2013 NYDI Affiliate Tournament Results

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

The team’s ability to design, engineer, and implement the “Weather Tablet” both impressed and amazed all Appraisers as a work that went above and beyond in the areas of innovation and “know-how.” The engineering and design used to bring movement and life to the wheat, sailboat, and kraken would impress any professional engineer. This team has raised DI to a new level of engineering and design standards.

With no preparation, he took advantage of a broken prop that, in only two attempts, was transformed into a circus instrument. This Instant Challenge appraisal team has never seen anything so cool! The appraisers tried, and failed, to recreate this completely instant and totally awe inspiring show of dexterity …..and are still baffled.

This team utilized a common electronic device as a starting point to create a special effect that wowed the Appraisers. When speaking with the team members, they explained how they wanted to set the stage for their performance. Their combined efforts resulted in an incredible stop-motion video. We can see a very bright future ahead!

Most all of the teams here today have been working on a Challenge solution for nearly seven or more months—and many of you might say you need more time. Can you imagine what might happen if, instead of many months to solve a Challenge, a team had only a month? Would your team take the

Challenge and step up?

 

This Spirit of DI Award is presented to a special team, who is here today, because they accepted a very unique challenge and demonstrated team fortitude and courage to face it head on.

 

Due to circumstances beyond their control, this team began its DI journey much later than most teams here today. Imagine with me, if you would, reading your Challenge for only the first time in March, knowing that the Affiliate Tournament was less than 6 weeks away! It would have been very easy to give up using the very reasonable excuses that it “was too hard,” they had “too little time,” or that it was “just not possible.” But NO—in true DI fashion, this team embodied the very principles of DI and set forth forming, brainstorming, and creating. They knew that it was the experience that was of value, not necessarily the finished solution. Utilizing the time they had, they learned to work cooperatively to bring their ideas together and build a solution. And they are here today, having successfully shared their solution with us.

 

For solving the Challenge, in record time, this Spirit of DI award is presented to the team and management of Cub Care Children’s Center.

The team arrived in Binghamton with vehicles well packed and secure in newspaper and a styrofoam cooler….or so they thought. After unwrapping their 2 vehicles, they discovered both were broken. In order to compete today they tried to rebuild the vehicles as originally designed, but were unsuccessful. They had to think outside of the box and fast to come up with alternative solutions. They answered their own question of what the pieces in front of them could become in an exceptionally creative way.

 

Their Team Challenge became a second Instant Challenge!

In your experiences with DI, have you ever met an individual who just wow-ed you with a sense of teamwork and willingness to give so much of themselves to support a goal? I have, and I would like to share that experience with you and, then, introduce this individual to you.

 

The individual who I am about to introduce you to truly embodies the Spirit of DI! You all know that DI is creative problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration at its best. Our New York State DI Affiliate operates with the very same guidelines and only exists because of the volunteers that share of their time and talents to benefit all.

 

Early this DI Year, our NYDI Board of Trustees identified a need for a specific skill set to improve our operations to make it easier to support your team managers and our overall program. And, it so happens that the individual I am talking about not only had the skills necessary but also the willingness to step up and assume this vital role.

 

Working with him is a true pleasure. He works well in a team and is always looking for creative and innovative solutions to the challenges that NYDI faces. He has an eye for efficiency and integrating the suggestions, considerations, and requests from other NYDI volunteers. He has not only filled the original need as identified by the BOT, but has made improvements to our organization that we had never even considered possible.

 

A perfect example of just one of these solutions is the development of our on-line registration system for teams, events and tournaments. Gone are the days of our team managers having to submit reams of paperwork and waiting days and weeks for a response. This is a one-of-a-kind, NYDI specific program! Another example — our on-line Web Store enables around-the-clock ordering of must-have NYDI merchandise like pins, T-shirts, and those much in demand Myachis!

 

Please join me in recognizing our Webmaster extraordinaire, Mr. Josh Diamond, with this Spirit of DI Award for his commitment and contributions to Destination Imagination of New York.