Destination Imagination teams ace state, head to globals

MADISON – Six teams from Madison claimed first-place wins at the Destination Imagination State Finals and earned berths to DI Global Finals in May.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville hosted 20-plus schools for the academic competition’s state meet on April 15. First-place teams qualified for DI Global Finals in Knoxville, Tenn. on May 24-27.

DI teams presented their creative solutions to numerous mind-bending challenges in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; fine arts; and social entrepreneurship. Students apply scientific understanding, theatrical performance, technical prowess, improvisation and structural engineering to solve their ‘Challenge.’  

The following teams won first-place honors:

* Bob Jones High School — Technical Challenge, Secondary Level. “The Nest” solution used a two-act murder/mystery play and a train with a moving stage.

* Bob Jones — Fine Arts Challenge, Secondary Level. “Feminine Anemone Enemy” team solved “Vanished” with a futuristic play including time travel by historical leaders. They custom built a trapdoor so a character could disappear.

* Discovery Middle School — Fine Arts Challenge, Middle Level. “The Magical Four-Eyed Snapple Caps” team solved the “Vanished” challenge with a short play set in faraway, cursed kingdom that has lost the color blue. The king and a witch square off to return the color. Students used time-lapse photography and light projection.

* Madison teams — Three levels of Improvisation Challenge Teams received topics and immediately produced improvisational skits and create props for first-place honors: Heritage Elementary School, “Party Pedestrians”; Liberty Middle School, “Fictionally Mental”; and Bob Jones, “Rock Bottom Carpet.”

Madison teams also took other top places:

* Bob Jones – Scientific Challenge, Secondary Level, second place. “Upon the Back of the 5th of May.”

* Discovery — Scientific Challenge, Middle Level, third place. “Mission Stegosaurus.”

* Horizon Elementary School — Technical Challenge, Middle Level. “Extraterrestrial Corn Chips,” third place. “DI S4 Team,” fourth place.

* Heritage — Fine Arts Challenge, Middle Level, second place, “The Nemos.” Improvisation Challenge, Middle Level, “The VII Elements.”

* West Madison Elementary School —  Scientific Challenge, Elementary Level, third place, “The Milky Way Monsters.”