Who would you save on a sinking ship activity

The Lifeboat

The Situation

You and the following people are on a sinking cruise ship that was headed to the Bahamas. As your ship is sinking, you spot an island and believe that you are close enough to reach it in a lifeboat. However, there are 14 of you left alive, but only room for 6 in the lifeboat (that is you plus 5 more). Those that go in the lifeboat will probably make it to the island where they will try to survive until they are rescued. Those that are left on the sinking cruise ship will likely go down with the ship and die. You are one of the officers of the cruise ship and the highest ranking survivor. You are given the responsibility of deciding who remains on the ship and who goes aboard the lifeboat.

Part 1

· You have to decide the order in which you would save the people on the sinking ship. Place an “X” next to the 5 people you would choose to go in the lifeboat.

· Then, on a separate piece of paper write the reason why you chose each person.

*This is the only information you have on the following people.*

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are” - Roy Disney

My Choice

People/Description

Lola – She is a 19 year old go-go dancer who was on the boat to relax from her recent breast augmentation surgery. She suffers from clinical depression and has had 2 suicide attempts but none in at least a year.

Mary Anne – She is a 45 year old experienced nurse and single mother with 2 school aged children at home however they are living with her sister due to a Child Protective Services because she is an active alcoholic.

Billy – He is a 16 year old boy on probation for stealing money from old ladies. He is very charming, friendly and helpful when he wants to be but cannot be trusted.

Dr. Storch – He is a 55 college professor who is in good health except he has a prosthetic leg from a car accident. He is very intelligent but likes to throw his knowledge in everyone’s face as he is a bit arrogant.

Sheena – She is 22 and is an ex- fitness instructor with an athletic build however she is HIV positive. She has a 2 year old daughter who is not on board the ship.

Mickey – Mickey is in his mid 60’s and is unemployed cocaine addict, however he is unusually strong from years of street fighting and working on the docks.

Shane – Shane is a genius age 39 with a degree in cellular biology, making breakthroughs in his work on a cure for cancer but he is in a wheelchair and he comes across as selfish and rude.

Tom – He is 41 and a hero from both gulf wars but he hears voices when he isn’t medicated.

Cindy – Cindy is a 70 year old retired schoolteacher with 4 adult children and 15 grandchildren. She also is an expert chef and homemaker. Cindy is a chronic smoker and just found out she has lung cancer.

Barry – He is in his late 20’s and has survival techniques from his years as a hired mercenary. He angers easily with a short temper but otherwise has excellent leadership skills when calm. Barry admitted to you that he killed someone in a fight in a 3rd world country many years ago and he never was caught and claims it was self-defense anyway

Kathleen– She is 8 years old. She is an excellent student and speaks 4 languages fluently. She hopes to one day be a doctor.

Heather – She is 22 years old and single. She is 8 weeks pregnant and unemployed.

Xander— He is a 6-month old baby. He is the first son of the family and the first grandchild for his grandparents

For each person you decided to save, write one paragraph to explain why you chose each person. Be sure to give specific details and examples for support. This means you should have 5 paragraphs total (one for each person).

Part 2

· Answer the questions below about how you decided who would be saved and who would be left behind. Write at least one paragraph for each question.

1. What personal morals and values came into play with your decisions? Be specific. Did anything particular stand out to you? (Morals: principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct. Value: A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable)

2. Can people change their morals and values? If so what does it take?

3. What were the biggest things that made you NOT choose to save someone? Give at least 2 specific examples.

4. What was the hardest part of this decision? Be as specific as you can in your explanation

5. Based on this discussion and exercise, what did you discover about yourself and what you value?