GHS Oydessey teams headed to nationals

Two Gaffney High Odyssey of the Mind teams are headed to the world finals in Iowa after winning state titles earlier this month.

The school's Ancient Egypt and the Great Parade teams won first place at the state level in the high school division March 11 in Columbia. Both teams will now advance to the world finals scheduled for May 24-27 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international problem solving competition where students are challenged to find more than one creative solution to a selected problem.

Gaffney High added Odyssey of the Mind teams this year as part of a schoolwide effort to increase student involvement in academic extracurricular activities. The teams took their names from the problems which have tested their creativity since last fall.

"The students have a great time," Ancient Egypt team coach Donna Howell said. "Odyssey of the Mind has been good for the students because they have learned the importance of teamwork and new skills such as sewing and working with tools."

The Ancient Egypt team had to create and present an original performance with a pharaoh, king or queen, and ancient Egyptian artifacts created by the team. The performance had to include an explanation about the construction of an ancient Egyptian architectural structure and a plot twist.

Team members include Sara Berry, Lee Cutchin, Sarah Griffin, Skyler Haupt, Kelsey Krull, Danielle McDaniel, and Craig Sanders.

"This was my fourth year in Odyssey of the Mind. I competed in the elementary and middle school division in North Carolina," Sanders said. "This is the first time I've ever been past the regionals. It's good to win the state, but what I really want to win is the world Odyssey of the Mind."

His goal is shared by the Great Parade team members. It includes Kita Boyd, Kyra Carroll, Matt Crenshaw, Amy Ellison, Brittany Watkins, and Bret Weaver. The team is coached by Wendy Tindall.

The Great Parade team had to design, build and drive a vehicle that will be used as three different floats in a parade. Students used 99 percent recyclable materials to build its parade vehicle and floats. Their parade theme was "Mother Earth loses control."

Both teams will compete against Odyssey of the Mind teams from countries such as Russia, Poland and Japan.

The Gaffney High Odyssey of the Mind teams are currently looking for people interested in sponsoring a student to go to the world finals.

"We have 16 people going (13 students and three chaperones), and need to raise about $1,000 per person in order to be able to compete," Howell said.

Any businesses or persons interested in helping the Odyssey of the Mind teams can contact either Donna Howell or Wendy Tindall at the high school at 902-3600.