backup pumps, which couldn’t maintain the original water flow. On August 9th the city of Jackson decided to pull the pumps offline, limiting how much water residents of Jackson, Mississippi received and also lowering the water pressure of the little to no water that they did receive. To add to the issue, a rainstorm flooded the Pearl River causing the storm water to mix with the natural water, then causing issues with treating the water and creating a chemical imbalance within the water pipes. The water plant is how residents of Jackson, Mississippi receive “clean water” with a chemical imbalance that makes it hard for residents to get clean water. 

Image from CNN “National Guard sergeants fill gallons for a resident at a public water distribution site last year after cold weather caused large numbers of water outages in Jackson, Mississippi. Rory Doyle/Reuters”.

According to CNN, the lack of resources and water issues affected all of Jackson’s communities, but 82.5% of that community is African American. Diversity and geographic location are the main factors that contribute to a vague problem definition. This highlights the fact that the Jackson, Mississippi water crisis is a wicked problem. There is a lack of resources due to the geographic location of the water crisis and the race of the residents that live there. The lack of resources and geographical location not only makes this a vague problem but also makes this matter urgent. Water is a resource needed to do simple life essentials such as showering, brushing, and even cooking. Not having those resources makes this water crisis urgent and harder for residents in lower income areas. Living in lower income areas already comes with a lack and struggle for resources, the water crisis just adds more trouble to the problem. 

150,000 citizens went without clean water. The first solution was being on a boil-water alert, which started a month before the event happened and only made matters worse. While facing this water issue, residents still had to pay a water bill every month, which was unjust and immoral because they were paying for something they weren’t fully receiving. Plus, for any water they did use or consume, they had to boil it before use, making this issue unique because not only did they have to go to extra lengths to use water they also had limited access to water. Organizations and stores came together and gave out cases of water bottles to residents of Jackson, but this wasn’t a solution for everyone. According to NPR many residents of Jackson didn’t have cars or were too far away from locations to get water, and when residents went to receive the water they had to stand in line for hours when they finally got to the front of the line all the water was gone and the store was out of stock, this highlights the second characteristics of a wicked problem undefined solution. Many solutions were created but one definite solution didn’t work for all the residents of Jackson, each solution had different factors that caused problems for residents. The government eventually called in the National Guard to help with disturbing water, but citizens still had to live in dreadful conditions. 

Image From CNN Quad Johnson, center, 24, from Jackson, carries packages of bottled water to cars at a water distribution site at Grove Park Community Center in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 31, 2022. Austin Steele/CNN.

The pipes and infrastructure were already old and aging, failing residents of Jackson, and this was an issue that had gone so far that it’s now irreversible and causing no endpoint to the wicked problem. Before the flooding of the Pearl River, the water plant also faced another issue with the water system.  To make matters worse and add to the wicked problem the citizens of Jackson also faced an E. coli outbreak in their water infrastructure and now the pumps are damaged. Again, this highlights one of the characteristics of a wicked problem, which would be having no endpoint, because no matter what, another problem always resurfaces. This matter was already serious but became more urgent when residents couldn’t shower, wash dishes, drink water, or flush their toilets. Essential things and aspects of life that are a crucial part of residents’ everyday lives become hard and impossible to do because of the lack of clean water. This problem became unique and urgent and started to affect residents’ health and living conditions. According to Journalist CNN Theresa Waldrop, schools had to switch to virtual learning because the lack of water and water pressure affected the air conditioners, leaving the schools with no AC. With Jackson being a southern state and a hotter state that was a big issue for students and teachers of the Jackson, Mississippi school system. 

Most of Jackson’s areas are poor or poverty-stricken, making the Jackson, Mississippi water crisis more catastrophic. This issue is also expensive. According to the mayor of Jackson, it will cost two billion dollars to repair the pumps and pipes and to fix the issue. Even while repairing the pipes and the water system, it will still affect the everyday life of citizens in Jackson. The repairs will take years to fix and even while fixing they can cause more damage or make matters worse. Jackson. The Mississippi water crisis was a devastating crisis that affected residents mentally, emotionally, and physically. It’s just one of thousands of water equity issues in the world and it shows how water is such a fundamental part of human life and how not having it can affect your everyday life. 

Work Cited

Krishnakumar, Priya, and Christopher Hickey. “Tea leaves unread: Jackson’s water crisis follows years of economic decline.” CNN, 2 September 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/us/jackson-water-crisis-demographics-population-decline/index.html. Accessed 16 September 2024.

Waldrop, Theresa. “It’s been 5 days without reliable tap water for Jackson, Mississippi. Here’s what we know about the latest repairs – and how people are coping.” CNN, 2 September 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/02/us/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis-what-we-know/index.html. Accessed 16 September 2024.

Brown, Maya. “‘Water is a human right’: City of Jackson still in dire need of infrastructure help to fight water crisis.” CNN, 19 April 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/us/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis/index.html. Accessed 16 September 2024.

Breslow, Jason. “The Jackson, Mississippi water crisis follows years of systemic problems.” NPR, 31 August 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/08/31/1120166328/jackson-mississippi-water-crisis. Accessed 16 September 2024.

In Multimodal Composition 1 I was able to do research which allowed me to get a deep understanding of the issue from multiple views, while also being able to learn about the different experiences everyone endured. I was able to address a significant global problem, investing time and effort to create a writing piece that not only represents the problem but also the people who endured it. As we continue and I get to do work with my community partner I hope to have meaningful interactions so I can help and address other problems.

Also, in Multimodal Composition 2 I did research that allowed me to get a deeper understanding and mindset of the issue, and the work well will continue to do in the second semester. With semester two coming along, I hope to continue to gain understanding and knowledge while also creating meaningful interactions that will all address the problem.

Goal 4 (20%)

9b: Problem Solving 

Identifies and evaluates multiple approaches for solving the problem 

Using Miro-board and also group discussions solving the concept of “wicked problem” or water equity was something often talked about, and solutions were discussed. As the semester goes on and I get to work with my research team, and I work with Heartland’s/JJK Fan I hope to solve and evaluate more problems so I can add more artifacts to support my goal. Also, I hope to later add Multimodal Composition 2 to this category to support my goal because with that project I’m able to identify the problem, drivers, and stakeholders and hopefully come up with solutions. 

Goal 5 (15%)

12b: Collaboration 

Facilitates collaborators’ contributors by building upon their contributors and noticing when someone is not participating and inviting them to engage.

As the semester grew, I continued to show the aspects of collaboration with the writing process of MC2. While doing MC2 I had to collaborate with my team members and make sure we held each other accountable for our work. When members weren’t engaging or showing up, I learned how to respectfully advocate for them and our team. MC2 helped me develop better communication and teamwork skills.