The campus Destination ImagiNation (DI) teams will put their creativity and teamwork to the test at the Regional Finals held at Buchanan High School, March 7.
Two teams will represent FC at the competition. The first, the Ridiculously Rhetorical Riders of Rohan*, consists of seniors Scott Thao, Tonia Keys-Bramlett, David Sholes, Mary Sargent, sophomore Ricky Lopez and home-schooled student Cody King, ’09. They will compete at 12:20 p.m. in the East Gym.
The other team, Catch Frase, is composed of freshmen David Casuga, Nick Avery, Gigi Thao, Zed Fries and Dana King. They will compete at 3:20 in the Library/Lecture Hall.
DI is an educational program and world-wide competition for students in the third grade through college that challenges their creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills, according to Hallie Rojeski, the DI campus coordinator for 20 years. She says DI offers a learning experience and an uncommon approach to student activities.
“Destination ImagiNation is unique because adults have no part in helping with the challenges or giving solutions to them ? they can only encourage the team members,” Rojeski said. “It is entirely the students’ responsibility ? everything must come from the students. They are allowed no outside help. It benefits students in thinking outside the box and working with a team.”
Participants choose one task from five competitive Team Challenges that they will creatively solve over several months and perform at the competition. The Team Challenge comprises two parts: the Central Challenge, chosen by the team, which incorporates many academic focuses; and two Side Trips, which are additional elements team members include in the Central Challenge presentation that emphasize their interests and abilities.
In addition to the Team Challenge, students must solve an Instant Challenge given to them at the tournament, of which they will have no prior knowledge. Competitors are judged according to their results from the Team Challenge and Instant Challenge.
Teams at the competition will battle other high schools in their region who selected the same Team Challenge. Two groups for each of the five Team Challenges will advance to the State Finals.
The Ridiculously Rhetorical Riders of Rohan chose the challenge Operation Cooperation, for which they must construct two working machines that can travel. The machines must be able to complete 12 tasks. The team will receive eight minutes to set-up the presentation, perform it and complete the tasks.
Tonia Keys-Bramlett, previous winner and five-year DI participant, feels confident in her team’s challenge due to prior success last year and strategy during practice.
“Last year we did the building and engineering challenge and won Regional and State Finals, and went all the way to Global Finals, so I’m pretty confident we will at least go to the State Finals,” Keys-Bramlett said. “Building is what we are best at ? it’s our greatest strength. When we practice, we divide up the work according to our individual strengths to get the work done.”
Although her former team won Regional Finals and State Finals last year, Keys-Bramlett recognizes minor problems that may thwart the opportunity to win or even compete.
“Even though we are a winning team, it’s always hard to get a team together and find someone to be the team manager,” Keys-Bramlett said. “Some years we haven’t been able to have a team because of those reasons.
“Also, during the competition, something could break or the motor could have issues that will make us unable to compete. As long as it all comes together, we will go to State because two teams go to State and only two teams are competing.”
Catch Frase members chose Private DI for their Team Challenge, which centers around improvisation and acting. They must create a six-minute improvisational skit about the origin of a superstition in a 30-minute time period. The challenge requires them to integrate many necessary elements and items that they randomly select at the competition.
Unlike the more experienced team, Catch Frase consists entirely of freshmen. This team will compete with two other teams and therefore must outshine one of the opposing groups in order to continue to the State Finals.
“Since we have many beginners, it can hinder our chances of winning because they are unaware of how the competition goes,” Nick Avery, a member of Catch Frase, said. “However, it is still a good opportunity and the competition is fun to do. This is my third year doing [DI] and I am going to continue to do it.”
Despite Catch Frase’s lack of experience, Scott Thao, a member of The Ridiculously Rhetorical Riders of Rohan, said he believes the freshmen can still be successful in the competition.
“Although a lack of experience for the other team may hinder [its] chances, experience isn’t everything,” Thao said. “They could be skilled in certain fields and in collaborating together, which is useful for the competition. Although we are not allowed to help them, we can give them useful advice since we are the experienced team.”
For many of Thao’s team members, the competition marks the last of their DI challenges and successes.
“I hope that this year will be memorable because it’s my senior year,” Thao said. “My goal is to place first and have fun throughout the whole competition. I hope the results are just as good as last year.”
For more information on Destination ImagiNation, e-mail Hallie Rojeski. For coverage of past DI teams and competitions, visit the April 16, 2008, article, DI wins state competition or the March 6, 2008, article, DI pushes imaginative limits.
*Editor’s note: The name of the team was corrected throughout the article after the publication date.
