East High team heads to global competition
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The East High School Destination Imagination Team earned entry into the contest’s Global Finals, but even if they hadn’t, team members would have considered the state competition a win.
The team of sophomore Alexis Palumbo and juniors Devon Culver, Mark’Quisia Stevenson, Marvinia Fulks and Malik Stoffer finished third at the state competition last month.
Their project in the contest’s Service Learning/Project Outreach category imparts an anti-bullying message.
They identified bullying as a problem and developed a skit, props and a message to address it.
At the state event, teams watched the other presentations, and after the East team performed, a student from an opposing team approached them.
“She was really serious, and she asked, ‘How can I face bullying?’” Marvinia explained.
Each of the East students told the girl about their experiences as bullying victims.
“We told her to talk to a parent or a teacher or staff member that she trusts,” Alexis explained.
It was a surprise and made team members feel good to know they touched someone with their presentation.
“That was a win right there,” said Jeanne Constantino, an East teacher and the DI coach.
It didn’t matter how they scored, she said.
Malik said he tried to make the girl laugh.
The team is raising money to cover the trip. They leave Monday and competition begins next Wednesday. The team is selling pepperoni rolls to defray the costs.
Anyone who wants to order pepperoni rolls or to donate to the students’ trip can call the school at 330-740-4005.
They’ll face teams from across the world. They admit they are nervous.
“Global Finals is huge,” Devon said.
He made the trip last year, too. Global Finals is staged at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville each year.
Devon said the competition is a good time, but the best part of the trip isn’t about the contest.
“It’s meeting all of the people,” he said.
Competitors trade pins with each state or team bringing their own to exchange with members of other teams.
Devon has one he got last year from a member of a Guatemalan team.
The team created a meme – a social idea – with the message, “Together As One, We Can Get it Done to help stop Bullying.” They decorated a wheeled cart with the meme in the middle surrounded by cotton balls.
“It’s a cloud, Marvinia said.
“The meme travels like memes travel on the Internet,” Devon added.