by Thea Kupersmith (7th)
On Saturday, March 4th, the Colonial Middle School Odyssey of the Mind teams entered the regionals competition at DeSales university. The “Walls of Troy,” Division â…ˇteam placed overall 2nd in five teams, going on to the states competition, and the “Most Dramatic Problem Ever,” Divisionâ…ˇteam placed overall 3rd in eight teams, unfortunately not proceeding to states.
Odyssey of the mind is a creative problem-solving program for kids from kindergarten through college. There are two parts to OM, (odyssey of the mind,) Long-Term and Spontaneous. In Long-term, individuals work with their team to create a eight-minute long skit based on a predefined problem, in which they can choose from 5 categories, each focusing on different aspects. They are Vehicle, Technical, Classics, Structure, and Performance.
Each problem has many different scoring aspects and categories, such as teams having to use
Odyssey of the Mind Mascot "OMER" gives the thumbs up. https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/p/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/omer-thumbs-up_no-backgroun.png
baking soda in their skit, build a vehicle, incorporate paper clips, create a pulley system, and many more surprising and creative requirements. Teams will have to build a set, make costumes, write a script, and create props. The Long-Term is incredibly fun and gives teams a chance to express their creativity.
The second part of OM is the Spontaneous category. As suggested in the name, teams will not know what Spontaneous problem they will get at competitions. OM meets Mondays after school to practice them. There are three types of spontaneous problems, Verbal, Hand-on, and Verbal-Hands-On. Verbal problems are when teams are given a prompt, and the team must go around saying creative answers to that prompt. For example, the prompt might be something like, “name a reason that you were late for school.” a common answer would be, “I overslept,” while a creative answer might be, “My dog insisted on wearing a tux today,” or any other creative play on words or surprising humor.
Another category is the Hands-On. They are more straightforward, usually being judged on fulfilling the task. One example might be, “ create a structure using paper clips, pipe cleaners, straw, and a ping-pong ball that will hold up marbles. Each marble it holds is worth 5 points,” or, “create a device out of just popsicle sticks, paper, rubber bands, and tape, that will knock down a certain number of cups.” Depending on the problem, hands-on is also scored on teamwork, creativity, and use of materials.
The last category is Verbal-Hands-On. It is a combination of the two, requiring verbal response while manipulating or building certain objects. One problem might be, “ using these common household items, describe ways archeologists might think we used them for.” a common answer would be to hold up a brush and say, “this is what they brushed their hair with”, while a creative response might be, “ This was a bed for their pet mosquitoes.” Responses are judged by the judges interpretation of how creative the answers are. There is no way to know what prompt or category you will get at Spontaneous, so teams practice them together.
Odyssey of the Mind is a fun program where you can make new friends and show your creativity. It will help improve your teamwork and communication skills, and you might just learn a new skill or two. Both teams who competed this year are very proud of their accomplishments, and recommend Odyssey for everyone who wants an rewarding experience, just just for middle school, but every year on up.
Image Citation:
"Omer." Odyssey of the Mind. Accessed 8 April 2023. https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/p/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/omer-thumbs-up_no-backgroun.png