Triton Destination Imagination Teams To Go To State

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By DAVID SLONE, Times-Union Staff Writer-

BOURBON - Two Triton School Corp. Destination Imagination teams will compete at state finals April 5.

The two teams had to place in the top four at regionals to advance to the state competition, and both teams placed fourth at regionals. Only the top team at state competition will advance to global competition.

Members of the high school team include freshman Reed Monesmith; sophomores Kris Hill, Kayla Hollingsworth and Jana Sell; and junior Betsy Price.

The junior high team is eighth-graders Cole Eiser and Dane Sahlhoff; seventh-grader Kaitlyn Hollingsworth; and sixth-graders Josh Burkholder and Alexis Howard.

The high school team is competing in the improvisation competition this year.

"Basically," said Hill, "you just throw something together in 30 minutes."

Linda Kissinger, coach for the team, said the students had to research fairy tales. During competition, they are given random elements of those tales and they have to create a story of their own that includes a moral. Their skit also has to include an object that changes and their props can be made only of newspaper and tape.

Hollingsworth said to prepare for state, they are learning how to make props and costumes better. Kissinger said the team has learned to make a jail cell, hats, baskets, aprons, golf clubs and various other items with the paper and tape for their competition.

One of Triton's teams last year won first place at global competition. That team has ventured out on its own this year. But because that team did so well, Kissinger said, it does put pressure on this year's team.

Hill said they are preparing for state one to 1-1/2 hours a day, four days a week. But the work is worth it, the students said.

"It's fun," said Hollingsworth. "It takes more than physical ability. You have to be at least halfway smart."

Regardless of how the team does, Kissinger said, "We have really good parental support." And the team, she said, "has really learned how to work as a team." At the beginning of the year, the group didn't really know each other very well, but now has become very cohesive.

As part of the competition, Kissinger said, the team has to solve last-minute problems, which can be the most creative part of the competition. They have only a few minutes to think it over and only a few minutes to perform it.

"I just think it's really interesting to see those, the short-term problems," said Kissinger.

The junior high team, explained Eiser, is competing in the technical problem category called "ViDio Adventure."

As part of their competition, he said, they have to "visit" three countries - their own and two others of their choosing. There is a basic gameboard the "seeker" of the team has to get around to solve conflicts in the three countries.

Eiser said they chose to use Egypt for their first level, the United States for the second level and Indonesia for the third. By the end of "the game," he said, they have to produce an item that brings together all three of the "reward" items from each of the levels.

In each level, they are given a choice of two feats to accomplish.

Like the high school team, the junior high team had to do some research. Eiser said they researched certain time periods and what year natural disasters happened in each of the chosen countries. In the end product of the levels, he said, the "seeker" has to protect the people in the countries from natural disasters. By winning the first level "in Egypt," the team wins a sandbag; in Indonesia in the third level, tubes of rubber; and in the U.S. in the second level, steel. By the end of the game, all three of the "rewards" are then used to protect the seeker from natural disasters.

There also are side trips the seeker has to make to complete the game.

If the challenge masters decide the team hasn't accomplished their tasks, Eiser said, they have to start the level again.

"They watch us pretty heavy," Eiser said of the judges.

Lisa Eiser, coach, said, "Basically, they had to create a real live video game."

If that doesn't quite make sense, she said, it took them about four weeks to understand the rules themselves.

Good luck, Triton. [[In-content Ad]]

BOURBON - Two Triton School Corp. Destination Imagination teams will compete at state finals April 5.

The two teams had to place in the top four at regionals to advance to the state competition, and both teams placed fourth at regionals. Only the top team at state competition will advance to global competition.

Members of the high school team include freshman Reed Monesmith; sophomores Kris Hill, Kayla Hollingsworth and Jana Sell; and junior Betsy Price.

The junior high team is eighth-graders Cole Eiser and Dane Sahlhoff; seventh-grader Kaitlyn Hollingsworth; and sixth-graders Josh Burkholder and Alexis Howard.

The high school team is competing in the improvisation competition this year.

"Basically," said Hill, "you just throw something together in 30 minutes."

Linda Kissinger, coach for the team, said the students had to research fairy tales. During competition, they are given random elements of those tales and they have to create a story of their own that includes a moral. Their skit also has to include an object that changes and their props can be made only of newspaper and tape.

Hollingsworth said to prepare for state, they are learning how to make props and costumes better. Kissinger said the team has learned to make a jail cell, hats, baskets, aprons, golf clubs and various other items with the paper and tape for their competition.

One of Triton's teams last year won first place at global competition. That team has ventured out on its own this year. But because that team did so well, Kissinger said, it does put pressure on this year's team.

Hill said they are preparing for state one to 1-1/2 hours a day, four days a week. But the work is worth it, the students said.

"It's fun," said Hollingsworth. "It takes more than physical ability. You have to be at least halfway smart."

Regardless of how the team does, Kissinger said, "We have really good parental support." And the team, she said, "has really learned how to work as a team." At the beginning of the year, the group didn't really know each other very well, but now has become very cohesive.

As part of the competition, Kissinger said, the team has to solve last-minute problems, which can be the most creative part of the competition. They have only a few minutes to think it over and only a few minutes to perform it.

"I just think it's really interesting to see those, the short-term problems," said Kissinger.

The junior high team, explained Eiser, is competing in the technical problem category called "ViDio Adventure."

As part of their competition, he said, they have to "visit" three countries - their own and two others of their choosing. There is a basic gameboard the "seeker" of the team has to get around to solve conflicts in the three countries.

Eiser said they chose to use Egypt for their first level, the United States for the second level and Indonesia for the third. By the end of "the game," he said, they have to produce an item that brings together all three of the "reward" items from each of the levels.

In each level, they are given a choice of two feats to accomplish.

Like the high school team, the junior high team had to do some research. Eiser said they researched certain time periods and what year natural disasters happened in each of the chosen countries. In the end product of the levels, he said, the "seeker" has to protect the people in the countries from natural disasters. By winning the first level "in Egypt," the team wins a sandbag; in Indonesia in the third level, tubes of rubber; and in the U.S. in the second level, steel. By the end of the game, all three of the "rewards" are then used to protect the seeker from natural disasters.

There also are side trips the seeker has to make to complete the game.

If the challenge masters decide the team hasn't accomplished their tasks, Eiser said, they have to start the level again.

"They watch us pretty heavy," Eiser said of the judges.

Lisa Eiser, coach, said, "Basically, they had to create a real live video game."

If that doesn't quite make sense, she said, it took them about four weeks to understand the rules themselves.

Good luck, Triton. [[In-content Ad]]

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