Sulphur Springs Middle School had a great weekend at the East Region Destination Imagination Tournament in Mesquite. Four of the five SSMS Destination Imagination teams placing at the regional contest came home with first place honors in their contest and have qualified to compete with teams from all over Texas at the Lone Star DI Finals in Arlington on March 25-26.
The Technical Team won first place, High Instant Challenge, and received a DaVinci Creativity Award. They will be advancing to the state DI contest.
The Technical Challenge this year was called “A Daring Escape” and required each team to build two devices that use technical methods to overcome hazards, create and present a story about a daring escape from a hazardous situation, and include a feat of skill that helps in the daring escape.
The Technical Team coached by Bryan Cole and Kelly Shutt consists of Nathan Bilyeu, Austin Wantland, Cara Batterton, Hayden McCoy, Sawyer Shutt, Hannah Speed, and Tyler Scott.
The Scientific Team won first place and High Instant Challenge, and will also be advancing to the State DI contest later this month.
The Scientific Challenge this year was called “Up Close” and required teams to research the science of microscopy, create and present a story about a character who encounters a mysterious object while in a microworld, design and build scenery that brings the microworld to life, and design and create a visual effect that enhances the mysterious object, then, reveals it with technical methods.
The Scientific Team is coached by Brooke Howard and consists of Kannon Gibson, Luke White, Anderson Grimes, Abbey Williams, Lucy McKenzie, Jackson Palmer, and Kessler Moss.
The Fine Arts Team won first place and High Instant Challenge, and will be advancing to the Lone Star DI Finals.
The Fine Arts Challenge this year was called “Tricky Tales.” Teams were required to research trickster characters and how they have been portrayed in literature, theater film or mythology; create and present a story about a trickster who attempts to overcome a tricky situation; design and create a costume that goes through a costume transformation; and design and create an illusion that enhances the story.
The SSMS Fine Arts team coached by Adrienne Lilley and Beth Cole consists of Brooks Burgin, Claire Monk, Paige Batterton, Piper Lilley, Sara Ferguson, Johni McClung, and Tabitha Cummings.
The Improv Team won also won first place and High Instant Challenge, and will be advancing to State.
The Improv Challenge was called “Festival Frenzy.” Teams were required to research festivals from around the world, create and present a two-act improvisational skit about a goal a character is trying to achieve at a festival, choose between two options to help the character to attempt to achieve the goal and enhance the skit with a set of boxes.
The SSMS Improv team is coached by Jeffery Denton and consists of Rhett Williams, Robert Denton, Jessica Reed, Kegan Edwards, Zackary Young, and Kyla Navarro.
The SSMS Engineering Team won fourth place at Regionals this year.
The Engineering Challenge was called “Roll With It.” Teams were required to design and build a structure that can roll down a ramp and collide with the structure tester, test the structure by placing weights on it, create and present a story about how a character becomes a legend, and design and build a rotating device that is integrated into the story.
The Engineering team coached by Alysia Butler and Gerson Salvatoreh consists of Justin Chen, Anthony Small, Julie Ann McCoy, Aiken Grimes, Tyler Dubose, Grace Dyer, and Kaden Pierce.
Congratulations to each of their these SSMS Destination Imagination Teams on their achievements in these challenging competitions. KSST wishes the state qualifiers the best of luck and are excited to hear of your successes at state as well.
