On Saturday, March 7, 72 teams from 12 local school districts in Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan Counties came together to compete in the Mid-Hudson Regional Odyssey of the Mind Competition (Region 5). Among the winners were seven teams from the Pine Bush Central School District.
Odyssey of the Mind is an intellectual contest of creativity, resourcefulness, mental acuity and expression. The purpose of the competition is to focus on creative problem-solving using a team approach. It is based on the concept that “mind games” can be played with as much enthusiasm and competitive spirit as athletic games. The problems are divided into five categories that include both long-term and spontaneous problem-solving.
The students solve a long-term problem chosen from one of five categories. This year’s problems included:
Longshot Solution
Net Working
Classics...The Effective Detective
Balsa Limbo
Gibberish or Not
Teams were scored on a combination of points earned from long-term solutions, spontaneous solutions and style. The first place winners include:
Problem #1: Longshot Solution
Division I: Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School (Port Jervis)
Division II: Warwick Valley Middle School
Division III: Pine Bush High School
Problem #2: Net Working
Division I: Park Avenue Elementary School (Warwick)
Division II: Crispell Middle School (Pine Bush)
Division III: Monroe-Woodbury High School
Problem #3: Classics...The Effective Detective
Division I: Circleville Elementary School (Pine Bush)
Division II: Goshen Middle School
Division III: Chester Academy
Problem # 4: Balsa Limbo
Division I: E. J. Russell Elementary School (Pine Bush)
Division II: Crispell Middle School (Pine Bush)
Division III: Washingtonville High School
Problem #5: Gibberish or Not
Division I: Park Avenue Elementary School (Warwick)
Division II: Circleville Middle School (Pine Bush)
Division III: Pine Bush High School