While the majority of Senior School students were finishing up coursework, and beginning preparations for their upcoming exams, the Saints Destination Imagination team was in beautiful Knoxville, Tennessee for the Destination Imagination (DI) 2016 Global Finals. Along with 1400 other teams for 21 countries worldwide, the DI team had the opportunity to let their creativity shine while taking in the fabulously diverse culture of the Southern United States.

After winning their regional competition earlier in the spring, at which they were uncontested in their category, the Senior Team members earned their right to travel the Global Finals for the second time in their soon culminating high school careers.

On Victoria Day (May 23^rd), accompanied by long-time DI Teacher Sponsor Mr. Sherman and Ms. Hollman, the team set off for Tennessee. Being the second trip to the Global Finals for much of the team, there was an assuring sense of familiarity among the boys as they boarded their flight at YVR. After arriving at the monstrosity that is Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, the gang hopped on their connector flight to reach their final destination. By the time they arrived and settled in their Knoxville accommodations, the group was exhausted, and quickly tucked into bed.

The next day, the boys got right into the swing of the Global Finals, and began their preparations for the various challenges they would be competing in over the next several days. Due to passport complications at home, this was also the day that one of the team members was able to finally make his way to Knoxville, and join his teammates in preparations. The main challenge the boys needed to prepare for on this day was their Technical Challenge. In the Technical Challenge, the team, which consisted solely of Grade 12 students, was tasked with building a vehicle that could carry a single person, and move in two directions. The boys brought most of their necessary materials on the plane with them, but had to do a bit of shopping on this day at the local Walmart to complete the build. On Wednesday the 25^th, the team presented their contraption, and were lucky enough to have no mishaps with their finished product. In addition to the Technical Challenge, the team also participated in an Instant Challenge and a playful science challenge. The team’s best result of the competition came in the Instant Challenge, where they scored 3^rd: just 1/3 of a point behind 1^st place!

After speaking to the team, it was evident that many of their best memories from the trip did not occur during the challenges, or the preparations for said challenges. For the 6 Grade 12 boys on the team, the bonding time they had together was the highlight of the trip. Trading pins and national gear with students from other countries, dinners at local restaurants, and visiting the famed Dollywood Amusement Park, which Jake Hauser recalled as the “funnest, fattest, 100% natural place on Earth”, were some of the most noted events of the trip. In closing, Team Manager Curtis Ho had this to say of the trip: “[It was a] great improvement from last time. Please do DI next year. I think the program might die, so do it for Sherman.”