Two M-W middle school teams advance to state Odyssey of the Mind competition

CENTRAL VALLEY — Two teams from Monroe-Woodbury Middle School finished first in their respective divisions for their creative responses to unique problems at the regional Odyssey of the Mind competition held March 10 at Orange-Ulster BOCES, and now advance to state competition later this spring at SUNY Binghamton.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college and is the only international competition the Monroe-Woodbury School District competes in annually.
Team HutterTeam Hutter earned 347.91 out of 350 points for its response to the problem, “Classics … Mockumentary! Seriously?”
Team members are Sophie Baer, Leanne Fernandes, Emma Shae Filonow, Avlinn Jaskowski, Amara Leitner, Mark Lee and Julia McHugh, coached by Jessica Hutter.
In this problem, characters don’t always agree as they recount the classic story where they appeared. The team selected a classic from a list and presented different characters in a humorous documentary-style performance where details are added, denied, exaggerated and disputed. There were interviews, behind-the-scenes “clips" and voice-overs that took the audience through the story and help present the events as they “really” took place.
Team McInerneyTeam McInerney earned 336.48 out of 350 points for its response to the problem, “A Stellar Hangout.”
Team members are Anushree Buragohain, Jamie Calub, Colin Davidson, James Dawson, Khushi Girish, Shreya Girish and Isabelle Varghese, coached by Joanne McInerney.
In the outreaches of the universe, there is an Intergalactic Hangout where all sorts of creatures from different worlds stop, eat, refuel and relax. The team created a humorous performance centered on this science fiction hangout that included original creatures, foods, and a search for space treasure. There was also a worker character, entertainment and a futuristic map at the hangout.
Elsewhere in the competitionThe team representing Pine Tree Elementary School took fourth place in its division for its response to the problem, "Emoji, Speak for Yourself," with 262.78 out of 350 points.
The Central Valley Elementary School team also finished in fourth place in its division for its response to the question, "Classics ... Mockumentary! Seriously?" with 305.94 out of 350 points.
Two district elementary schools competed in the same category for the problem, "A Stellar Hangout." The Pine Tree Elementary School team took fifth place with 294.12 points out of 350; and the North Main Elementary School team finished in 12th place with 239.91 points.
Monroe-Woodbury High School finished third in its division for the same problem, "A Stellar Hangout," with 261.07 points out of 350.
Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics and bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams nationwide and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.
- Nancy Kriz