Hello!! This is my reflection post on our Destination Imagination (DI) Regional Tournament!
Now, if you don’t know what DI is, I can give you a brief overview. If you want to learn more, you can check out the website here!
Destination Imagination is a hands-on, project-based educational experience that encourages creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking skills. Each year seven new challenges created by content experts and educators to help students from K to Grade 12 learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think.
There were 5 challenges that my program, PLP, participated in. Technical, Engineering, Scientific, Fine Arts, and Improv. My team was Improv! The Grade 8 class and the Grade 9 class participated.
Fortunately, Regionals were being held at our school, Seycove, so we didn’t have to move any of our supplies. We got there at around 8 am. I expected the school to be empty, but when I got there, it was a little bit chaotic. There were people running around carrying backdrops, props, supplies, and whatever else they brought. We had about half an hour to set up. Since we were Improv, we didn’t have that much stuff to bring, because we aren’t allowed props. So, we brought our poster, and our Sound Box into the hallway that the Grade 9s were using. At 8:30, all of the teams lined up, and we had a parade in the gym. It was cool to see all of the teams. Then, we got whisked away into our challenge prep areas.
First, we had our Instant Challenge. We actually have to sign all of this paperwork, because we aren’t allowed to talk about it. So, that is all you will hear about the Instant Challenge!
Our instant challenge was at 9, and then our main challenge was at 10:20. This left us with around 1 hour to watch other people’s performances, and to just wander around the school. We were all really, really, really nervous. The other teams that we had watched were really good. The nerves were definitely all over the place. Once we got into the challenge room, which was the theatre, called The Vortex, we waited until they were ready to start. The team before us had a bunch of people watching, and they all cleared out. We thought that nobody would be watching! Then, almost all of PLP 8 and 9, and our teachers, came into The Vortex! This calmed me down, but also gave me more anxiety because I realized that they would all be watching us!
I will just explain a little bit about our challenge. We were tasked with creating a skit. Our challenge was called Improv To The Rescue, so, it was related to superheros. We had a list of 12 powers. They were typical superpowers, like Flight, or Invisibility, or Telekinesis. We had to choose 10 powers, and then research them, and figure out how to act them out. Since we had 5 people in my group, we each chose 2 powers. I researched Invisibility and Time Manipulation, Nya did Mind Control and Telekinesis, Ryan did Regeneration and Shape Shifting, Simon did Magnetism and Pyrokinesis, and Cam did Super Speed and Communication with Animals. Now, it gets confusing. The powers are actually Villain Powers. We also get a thing called a Conundrum. A Conundrum is a event that the Villain causes. In our planning time, which is two minutes, we can chose to solve the Conundrum or not. Then, there is a hero. The hero can solve the Conundrum using the Underwhelming Power. The Underwhelming Power is a crazy power, like the power to unsalt food, or the power to summon a completely useless lizard. The Underwhelming Power is written on a piece of paper that is placed on that Presentation Area. We do not get to see it during our planning time. We actually only get to see it in the middle of our skit, and once we flip it over, we have it use it right away. That is truly improv. We also have a wonderful box called a Sound Keeper. The Sound Keeper has objects in it that make noise. We use those objects in our skit. For our Sound Keeper, we decided to have a theme. We used only recycled materials. So, we had some instruments made out of recycled materials, and them some recycling that can make noise!
Then, all of a sudden, our challenge started! The announcer explained a bit of our challenge. We were super nervous. Then, we got our power, and our Conundrum, and out two minute planning time started! Our power was Telekinesis, which was Nya’s, and then our Conundrum was……….School is not out for Summer! We jumped right into planning. We came up with our skit idea. Then, the skit started. We had 5 minutes for our skit. You can watch our skit down below. I also put in a video of us planning, if you want to see that!
Soooooo, that was my challenge!! We have Provincials on April 4th! If you are available, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come out and watch! It is very entertaining, and it’s such a cool experience! I will be posting a reflection post for Provincials, so stay tuned!!