Special Awards 2012
Special Awards
Spirit of Discovery & Imagination Award ("Spirit of DI")
This award is given for exceptional spirit, teamwork, volunteerism and sportsmanship.
The Renaissance Award:
This award is given for outstanding design, engineering or performance.
The DaVinci Award:
This award is given for outstanding creativity.
This year's recipients of these awards are as follows:
assembly required:
DaVinci Award -
Middle Level (Instant Challenge): AAH - Your Friendly Next Door Neighbors:
This team's interpretation of the challenge was unique and their solution creative beyond compare. They are super DIers..DIVERGENT IMAGINEERS!
the solar stage:
Renaissance Award -
Elementary Level (Team Challenge): Grandview Hills Team #1:
This group demonstrated outstanding design & performance skill throughout their solution. The timing of their actions was quite excellent during the remote-tv sequence. In addition, the details of the handmade, clay, sculpted heads was quite impressive & life-like. The artwork that was represented on the backdrop fabric was immensely detailed & easy to quickly transition from one screen to another. The basic solution of using clothing to attract solar energy was very practical & original. The fashion show demonstrated creativity & ingenuity while championing the true spirit of DI.
DaVinci Award -
Elementary Level (Team Challenge): Steiner Ranch 1:
When an ice dragon appeared in his 7 foot tall, silvered Ice Palace, we were mesmirized by the vision of the frozen world. The entire floor was covered in fluffy snow. From three stars entering on a Chinese junket to the accurate depiction of Chinese characters in handmade lanterns, the details were inpeccable We heard a star quoting Confucius and were treated to a dazzling spinning light display. Everything surprised and enchanted with details like cd discs sewn into the dragon sides as scales bouncing light around the room, buffalo snowflakes to Christmas tree skirts sliced into triangular sections to form exquisite, scintillating costumes. By the end, we were "frozen" in awe at what we had just seen.
Elementary Level (Instant Challenge): Bridgepoint Elem - Determinators:
By far the best team we saw all day. Model example of what an IC should look like.
coming attractions:
Spirit Of Discovery & Imagination Award -
Elementary Level - D (Team Challenge): AAH - Moon Crystals:
Six weeks ago their third team member quit, forcing the team to start over. Through a great work ethic and teamwork, the two girls were able to create a compelling new performance. Their trailer included effective and innovated special effects with handmade costumes and a smooth performance. The team succeeded despite their challenges.
Elementary Level - D (Instant Challenge): Pfluger Elem - Falcon Eye:
This team went above and beyond to get all members to participate. Everyone was encouraged to participate and even though these attempts cost them points, there was no recriminations. The group remained positive at all times.
Elementary Level - T (Team Challenge): LW Bush 4:
This team faced a situation when the sound track did not play on the cd player. They quickly regrouped and decided to sing their song instead. Their seamless and creative solution was so awesome that the error was not really noticed until the end. They took a risk and remained positive & upbeat. It worked and the sound track was a unique and creative addition to their performance. Their courage paid off!
Middle Level - D (Caught You! Demonstrating Capital Spirit): Small MS 2 - Cookie Monster Girls:This team is receiving this award for being so nice and good spirited about doing Instant Challenge Twice!!!
Middle Level - I (Team Challenge): Clint Small MS 1:
The team overcame several challenges with grace, i.e. music malfunction and disqualification of special effects. They focused on the positive elements they were able to execute. They returned throughout the day to learn from the other teams' performances and to be supportive.
Secondary Level (Caught You! Demonstrating Capital Spirit): Rouse HS:
We received a suggestion for a nomination of this award by the Running Brushy MS team. While Running Brushy was unloading their props and set, it began to rain heavily. The Rouse HS team ran outside to help unload all of their things. It was reported that this team continued to help unload props and scenery for several other teams.
The Renaissance Award -
Middle Level - D (Team Challenge): Hudson Bend MS - Cray-Cray Chicas:
Once upon a time, there was this DI team who achieved a feat second to none. The use of a story book as an interactive set and back drop was not only effective but left the appraisers wanting more. The use of a slinky for the spine showed ingenuity and proved very effective. The team took much care to ensure each page provided a vivid illustration and insight of what to expect when going to see the movie at the theater. Therefore, the team lived "Happily Ever After" when receiving this Renaissance Award.
