Regional Odyssey of the Mind to be held at BOCES

Goshen — On Saturday, Feb. 25, the Mid-Hudson Regional 2006 Odyssey of the Mind competition will take place at the Orange-Ulster BOCES campus on Gibson Road in Goshen. Approximately 800 area young people from Orange, Ulster, Sullivan and Dutchess counties will challenge each other in the day-long competition, which will begin at 9 a.m. The snow date is Sunday, Feb. 26. Odyssey of the Mind is an intellectual contest of creativity, originality, mental flexibility, and elaboration. The purpose of the competition is to focus on creative problem solving using a team approach. It is based on the premise that “mind games” can be played with as much passion, enthusiasm and competitive spirit as physical games. The problems are divided into five categories that encompass both long-term and spontaneous problem-solving. Teams will be scored on a combination of points earned from long-term solutions, spontaneous solutions, and style. Three awards ceremonies are scheduled: at 2:00 p.m., at 3:30 p.m., and at 5:00 p.m. The awards ceremonies will take place in the auditorium in the Special Education Building. School districts participating in the tournament include: Chester Union Free School District, Cornwall Central School District, Eldred Central School District, Goshen Central School District, Greenwood Lake Union Free School District, Highland Falls Central School District, Minisink Valley Central School District, Monroe-Woodbury Central School District, Monticello Central School District, Pine Bush Central School District, Port Jervis City School District, Tuxedo Union Free School District, Valley Central School District, Warwick Valley Central School District, and Washingtonville Central School District. For more information, visit www.ouboces.org or call 781-4843. n Long-term problems The Great Parade (Divisions I, II, III, IV) Teams will design, build and drive a vehicle that will be used as three different floats in a parade, returning to a back lot each time to be redecorated. One of the three “floats” will have a technical feature. The parade will conclude with a celebration, which will also include a technical feature. The parade will have a theme created by the team, and a featured character in its presentation. Tech Transfer (Divisions II, III, III) This problem requires teams to create and present an original performance that includes the use of a technical device that extends into different areas to move items. The team will design, build and operate the device, and create the items. The team will integrate the moving of the items into its performance. Classics: Ancient Egypt (Divisions I, II, III, IV) For this problem, teams will create and present an original performance, that includes a scene that takes place in ancient Egypt. The presentation must include a pharaoh, king or queen, and ancient Egyptian works of art, or artifacts created, by the team. The performance will also include a humorous explanation about the construction of an architectural structure from ancient Egypt. Geometry Structure (Divisions I, II, III, IV) The team’s problem is to design and build a structure of balsa wood and glue. The team will build geometric shapes into the structure’s design, and attach colored paper to the shapes. The type and number of required shapes varies according to division. The team will test the structure for its ability to balance and support as much weight as possible. The team’s stage set will include some type of replica of the structure. The Jungle Bloke (Divisions I, II III and IV) Teams will create and present a performance about a “bloke,” a person who has the ability to talk with, and understand, animals from the jungle. Part or all of the performance will take place in a jungle selected from a list. The animals will tell the bloke about a problem that exists there, and get the bloke to help. The animals will also help the bloke in some way. The bloke will convince someone else that he has the ability to talk with the animals. The presentation will include an original song and dance. Space Trek (Primary Grades K-2) For this non-competitive problem, the team will create and present an original performance about traveling through outer space. On its trip, the team will overcome an obstacle or difficulty, encounter another space traveler, and discover an unknown planet. The team will name the planet, and retrieve two samples using a team-created device.