Teamwork, hot glue lands St. Al spot at global contest|[05/19/08]
Published 12:00 am Monday, May 19, 2008
St. Aloysius’ eighth-grade Destination ImagiNation team members, the Six Star Stunners, have a new dilemma.
They must invent a self-propelled vehicle that can navigate a set of obstacles. The more times it successfully achieves its goal, the more points they will score. The six team members must work together, but they cannot talk or create sound effects.
They’ve managed the feat once before – at the state level – and now they’re trying to do it again. This week, the team will head to Knoxville, Tenn., for DI Global finals. There are among 1,032 teams competing, the largest number in the organization’s 25-year history. In addition to American teams, groups from 15 countries will vie for the top prize.
“When we went to Columbus (for state competition), we just thought let’s go and have fun,” said team member Jose Sanchez, 14, son of Jose and Daisy Sanchez. “But we got lucky.”
Destination ImagiNation creates challenges that must be solved through innovation and teamwork. After teams compete at the state level, first-place winners head to Globals.
Two St. Al teams went to state competition, though only the Stunners will continue. The other team, the DI Secret Six, placed third out of five. Team managers Dani Kay Thomas and Jane Brock hope to continue the program next year, adding a seventh-grade team, a high school team and an elementary team from St. Francis Xavier.
The teamsSix Star StunnersCameron Gates, 14, son of Burhman and Nancy GatesNeal Ricks, 13, son of Kerry and Kathy RicksJose Sanchez, 14, son of Jose and Daisy SanchezMorgan Stone, 14, son of Rick and Patty StoneSamir Thomas, 14, daughter of Samuel and Jackie ThomasRebeca Velazquez, 14, daughter of Gerardo and Vivian VelazquezDI Secret SixAndy Bell, 13, son of Nancy BellPiper Booth, 14, daughter of John and Terri BoothRobin Cooper, 14, daughter of Walter and Deborah CooperAshtin Giambrone, 14, daughter of Joe and Mindy GiambroneRiley Griffith, 14, daughter of Patrick and Cindee GriffithJohn Phillips, 14, son of Greg and Eleanor PhillipsOnlineTo see results from the Destination ImagiNation Global finals, www.globalfinals.org on Saturday night.The teams, created this school year, began as part of Thomas’s eighth-grade enrichment class.
Each year, DI creates a different set of problems with different focuses. The Stunners’ challenge, called “Obstacles, of Course!,” focuses on technical design, teamwork, experimentation and theater arts.
The challenge requires a nonverbal skit that goes with the theme of the obstacle course. The skit’s subject is a family going on a camping trip, and their “car” (in miniature) is the self-propelled vehicle. It must navigate, among other things, a tunnel, four traffic cones and a waterfall. The obstacles must meet certain height and width requirements, and different obstacles have different levels of difficulty. The harder the obstacles, the more points available to the team. And the materials used to assemble the obstacles and set are mostly cardboard and hot glue.
“Hot glue guns have become our best friends,” said Rebeca Velazquez, 14, daughter of Gerardo and Vivian Velazquez.
As first-time competitors, the St. Al students weren’t sure what to expect.
Some team members say the obstacle course was not the biggest challenge. The biggest lesson was teamwork, said Morgan Stone, 14, son of Rick and Patty Stone.
“It was an obstacle – dealing with everybody,” he said. “It was a great experience.”
Brock said the team members were not necessarily friends before DI, but they’ve learned a lot about working together.
Thomas agreed. “There’s been a lot of cooperative learning.”
In addition to their prepared challenge, each team must compete in an Instant Challenge, an impromptu assignment the day of competition. And they must solve it immediately.
Judges observe the students as they work, evaluating teamwork and creativity. Thomas said both teams scored high in the improvisational area at state.
“Both groups have the actors who don’t mind acting and being silly,” said Thomas. “Everybody gets involved.”
Eleven other teams from Mississippi, having won their challenges at their levels, will also be at Global finals. The Stunners are the only group from Vicksburg.
The team leaves Wednesday for Knoxville and will compete Thursday. While in there, they will visit Dollywood, country star Dolly Parton’s theme park in nearby Pigeon Forge, and participate in Global activities, which will include opening ceremonies, a costume party and an Improv Fiesta.
Winners will be announced Saturday night.