Tucson Weekly: Whiz Kids (May 21

For Some Tucson Students, Odyssey Of The Mind Has Been Quite A Trip.
By Mari Wadsworth
TODAY ARIZONA, tomorrow the world. That's the hope of six Sam Hughes Elementary School students, who'll travel to Orlando, Florida, at the end of this month to compete in the 1998 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals.
Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an extracurricular program for students ages 8 to 18, wherein teams of five to seven kids engage in one of six areas of creative problem solving. But this is no science fair ghost-run by parents. Whether it's building a structure or designing and performing a dramatic production, the students are charged with divining their own ways and means of solving some rather tricky technical, analytical and artistic situations, and they're serious about their intellectual property.
Take it from 10-year-old team leader Luke Gebremariam: "Adults can't do anything. It's ours, so we can do whatever we want," he says.
Currents A font of wisecracks and energy, it was Gebremariam who organized not only the kids on his fifth-grade OM team, but also inspired his mom Cindy to become their coach (which she has done for the past two years, in addition to co-running the family restaurant, Zemam's).
At a final fundraiser two weeks ago, the Sam Hughes Elementary School "Create and Animate" Div. 1 Team (comprised of Gebremariam, Sarah Button, Dylan Calmes, Gabe Edmunds-Hostetler, Blair Lane and Emily Seaman), delighted an audience of parents and well-wishers with their award-winning skit, which endeavors to bring an inanimate object to life: in this case, an enchanted pair of "dancing pants." Per contest requirements, the eight-minute production features an original poem (in the form of a magic spell), and team-created song, music, dance, costume and set design (which is pretty elaborate given the under-$90 budget).
The team took first place in both the Southern Arizona regionals and statewide finals in recent months, the latter against some 300 teams. But for the world finals, the six friends seem less focused on winning and more on meeting their creative peers from 18 countries and 49 states. "They're the best in the world," Gebremariam says admiringly of the competition. It doesn't hurt that the competition takes place at Disneyworld, either.
OM WAS FOUNDED in 1978 by Sam Micklus, a New Jersey college professor of design and engineering who was dismayed to find that his students, while technically proficient, lacked creativity. He privately funded the first Odyssey of the Mind tournament (meant to be a one-time deal) to inspire the development of creative thinking, teamwork and problem solving.
Now an international non-profit organization, OM has volunteer-run member associations worldwide, meaning that more than 8,000 kids will compete for the world title in each of three age divisions.
Arizona will be well-represented in Orlando: Of the 13 Copper State teams heading south, seven are from Tucson. They range in grade from 4th to 12th.
Sample scenarios from this year's competition include designing and building a tow vehicle ("Pageant Wagon"); creating and presenting a character (and related device) that morphs from one thing into another ("Morph Magic"); a classics problem requiring studies in art, literature and history ("Marvelous Mentor"); designing and building a camouflaged structure of balsa wood and glue ("Camouflaged Creation"); and writing, directing and performing a humorous skit in which an inanimate object comes to life ("Create and Animate").
The following teams placed first in the statewide competition, and will proceed to the finals on May 27:
Wheeler Elementary, "Pageant Wagon," Div. 1; Amphi Middle School, "Pageant Wagon," Div. 2; Doolen Middle School, "Morph Magic," Div. 2; Santa Rita High School, "Morph Magic," Div. 3; University High School, "Marvelous Mentor," Div. 3; Harrison Elementary School, "Camouflaged Creation," Div. 1; and Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Div. 3. The Buena team came up with a structure weighing less than 13 grams (the weight of a pencil), which supported over 1,000 pounds at the regional finals.
OUR EBULLIENT group of fifth graders has been working together in earnest for the past five months (with the exception of one new member, the team has been together for two years) to prepare for this year's competition. Asked what OM has done for them, besides add another nine hours of work to their regular school schedules each week, nearly every hand shot into the air. "In OM, you have to learn to take criticism. To do it better, you have listen to what the team has to say," says Sara Buttons.
"You have to learn to cooperate," says Noah Gebremariam, age 9.
Was anybody shy before joining OM? "Blair!" everyone shouts. Blair, who directs the "Dancing Pants" skit, freezes up; but Emily Seaman comes to her aid: "I can't speak for her, but I can speak for myself," Seaman pipes up. "It really helps teamwork and cooperation. Sometimes you get on each others' nerves, but you can't let the whole thing fall apart. It can get really emotional if you get criticized, or things don't go well, but you learn to deal with it."
Friendship seems to be the overwhelming theme among this group: Everyone has a story about making new friends. As one parent points out, "Creative kids gravitate towards the program, but they don't necessarily know how to work together in teams."
"It's hard," admits writer Gabe Edmunds-Hostetler, "but it's lots of fun."
Another Sam Hughes OM teamster, Matt Shenkarow, sums up the group's feelings: "It makes you think creatively. You think of wild things, things you wouldn't think about in school...Not just one thing, like math. You learn a lot, you get to meet a lot of new people, you get to work in a group...The only thing that parents get to do is order the pizza."
It goes without saying that these kids are already winners.
For more information on Arizona's Odyssey of the Mind program, e-mail AZOM director Susan Shetter at azom96@aol.com; or call (520) 740-5309.

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