Newtown Students Qualify For Odyssey Of The Mind World Finals

Following the Saturday, March 26, 30th Annual Connecticut Odyssey of the Mind State tournament, held in Bristol, some Newtown participants are preparing for the World Finals competition in May to be held at the University of Maryland.

“It was quite a swoop,” said Ann Ziluck, a Newtown Odyssey of the Mind team couch.

Two of the six groups from Reed Intermediate School earned medals in the Saturday competition, three of the four Newtown Middle School groups made it into the World Competition level, and the one Newtown High School team earned third place in its division.

“You could hear the screams coming from Newtown Middle School this weekend,” said Ms Ziluck. “That’s 20 kids from Newtown Middle School who are going to World Finals.”

 The three teams with students scheduled to attend the World Finals competition now need to raise $531 per student participant in order to attend the competition.

Odyssey of the Mind, according to Ms Ziluck, has six problems that teams may choose from each year, including a “primary” problem for children in grades kindergarten through second. Newtown had teams competing this year. Teams work all through the school year and present their Long Term solutions in the form of an eight-minute performance, which includes set up of their props. Teams have three scoring categories that include Long Term Problem, Style, and Spontaneous. The top three teams in each problem and division receive medals and the top two are invited to attend World Finals, which will be held at the University of Maryland at College Park, May 27–30.

 The Newtown High School team was the first team to represent NHS in Odyssey of the Mind this year, and the team took third place in a performance problem called “Le Tour Guide,” where a literary character must take tourists to two existing and one team-created destination. 

Four teams from Newtown Middle School competed in four different problems: “As Good As Gold...berg,” “Le Tour Guide,” “Unhinged Structure,” and “Full Circle,” which was sponsored by NASA. Three teams from NMS took second place against their competitors in Bristol, and will continue on to the World Finals. 

Reed Intermediate School had seven teams competing this year. Three teams chose the “As Good As Gold...berg” problem, two chose “Mousemobiles,” and “Le Tour Guide” and “Full Circle” each had one team competing.  The “Good As Gold…berg” team, coached by Dr Allen Davis, and the “Mousemobiles” team, coached by Ari Kousidis, both received third place medals at the state level of the competition.

Ms Ziluck said Newtown is very fortunate to have dedicated volunteer coaches and wonderfully creative team members to represent it in the largest intellectual competition in the World.

To raise the $531 per student cost of attending the World Finals, Ms Ziluck said teams will be raising funds through the next month, including setting up booths at Newtown’s Earth Day this year, taking place Saturday, April 30, from 10 am to 4 pm, at Newtown Middle School. 

A slideshow of photos from the 30th Annual Connecticut Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament is online at www.newtownbee.com with this story (under the Features tab).