The 2016 Region 4 Odyssey of the Mind Tournament coordinated by Questar III was held Saturday, Feb. 27. Were you seen?…
Posted by Questar III on Monday, February 29, 2016
Twenty student teams from schools in Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene counties advanced to the state Odyssey of the Mind tournament in Binghamton on April 2.
The winning teams were among 89 teams from 40 different schools competing in the Region Four Odyssey of the Mind Tournament coordinated by Questar III at Coxsackie-Athens CSD on February 27.
Throughout the day teams performed creative skits they developed to demonstrate their solutions to open-ended problems without a specific right or wrong answer. Students honed their presentations and performances over the past several months.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students of all ages. It encourages students to use their imaginations and to work in teams – skills that will be useful throughout their lives.
Teams are judged on their unique solutions to the problems, as well as their teamwork, creativity, ability to think out of the box, and in excelling (i.e., going above and beyond) throughout the competition.
The following teams advanced to the state tournament (click here for the full results):
Problem 1: No-Cycle Recycle
Teams will build, ride on, and drive a no-cycle, recycling vehicle. It will pick up discarded items, adapt them in some way, and then deliver them to places to be re-used. The vehicle must travel without pedaling for propulsion. In addition, the driver will have an assistant worker riding on the vehicle that will help process the trash items being repurposed. They will make an unplanned stop along the way to perform a random act of kindness.
- Germantown Central School – Division I
- Ichabod Crane Elementary/Middle School – Division II
- Tamarac Secondary School (Brunswick CSD) – Division II
- Hoosic Valley Jr. Sr. High School – Division III
Problem 2: Something Fishy
Teams will design and operate a technical solution that simulates multiple styles of fishing. A Fisher Character will work from a designated area to “catch” three different objects that are outside of that area. The catch will be on the move and will include something expected, something unexpected, and a new discovery. The performance will also include a change of weather and a humorous character that portrays a potential catch and avoids being caught by the Fisher.
- Scott M Ellis Elementary School (Greenville CSD) – Division I
- Ichabod Crane Elementary/Middle School – Division II
- Hoosic Valley Jr. Sr. High School – Division III
Problem 3: Classics… Aesop Gone Viral
Teams will create and present an original performance about a fable gone “viral.” The problem will include a list of fables attributed to Aesop. Teams will select one and portray it, and its moral, as going viral – that is, being shared throughout the community and beyond. The performance will be set in a past era and include a narrator character, an artistic representation of the fable’s moral, and a character that makes a wrong conclusion about the moral and is corrected.
- Tamarac Elementary School (Brunswick CSD) – Division I
- Edward J. Arthur Elementary School (Coxsackie-Athens CSD) – Division I
- Holy Spirit School – Division II
- Gardner-Dickinson School (Wynantskill UFSD) – Division II
- Catskill High School – Division III
Problem 4: Stack Attack!
This problem requires teams to design, build, and test a structure, made only of balsa wood and glue that will balance and support as much weight as possible–twice. During weight-placement, teams can “Attack the Stack” where they will remove all of the weights except for the bottom one and the crusher board. Teams will also receive score for removing weights! After Attacking the Stack, the weight placement process can be repeated to add to the total weight held. Teams will incorporate weight-placement, repetition, and Attacking a Stack into the theme of the performance.
- Catskill Elementary School – Division I
- Troy Middle School – Division II
- Algonquin Middle School – Division II
- Averill Park High School – Division III
Problem 5: Furs, Fins, Feathers & Friends
The team’s problem is to create and present a humorous performance depicting problem solving from the perspective of three different animals. The animals will help a stranger, help each other, and solve a problem that threatens the survival of all animals. During the performance, the animals will sing and dance. They will also show curiosity, sympathy, frustration, and joy.
- Germantown Central School – Division I
- Rensselaer Jr. Sr. High School – Division II
- Howard L. Goff Middle School (East Greenbush CSD) – Division II
- Catskill High School – Division III
Teams who place first or second in their problem and division at the state tournament in Binghamton will move onto the World Competition at Iowa State University May 25-28.
This region has a history of success at the state level. At least one team from Rensselaer, Columbia, or Greene County has advanced to the World Finals every year since 2007.
CBS6 story
http://cbs6albany.com/news/local/students-compete-in-odyssey-of-the-mind-tournament
Daily Mail/Register Star story
http://www.registerstar.com/news/article_1dfc2c16-ddd4-11e5-9ced-b7ecd9541dbf.html
