Four WCPSS Teams Compete at Odyssey of the Mind World Finals
April 20, 2010 - Four teams of Wake County Public School System students qualified at state finals to attend the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, which will be held over Memorial Day weekend at Michigan State University. Two teams of Partnership Elementary students qualified to compete in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. |
Two teams from Partnership Elementary and teams from Davis Drive Middle and Wake Forest Rolesville High won at the April 10 NC state finals held at Wingate College. There are separate divisions for elementary, middle and high school teams.
In Odyssey of the Mind competitions, teams of students compete by creatively solving one of five problems.
The Partnership Elementary team that worked on the Column Structure problem earned 317.23 points and finished in first place. The Column Structure team includes Carol Seigler, Ginger Dudley, Zachary McFarlane, Emma Furukawa, Cayley Ryan, Sara Avery and Bryan Squires. They are coached by Kathy Garnier and Mary Hunter Martin. The problem is to design and build balsa wood columns that will function together to balance and support as much weight as possible. The columns must not be connected to each other in any way. The team will test its Column Structure by placing weights onto it. The team will add weight until its Column Structure breaks or time ends. Bonus score will be awarded for the number of columns used. The team will incorporate the testing of its columns in an original team-created performance.
The Partnership Elementary team that worked on the Return to the Gift of Flight problem earned 296.31 points and finished in second place. The Flight team includes Rory Hines, Dakota Candiloro, Seiya Furukawa, BJ Squires, Matthew Bauer, Simone Buongiorno-Nardelli and Javier Jones. They are coached by Joe and Leslie Hines. In this challenge, teams had to make and operate a series of aircraft that would complete a variety of flight plans. The flight plans include flying straight, making a target spin, traveling slowly, dropping something into a target, touching down and taking off, and a mass launch of multiple aircraft. The aircraft in the solution will be made of a variety of materials and will have a variety of power sources. The testing of the aircraft will be presented in a team-created performance that will include a character that serves as a creative "air traffic controller."
The Davis Drive Middle team that worked on the Food Court problem earned 311.15 points and finished in second place. The Food Court team includes Akshara Kothapally, Sydney Lee, Megan Laney, Samantha Everett, Vyktoria Kidwell and Sonya Zhang. They are coached by Mike Glancy. The challenge is to create and present a humorous performance where a food item is accused of being unhealthy and must defend itself among its food peers. All characters are food items and will include "the accused," "the accuser," a jury that is not portrayed by team members, and additional team-created characters. The jury will reveal its decision to the audience.
The Wake Forest Rolesville High team that worked on the Food Court problem earned 300.97 points and finished in second place. The Food Court team includes captains Molly Winstead and Grace Shaughnessy, as well as Nathan Clapsaddle, Tara Collins, Molly Winston, Katie Kahut and technician Tommy Wells. They are coached by Marie Jones and Allison Shepard. In their solution to the Food Court problem, Peanut Butter accuses Jelly of being unhealthy because of its high sodium content. Jelly countersues by disclaiming Peanut Butter for her high concentration of fat. They reunite in the original musical number “Don’t Go Throwing Away Friendship.” The jury of Mustard, Catsup, Mayonnaise, Ranch Dressing, and Barbecue Sauce, renders a verdict of “Condimentally Not Guilty.”
When the teams go to East Lansing, Michigan for the world finals on May 26 – 29, you will be able to see the students at the Opening Ceremonies, the Graduation Ceremony and the Awards Ceremony. The Odyssey of the Mind will broadcast these events as a live web cast during the ceremony as it occurs.