by Nicolas M.
Since 1978, students from all over the world have signed up for the club Odyssey of the Mind. Kids from Asia, Africa, and across the United States prove themselves through a series of challenges with an intense grading system. Mule Time Media is here with Teresa Milliger, a newly added sponsor to the club and 8th Grade Science teacher, to talk about the current form of the club.
Ms. Milliger was inspired to take charge of the club before the 2024-2025 school year by Ms. Kristi Zorn, an AHJS teacher. Ms. Milliger mentioned that Ms. Zorn is amazing and inspired her to fill her shoes after it became challenging to maintain, marking a new era with a Science teacher in charge.
Odyssey of the Mind is no ordinary competition. Since it’s worldwide, the competition must be understood universally so all countries can compete fairly. The competition has three stages, and you must finish within a certain margin depending on how many teams are in the problem you’re tackling. There’s a long-term problem and a Spontaneous challenge, where you either answer verbal questions or build a specific structure.
The three stages of the competition are Regionals, States, and Worlds. Regionals are against other schools and local areas and are relatively easy to pass if you have a very cooperative team. States are a huge jump, where you now face the best teams from each city. Once you make it past the competitive States, it’s time for Worlds. Events take place daily, and you meet people from all around the world! Making it to the podium at Worlds is a rare achievement, but the experience is exhilarating.
The students this year have large expectations to do well. Ms. Milliger mentioned that the students representing our district this year are, “Really good with building things and seeing things spatially.” Another group is, “Really good with verbal and linguistic tasks.” In 2022, I also participated in Odyssey of the Mind, and our group was incredibly creative when it came to building and developing the story for our long-term problem.
It also doesn’t matter how old the participants are. 8th Grader Dante Williams is working with 6th Graders on their long-term problem, showing that talent can come from students of all ages. In fact, the better your imagination, the easier it is to solve the questions and problems. Hence the name, Odyssey of the Mind. The club is about exploring yourself, expanding your perspective on any problem, and improving your logical thinking.
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