DaVinci Award -
Elementary Level - D (Team Challenge): Mason 2 - Platipink:
Team Platipink was truly amazing with their bold and unique design for their mini theater. The rotating "transition wheel" adorned with gorgeous artwork impressed all of us. The back lighting to high light the art, and their courageous, even fearless, approach to this complex design clearly set them apart. Their imagination, creativity, and originality are truly deserving of the DaVinci Award.
Elementary Level - I (Team Challenge): Block House Creek 1:
The team demonstrated exceptional creativity in all aspects of their challenge. Their plot was intricate and surprising. The villain, the "Baby Ming", was unique as was the object being controlled, the walking "Swedish Cupcake". The guards, disguised as "Ninja Cupcake Sprinkles", were another delightful twist. The unique floating ball special effect and amazing backdrop frame that allowed speedy scene changes also really stood out as effective and singular.
Middle Level - D (Team Challenge): Wiley 3:
Honor is due for the level of creativity shown by team members for costumes. Enhanced with brads and velcro, the costumes enabled actors to simulate human movement. Another creative design was a backdrop that provided a rain shower. It was a totally unexpected element in the play which added significantly to the quality of the performance.
Secondary Level (Team Challenge): Rouse HS 1:
Amazing creativity and attention to detail on their 8-sided rotating set. The use of recycled materials was impressive & details such as the lamp pull chain and depth of the mountain range was outstanding. The cement added to the point of the brick wall made the texture feel like real bricks. The toilet paper rolls, mini blinds & toothpicks were unrecognizable as they were incorporated into beautiful scenery elements.
news to me:
Spirit of Discovery & Imagination Award -
Elementary Level (Team Challenge): Carpenter Hill Elem - Never Ending Noggins:
Everyone was included and well prepared while still flexible and creative. They extended additional effort and spirit by coming to help re-set our classroom and they were all still very happy to help.
Renaissance Award -
Middle Level (Team Challenge): West Ridge MS - The Winners:
- This team had several instances of true improv.
- They made Youthanasia work in the skit in a funny way.
- The birthing scene of the baby chimp made even the team laugh
DaVinci Award -
Elementary Level (Instant Challenge): Pleasant Hill Elem:
The appraisers would like to nominate this team for their amazing creativity.
hold it!:
Spirit of Discovery & Imagination Award -
Secondary Level (Team Challenge): Westlake HS Team 1:
This team did a great job showing how important teamwork & cooperative spirit is to a challenge. The flow with which the story moved while complex events were triggered was very impressive. Each person was very aware of their role and partners role and made sure the performance went off without a pitch! The story itself was full of creativity, spirit, and very unique. It reminded us of why we love DI.
DaVinci Award -
Middle Level (Team Challenge): Canyon Ridge MS 3:
Like DaVinci and his magnificent inventions, this team used creativity, ingenuity, and passion when creating a motorized delivery mechanism to deliver golf balls to the structure. They took a risk and were the only team to use this approach. Not only was it complex - the product of each members' protype into a working, final product, it was designed to look like a person, playing into the story in a humerous way. The mechanism hooked a motor to a windmill in a pipe structure to push each golf ball to a specific part of the structure. It was a unique design from a creative group!
the world canvas:
DaVinci Award -
Secondary Level (Team Challenge): Westlake HS - Austintatious Action:
This team demonstrated exceptional creativity and workmanship to bring "The World Canvas" theme to life. The team used a wide range of art/media in their costumes, set & props, including origami, sewing, woodworking, papermache, painting, collage, plastic construction and weaving. The colors, composition, textures, and attention to detail were amazing - e.g., a skirt of newspaper with hundreds of pleats; a set w/three moving panels and a murphy bed; incorporating three different languages into signs & symbols related to the project. In this case, the team's outstanding creativity was not "just" for creativity's sake - it was put to use to advance the team's cause of raising awareness & respect for the diverse & beautiful cultures of the world.