Odyssey of the Mind Regional Tournament
by Julia Hanauer-Milne
Williams Elementary School’s Odyssey of the Mind teams should take a bow! Two teams went to the regional Odyssey of the Mind tournament at Brunswick High School on March 17, the culmination of months of hard work. One team competed in Mockumentary, in which they retold a story (The Hobbit) that included specific criteria such as voiceovers, interviews, and behind the scenes action. That team, co-coached by Julia Hanauer-Milne, Lisette Bordes, and Martha Minkel and with help from OM alumnus Ryan Pullen, placed first in their division and are going on to the state tournament in Biddeford on April 7. The other team, coached by Rebecca Conry and Sara McDougall, competed with 14 teams in Stellar Hangout, and told a story about aliens who meet up in space. They placed 6th. Both teams performed for Williams students and staff on March 28. OM is a creative problem-solving competition in which students must write a script, design and make their own sets and costumes, and perform their work. Adults are allowed to ask questions, but can not provide ideas or other help. It’s a big undertaking for these kids and an accomplishment just to make it to competition.