On Sunday, August 28, Duval High School’s Tournament of Minds Team won the NSW North West Regional Final of the Language Literature Discipline.
The team: Katie Broomfield, Lisa Evered, Oliver Bruhl, Katie Evered, David Wilson, Isaac Clark and Neve Russoniello spent the last six weeks creating a solution to a long-term challenge entitled “What the Dickens, My Darling Beatle Bard!”.
The team chose slapstick comedy as its presentation genre, incorporating characters from Dickens, Shakespeare and Dahl into an entertaining performance after studying the different styles of language used by each author. David Wilson stole the show playing three separate roles, with three separate costume changes — all under 10 seconds for each! Katie B and David performed a spoof of Romeo and Juliet; Neve, Lisa and Katie E produced a bellyful of laughs as the three witches from Macbeth; Oliver impressed us with his ‘George’ from George’s Marvellous Medicine; and Isaac won the hearts of the audience as the depressed centipede from James and the Giant Peach.
Following their presentation of the long-term challenge, the team was required to give a creative response to a spontaneous challenge, in which they had four minutes to discuss and resolve the problem and one minute to present it to the judges. The team was praised for their efficient teamwork and humorous presentation.
The Duval students were delighted when they won their discipline and travelled to Sydney on the weekend of September 8 and 9 to compete at the State Finals of Tournament of Minds. The team had three hours in isolation to create and perform a nursery rhyme which uses symbolism to mock a moment in time in a particular society. The Duval team chose the French Revolution as their moment in time. Teams were given a box of materials from which to create costumes and props.
The team represented Duval with distinction. Their room supervisor complimented the students on their behaviour, conduct and presentation, adding that they were a credit to the school, well-mannered, polite and friendly.
