Destination Imagination (DI) is an organization that centers around volunteering, team building, and completing challenges. Their official website describes their operation as promoting “challenges in the fields of STEM, fine arts and service learning.” On Feb. 23, DI held its “Los Angeles-Destination Imagination-Land Regional Tournament” at AHS. In general,  Improvisational placed third, Fine Arts placed second, and Engineering placed first.

DI tournaments all center around the theme of creativity and thinking outside the box. For example, its challenges (events) are: Technical, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Rising Stars for Early Learners, Service, and Instant. The Technical Challenge is based on designing an aircraft to carry an object and creating a story line to go along with it. The Scientific Challenge centers around the medical mysteries of the human body and an action scene from two perspectives. The Engineering Challenge is about building an object that can withstand force and creating a story about a monster. The Fine Arts Challenge has a game designing competition, and the Improvisational Challenge includes a skit about historical figures. The Service Learning Challenge is about addressing a real issue in a community, and the Rising Stars for Early Learners Challenge deals with making a pop-up book with inspiration from nonfiction and fiction works. Lastly, the Instant challenge is a spontaneous challenge where anything can be expected. Overall, the challenges involve using your imagination and tying your creativity with the given prompt.

Tournaments are weighted 60% for the Central Challenge, 25% for the Instant Challenge, and 15% for team choice elements. Those who qualify at the regional level will have the opportunity to compete at their state tournament, and later move onto Global Finals. At this recent regional tournament, Arcadia placed first for improvisational and many other events. Sophomore Badruddin Mohammed said that the “tournament ran very smoothly and we qualified for state in April. You try out as a team and you find those with strengths that match yours. Teams have two to seven people” Freshman Anvitha Konsuri said that “It was a great experience. Kinda like a roller coaster as there were a lot of ups and downs.”

Overall, AHS did very well at the DI competition and placed in many of the events. The team is headed toward the state tournament that may be followed by global finals on Apr. 6 in Buchanan High School, Clovis CA. Global finals will be held on May 22, but by then, the DI team will be training hard and perfecting their skills to be in their best shape. Good luck DI!

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AHS Destination Imagination