Staff Writer, Sarah Morris
“Team Ready?” With these two words months of preparation come to a head, and the problem begins. Odyssey of the Mind is an aptly named competition- it truly is a journey for your brain. Teams spend the months leading up to the competition creating a solution to the problem given to them, and presenting it to the judges in a performance. Nothing is off limits here, and creativity is rewarded above anything else. The catch though, is that each problem has very specific rules and regulations that the solution must meet. 
The problems range from building extremely light structures out of balsa wood and glue, designed to hold as much weight as possible until they crush, to writing and performing some of the most creative, out there seven minute shows you will ever see. And Charter is sending teams to this competition for the sixth year now. Five teams from our school will compete this month for a chance to move onto the state competition with the problems they have worked all year to create their solutions to. I got to talk to some of our competitors about their experiences with the unique event. Amelia Martinie and Conor Dillon are both seniors competing who have been involved since they were in seventh grade. When asked about her best experience, Amelia told me about the time last year that her team won a “Ranatra Fusca” award for the balsa wood structure they built, which sent their team on to the state level competition. The best part though, she shares, was when she got to pie her coach, Mr. Hashagen, in the face at the end.
Conor shared how rewarding it is for him when everything has come together, and he gets to perform his solution on stage for the judges. But it’s not all fun and games. Amelia shared how much of a time commitment the competition is, and how much effort it takes to design the solution. Odyssey of the Mind is a unique experience for students that teaches them about teamwork and creativity. Our school’s teams have been working hard getting ready for the regional competition coming up on March 14th, so be sure to show your support, and wish them good luck!
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