Saline Teams Compete at Destination ImagiNation State Finals

Eight Saline Destination ImagiNation teams ranging from the elementary to the high school level competed on April 21 at the Affiliate “State” Tournament in at Central Michigan University. 

These 32 students represented eight teams that have worked hard since fall 2011 to complete a set of Central Challenges and Instant Challenges. Destination ImagiNation Inc., or “DI,” is a creative problem solving organization for students from elementary school through college. Teams of up to seven members compete in various challenges that require complex thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity. The organization holds regional, affiliate, and international competitions to encourage creativity in the world's youth.

Here's a look at Saline's DI teams.

Elementary Level Teams

The 5 Einstein Aces

This first-year team of third & fourth graders not only placed first in March 2012 at the Regionals Destination Imagination Tournament, but also proceeded to win the “Spirit of DI Award” at the Affiliate Finals “State” tournament last weekend at Central Michigan University. They selected the “Technical” challenge, which this year was essentially making a little factory in an 8-minute skit:  defining 2 products to build, and then moving supplies from the parts depot to the assembly area and then the delivery area, without the driver touching the floor as the product is moved in between these areas.  So, they built a wooden cart that went behind a tricycle, and their two products were a "robot" and a "remote control", made of styrofoam blocks and wooden skewers. 

About 2 minutes into the 8-minute skit/performance, the nut securing the handlebars on the tricycle fell off!   The driver had to use the pedals to steer, so their process slowed down.  The team kept up an amazing attitude through it, though, and in fact still completed 5 of the 10 order cards. 

 The Appraisers judging the team wrote up a special recommendation for The 5 Einstein Aces to receive the special “Spirit of DI Award.” This award is given to only one team (out of the 204 teams participating at elementary, middle school, and high school levels) that exhibits “exceptional Spirit, Teamwork, Volunteerism and Sportsmanship.” Here is what the Appraisers wrote about The 5 Einstein Aces:

After only 2 minutes, this team’s equipment literally fell apart. Instead of getting frustrated and sad, this team was upbeat, enthusiastic, and became the little engine that could. While the driver put in a 120%, his team gave ginormous support and carried the driver until the end of the presentation, making this team’s attitude unforgettable to the appraisers.

Their team managers are Rob Coleman and Ginger Liemohn. 

The Six Silly Super Soaps

The Six Super Silly Soaps created a play about a couple of crazy scientists who discovered a world of live dinosaurs in a different dimension and befriended them. The team made costumes, including a large paper mache egg, props, such as the Bone Sorter 6000. As part of their challenge the team was tasked with creating a structure out of wood and glue that could support weight and hold golf balls. The team modeled their solution after violin making to steam the wood and bend it around a form.  Their structure held over 400 lbs. and weighed about 50 grams. Most importantly, the team worked together, learning strategies from a variety of areas, including structural engineering, to come up with the solution.

Catherine Fillmore is their Team Manager.

Comedy Commanders

This was the first year of competition for the Comedy Commanders (formerly known as the Robot Skeleton Keepers). Going into it, we had no idea what to expect and were happy to just be involved. After preparing for several weeks, we were extremely surprised and excited to find out that our team placed 3rd at the Affiliate Regional competition, allowing us to compete in the State tournament. During the preparations, our team learned a lot about teamwork and cooperation, as well as brainstorming tools & techniques. We look forward to more DI next year!

Their team manager is Nayan Hajratwala.

Middle Level Team

The Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies

The Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies, composed of Saline Middle School students  Caleb Kartha Bortles, a six-year veteran, and first-timers Tristan Klinski, Liam Turner and Marissa Willwerth, tied for sixth out of thirteen teams in their improvisational challenge tournament grouping.  "Poll: Money Helps Buy Happiness" was the news story they randomly picked out of six they supplied, and "Panda With Attitude Bites the Zookeeper" was news story they randomly picked out of six supplied by the tournament officials.  They had a four-minute planning period to develop a story with a cause and effect relationship between the two stories.  At the end of the planning period, they were given a "One-Minute Glitch" in which they had one minute to plan how to incorporate the element they randomly chose, all characters were fish in an aquarium.  The story included a panda fish with a big aquarium requiring a lot of money to maintain, and a panda fish that won the lottery.  The Rubber Duckies combined seventh place central challenge score and third place instant challenge score placed them in sixth overall.  

The team managers are Beth Bortles, Wendy Klinski, and Jason Fox.

Senior Level

The Last Chapter

Their name is "The Final Chapter" since they've been competing together for 10 years and this is the last year that they will be together as a team. They competed in "The Solar Stage" with a dramatic presentation of the lost tribe of the Raumaraci done entirely in silhouettes. They had to use their DI ingenuity to fit their 22-foot long set piece on the 24-foot long stage but as an appraiser later remarked "Go Big or Go Home!"  They received 2nd place for their solution and now get to compete in the Global competition in May.

Joy Burns is their team manager.

Interested in learning more about the DI?  Look for “DI Fridays” offered this summer through Saline Community Education for students in grades K through 8th grade.  For more information about Saline Destination ImagiNation, go to www.salinedi.org.  Teams form in the September-October timeframe, and compete in competitions in the winter and spring.  Also, check us out on Facebook under “Saline DI.”