The 6th grade Odyssey of the Mind team, the Nysmith Brainy Bunch, had an amazing presentation at the 2016 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Over 800 teams from around the world gathered in Ames to compete in the OM World Championship.
The Nysmith Brainy Bunch kicked off the competition as the first team to present their long-term presentation, a creative solution to the Division 2 Problem 2 technical problem entitled, “Something Fishy.”
The team’s solution took the judges on a Mars odyssey to find life on their life-like set resembling the surface of Mars. Their innovative catch devices caught moving items that appeared at different distances throughout the set. The team used a complicated remote reaching device with a handcrafted claw, a pulley system driven Mars rover, and a crab trap inspired entrapment device to catch moving items that were set in motion by team created automata devices.
The team created an amazing illusion of a required “weather change” by use of camouflage, magnets, and pulley devices that simulated a Martian dust storm. The team also used artistry, engineering, origami, live music, as well as a song and dance to present their long-term solution.
Sixth grader Sean Gillen narrated the presentation as the humorous “catch character” Chewy Beldar–Martian extraordinaire. Christian Schipma played “Dave,” the astronaut fisher character who along with Astronauts Chandler Wimmer and Ashley Nguyen “Cosmo Couture” worked to operate the team’s technical devices. Spencer Huang played multiple characters including the “PAL 9000,” “Siri,” and “Agent Moulder–FBI.” Emma Jing played the role of Mission Control wowing the crowd with her live piano performance throughout the presentation of the theme song from “2001 A Space Odyssey,” the theme song from the “X-files,” and an Etude by Chopin to accompany the team’s weather change.
The teams devices, set, and costumes were made with recycled trash with a total value less than $145 dollars.
This first-time World Finalist team has worked for countless hours since the first weeks of school to research and create their long term solution and to practice spontaneous problem solving skills to earn the Regional and Virginia State titles, prerequisites to achieving a World Finalist slot.
The team had an excellent showing at Worlds, competing against highly competitive and seasoned 6-8th grade teams from 50 states and 25 countries, placing 13th in the world. Thanks to coaches Scott Schipma & Jackie Becker, as well as the parents of all of the team members who worked together throughout the year to coach spontaneous problem solving multiple days each week.
Congratulations Sean, Christian, Ashley, Chandler, Emma, and Spencer on a job well done and for representing Nysmith with pride!!!