Odyssey of the Mind Teams Prepare for State

The Stratford High team won first place in To Be Continued: A Superhero Cliffhanger and Ready, Set, Balsa, Build.

 Twenty-four Odyssey of the Mind campus teams will represent Spring Branch ISD at state next month after regional competition was held recently. Texas Odyssey of the Mind state competition will be held April 8 at Waller High School.

SBISD campuses supported 42 separate student teams from 17 schools for regional competition. More than 200 SBISD students took part in competition on teams with five to seven students collaborating on problems and solution responses.

Odyssey of the Mind, also called OM, is a creative, problem-solving competition open to students at all grade levels. OM student teams work together on a pre-set, or Long-Term Problem, during local, regional and state competitions.

Teams ranked from first to sixth place in for each problem advance to state finals.

During competition, OM teams must also solve a problem they haven’t ever seen before to find a Spontaneous Problem solution.

The Cornerstone Academy team won first place in Catch Us If You Can.

Cedar Brook team

Meadow Wood team

Terrace team

Rummel Creek team

SBISD state qualifying teams and Long-Term Problems they solved include:

Problem 1: Catch Us If You Can
Meadow Wood Elementary, 2nd place; Terrace Elementary, 4th place; Ridgecrest Elementary, 3rd place; Rummel Creek Elementary, 8th place(this team advances); Cornerstone Academy, 1st place; Spring Oaks Middle, 3rd place

Problem Synopsis: This is your Odyssey, should you choose to accept it . . . your team will design, build and run vehicles from a multi-level Parking Garage to a secret meeting place without being stopped. Vehicles will travel different routes to reach the same destination. During their Odyssey, the vehicles will do something that prevents them from being followed. The performance will include the reason for the meeting, someone who wants to prevent the meeting, a simulation of a scene taking place inside a vehicle as it travels, and a soundtrack to accompany the vehicles’ travel.

Problem 2: Odd-a-Bot
Hunters Creek Elementary, 4th place; Valley Oaks Elementary, 5th place; Wilchester Elementary, 6th place; Memorial Middle, 4th place; Cornerstone Academy, 5th place

Problem Synopsis: For this problem, teams will create a humorous story about a family that brings home an “Odd-a-Bot.” Instead of being programmed to perform tasks, this Odd-a-Bot robot learns from watching others. Teams will design, build and operate an original robot that demonstrates human characteristics when performing tasks. In the performance, the Odd-a-Bot will move and learn human actions from watching characters perform activities such as household chores, creating art, and dancing. The Odd-a-Bot learns more than it was expected to learn, and will confuse its actions with humorous results.

Problem 3: It’s Time, Omer
Ridgecrest Elementary, 1st place; Pine Shadows Elementary, 3rd place; KIPP Academy at Landrum Middle, 2nd place; Westchester Academy, 2nd place

Problem Synopsis: The future and the past collide in this problem about important works of art – both existing and yet-to-be created. Teams will create and present an original performance about time travelers looking to discover the inspiration for great works of art, little did they know – it was OMER every time! The travelers go back in time – twice into our past and once into our future. They will see OMER inspire two classical artists and a team-created artist from our future. The performance will include how the three works of art positively impact the world, a visual and audible effect that indicates when time travel is occurring, two re-creations of the classic works of art selected from a list, and a team-created work of art.

Problem 4: Ready, Set, Balsa, Build
Meadow Wood Elementary, 3rd place; Spring Forest Middle, 1st place; Memorial Middle, 4th place; Stratford High, 1st place; Spring Woods High, 4th place; Memorial High, 5th place

Problem Synopsis: Creativity can be defined by using only what you have to get a job done. In this problem, teams will design, build and test a structure made of only balsa wood and glue that will balance and support as much weight as possible. The structure must include sets of balsa pieces of predetermined sizes and quantities as listed in the problem. Some sets much be parts of the structure while others, if incorporated, will receive additional score – the more sets of pieces used, the higher the score! Teams will present a performance with a theme about what’s available and that incorporates weight-placement and assembling original team creations.

Problem 5: To Be Continued: A Superhero Cliffhanger
Meadow Wood Elementary, 2rd place; Stratford High, 1st place; Memorial High, 3rd place

Problem Synopsis: Creativity is being taken away from the world, and it is up to Odyssey teams to rescue it! Teams will create and present a humorous performance about an unexpected superhero that encounters three different situations where it must save creativity in some way. The superhero will change appearance when it displays its superpowers and go back to blending in with society when not. The performance will also include a clumsy sidekick, a nemesis character, a choreographed battle, and a cliffhanger ending.