District News

East Hill Elementary sending three Odyssey of the Mind teams to state competition

 

March, 2011

 

Three East Hill Elementary school Odyssey of the Mind Teams will travel to Binghamton on March 26 to compete in the New York State Competition.

One team consists of: Drew Douglass, Mackenzie Bowerman, Mollie Krug, Emily Meyer, and Nick Shariff. Mrs. Douglass will be the coach.

Their problem is "Extreme Mousemobiles," which requires teams to design, build, and run vehicles that use mousetraps as their only source of energy. The mouse mobiles will travel a course that has segments with different challenges. The team can choose from assorted tasks such as driving through a tunnel, raising a flag, hitting a target, changing direction, and making a delivery. They will also perform two team-created challenges. The running of the mouse mobiles will be presented in a performance with a team-created theme.

Team two, made up of Phillip Leverett, Samantha Field, Benjamin Field, A.J. Sullivan, Danyell Monk, Breanna Snyder, Maddy Elliott and coach Mrs. Leverett, faces a problem called, "Good as Gold...berg"

Teams will present an uncomplicated existing item that is used in a simple and effective way to complete a real life task. The teams will also create their own solution, a device made out of an unnecessarily complex series of components that will perform the same task as the existing item. The performance will include an inventor character and a marketing plan/sales pitch for its creation.

For Problem 5, or "Full Circle," the problem is to create and present a humorous performance where something changes form or appearance at least three times and eventually undergoes a final change where it returns to its original form and appearance.

The team - consisting of Alanah Drake, Aleah Schaffer, Garrett Oeser, Cassie Bever, Hailey Snyder, Kayla Mastin and coach Mrs. Drake - will signal the audience each time there is a change. The performance will include a very silly character, a very serious character, a song and dance, and a surprise ending.