Letter
Disappointed by lack of Odyssey of the Mind coverage
By Amy Wolfanger | Leicester
I enjoy reading the Livingston County News and look forward to learning about the accomplishments of our local school/children. I am, although, very disappointed that there has been nothing published about the local Odyssey of the Mind teams who participated in the World Finals competition in Iowa May 2012.
The teams worked very hard and won the regional and state competition to get to the World Finals. York Central School had three teams, and Geneseo School had two teams attend the World Finals.
The students worked as a team to solve a problem, create a skit, be spontaneous, and in some cases build balsa structures or vehicles. Some teams have worked together for years, others for the first time.
I had the privilege of coaching a first year York balsa team. The time and effort these students put in was admirable. They needed to work as a team, be creative, build a balsa structure (theirs held over 600 pounds) and solve a problem using materials/ideas with no outside input.
This team of nine and ten year olds came in fifth place at World Finals out of 49 teams in their division. Pretty amazing! Just imagine all the skills they are learning that can shape their future.
The other teams did equally well. York division III balsa placed 16th, and division III weird science placed 10th. Geneseo division I vehicle team placed 24th, and division III vehicle 11th.
These teams competed against teams for all over the world and did fantastic! I feel students should get some recognition so the community can see how well our students are doing.
I commend you on your reporting of local sports. I enjoy reading how well the athletes did, and I congratulate them on their accomplishments. Sports are a very important part of our community and our children’s lives.
Academics and school organizations are equally important. This is why I was disappointed to see such a small article after the regional competition (some of the information was incorrect) held locally, and more disappointed to not see anything about the world competition.
Let’s show our school, organizations, and children that we care about “everything” they do, and how proud we are of the hard efforts they put in no matter what the level of success.
