Warren teams earn place at global DI competition in May | News, Sports, Jobs
After two challenging years in which events were canceled or had to take place online, Destination Imagination teams from Mahoning and Trumbull counties were able to compete in person this spring with teams from both counties qualifying for the national global finals.
Two teams from Lincoln K-8 School in Warren and a team from East High School in Youngstown qualified for globals after success at the state event.
Bob Capp, regional director of Ohio Kids for Creativity for Region One Destination Imagination in NE Ohio, said teams were in a post-COVID-19 rebuilding stage after the 2020 tournament was canceled, the 2021 was virtual and 2022 finally had in-person tournaments.
He said the Warren Destination Imagination teams competing at the elementary and middle school level in the Improvisational Challenge qualified for Global Finals in Kansas City, Mo., in May.
Also qualifying was the Service Learning team from Youngstown East High School.
WARREN
One team from Lincoln K-8 is made up of fourth-graders coached by Cara Venetti and competed in the Improv Festival Frenzy category using humor and information as they told about a festival.
Team member Anthony Lapronica, 10, said the team had La Tomatina, which is a festival in Spain near the Mediterranean Sea in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment.
“It’s a tomato-throwing festival. The team had to research six festivals from around the world. They did not know which festival was going to be chosen for them to do,” Venetti said.
Team member Cohen Hurchler, 10, said the team used cardboard boxes as they talked about the event. The team placed first in regional competition at Beachler High School in Cleveland and third place at state at Centerville High School near Dayton.
“This is the first time we have had two teams from Warren who both qualified. I have coached for 14 years and this is the first time I have had a team qualify for globals,” Venetti said.
The second team from Lincoln K-8 is made up of seventh- and eighth-graders coached by Brandi Gazo. The team placed first at state and third at regional.
“This is major for us. We have never placed at the state for global finals since I have been a coach,” Gazo said.
The team also competed in the Improv Festival Frenzy category doing research on eight festivals. The team had to discuss the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, which focuses on the instruction in the art of story creation and storytelling to all ages. The festival allows community members — youth to seniors — as well as professional story artists to perform for the public at different venues.
Brenna Macauly, 12, seventh grade, said the team took notes and prepared scenerios on the different festivals so they were prepared no matter which festival they were given.
“We shared the research that we did on the festival and used cardboard boxes to tell about the festival,” Daina Wagner 14, an eighth-grader, said.
Macauly said several members of the team have been part of DI since first grade.
Sixth-grader Gianna Clune, 11, said it was her first year competing, so for the team to qualify for globals was exciting.
Gazo said the team also took part in the instant challenge and given any topic on which to do improv.
“We had no clue what it was, and you can’t talk about it afterwards. It could be a building challenge or an action challenge,” Wagner said.
Principal Josh Guthrie said, “I am really proud of both teams. It goes to show what talent we have in Warren. It shows their creativity and being able to work together to accomplish this is pretty impressive.”
However, Venetti said because globals is held during the last week of school in May, and all the expenses related to the trip, the teams will not be going to Missouri.
YOUNGSTOWN
A six-member team from East High School competed this season and were successful in the Project Outreach: For the Future category.
Jeanne Constantino, a teacher and team adviser from East High School, said while she has had teams in past years qualify for the national globals, this is the first time the team members may be able to attend.
Constantino said they are fundraising and seeking donations, which can be sent to the school.
“It is very expensive, but it is a trip that our students would not be able to experience or get to do on their own if it wasn’t for DI. They were all so excited when they won at state,” she said.
She said team member Andrew Staller was “smiling ear-to-ear” when the team received their trophy.
Constantino said the competition required a science fiction story and scientific element component with props. The team focused on an anti-bullying awareness campaign.
“The team has worked hard and practiced after school when it could. It was like a public service announcement. I credit teamwork for them being so successful this season, I was so proud of them. It made me cry when they won. I always tell the teams to not let anyone tell you you can’t do something,” she said.
The team started preparing for competition in January. It has to raise more than $20,000, which includes bus transportation. Constantino said they hope to raise the money so the team can go to globals and meet other not only from across the nation, but also from other countries.
“Nothing beats being able to compete in person,” Constantino said.
Capp said the teams do like the instant challenge category because they have no idea what the topic will be until they walk into the room at the competition.
The instant challenge can be four to five minutes, and the students spend five minutes ahead of time coming up with a solution.
Capp said locally seven teams competed with the one from Youngstown and two from Warren qualifying for globals.
“This is the best we have ever done percentage-wise with teams,” he said.
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