BOURBON - Success is defined by Webster's dictionary as "a favorable result."

Perhaps a better definition of success could be provided by putting a picture of the M.Seven Destination Imagination Team in every dictionary.

The area team won first place in the Theater SmARTs challenge and second place in the ConnecDid challenge at the Destination Imagination Global Finals May 21-24 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. In addition, the team was recognized with two special awards - the Renaissance Award for performance and the DaVinci for mastering the artistic use of props in competition.

M.Seven includes Sarah Benczik, Trinity School at Greenlawn in South Bend senior; Todd Bolt, Warsaw Community High School junior; Kylie Edmonds, Andrea Zentz, Tim Speicher, all Triton High School seniors; and David Gabhart and Ben Speicher, both THS sophomores.

Benczik was selected to be the valedictorian for the graduating seniors of DI and Speicher was nominated for a Renaissance award for individual performance.

"I think it went better than we ever expected," said Zentz. "It was our best performance ever."

Asked what helped them to be so successful this year, Bolt said, "Adrenaline!"

"We do better under pressure, and that was the most pressure we ever had," said Tim.

When teams get their scores back, competition judges often put sticky notes on the scores for the team, Benczik said. All the judges put outstanding comments on M.Seven's scores, Zentz said. The result? According to Tim Speicher, "We cried, the judges cried, our parents cried."

"I like our performance better this year," said Ben.

"We just stepped it up a level," said Edmonds.

One judge, according to Benczik, wrote on a sticky note, "Your performance caused me to re-evaluate my life."

Zentz said the team believes they have set the standard for all future teams.

This is the second year in a row the team has won first place at DI global competition. Last year, the team won at world when they were a team affiliated with Triton Jr./Sr. High School. The team became independent this year.

Comparing this year to last, Edmonds said this year was more of a sigh of relief because they did well again. Last year winning first at globals was unexpected but this year they wanted to do better.

Becoming repeat champions also made the team into role models. Tim said people from all over the world are talking to them, e-mailing them and telling them "we're awesome." After receiving the award, "the whole state of Indiana was bowing down to us," he said.

To be eligible to compete at globals, the team competed at state at Noblesville High School April 5, where they won champion trophies in Theater SmARTs and ConnecDid. At state, they also received the Renaissance, the DaVinci and the Spirit of DI for dynamics in teamwork.

Theater SmARTs is a theatrically based problem in which the team portrayed man's inner intellectual journey. Theater SmARTs required each participating team to create a presentation that tells a story about a troupe of entertainers and their live performance. There is an interruption during the performance that has to be overcome. All the characters in M.Seven's performance were inside a man's head.

As a part of the competition, the team had to include scenery that moves or gives the illusion of movement. An improvisational element had to be integrated.

ConnecDid is a technical problem scoring structure efficiency and a storyline about connections. In ConnecDid, the teams has to find innovative and creative ways to make connections between pieces of wood to solve the challenge. The team had to design, build and test a structure made completely from wood. No other materials, including glue, may be used.

The team had to create a universal connection creation to be used in multiple ways during the presentation and had to create a presentation that tells the story of connections devised and made by the team using the creation as a theatrical prop. An improvisational element had to be integrated.

Destination Imagination teaches creative problem-solving to students in grades kindergarten through college. Based on the idea there are multiple solutions to the same problem, DI presents teams with five challenges each season. Teams of up to seven members use their skills to compete without adult assistance. A portion of the competition also includes the teams taking on instant challenges that have to be solved quickly and on the spot.

Normally, a team will take on only one challenge each year, but M.Seven took on two challenges this year. Also, the first lady of Indiana has invited the team to perform at the State Fair this year.

"It's a big deal," said Benczik of being invited.

Of the overall experience, Zentz said, "the experience last week, you'd think it would increase our egos, but it really humbled me." Though a senior this year, she said, she wants to become more involved in DI as a judge or in some other fashion. The impact of DI on a person's life is great and she wants to continue to affect people's lives.

"You can see how it really impacts others," agreed Benczik.

"We're definitely not done with DI," said Zentz.

Speicher said, "You can see more by opening doors and walking than opening windows and looking." [[In-content Ad]]