• State Finals Survey – How was your experience?
• Photos – Awards Ceremony
• State Finals Scores
• Watch back the Awards Ceremony Webcast

Here they are! Photos from the State Finals competitions! Click here.

Congratulations to the NEPA teams that placed!

Cedar Crest MS - State Champions!

Ooh-Motional Vehicle div. I
Dingman-Delaware ES – 2nd place

Ooh-Motional Vehicle div. III
Pocono Mountain West HS – 3rd place

Weird Science div. I
Pocono Elementary Center – 3rd place

Weird Science div. II
Shohola ES – 2nd place
Dingman-Delaware MS – 3rd place

Weird Science div. III
Abington Heights HS Tm A – 3rd place

To Be or Not To Be div. II
Crestwood MS – 1st place
Easton Area MS – Upper – 3rd place

Odyssey Angels div. I
Pocono Elementary Center – 2nd place

Odyssey Angels div. III
Delaware Valley HS – 2nd place

Read more for the OMERs and Ranatra Fusca Award winners…

OMERs Award Winners – 2012 State Finals

Moon Elementary School – Odyssey Angels div. I

Nominated by another team. This team was observed picking up trash outside with bags. The team did this willingly, without any complaints. They took the initiative to do this, picking up everyone’s trash. Everyone on the team worked diligently to clean up other people’s mess.

Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School Team A – Ooh-Motional Vehicle div. II

Nominated by a long-term judging team. Their vehicle fell apart. Their team sign, which was judged in style wouldn’t turn. Their props spilled all over the floor. These problems were almost a chain reaction started when a small boy passing by pulled a glass ball off the top of the vehicle while they were in staging. The team did their best to fix everything but to no avail. All this didn’t stop them though. The team performed with enthusiasm, and their perseverance with such a positive attitude truly exemplified the spirit of Odyssey of the Mind.

Wellsboro High School – You Make the Call div. III

Nominated by a long-term judging team. This team demonstrated outstanding workmanship and dedication, through the design and construction of their balsa wood structure. The structure required the team to split their strips of wood into flexible pieces. The team then bent, dried and assembled the strips into a beautifully crafted cylinder. This 9-gram structure demonstrates the outside-of-the-box thinking and dedication that exemplifies an outstanding OMER.

Washington School – Odyssey Angels div. I

Nominated by a spontaneous judging team. Although this team did not score the highest, they presented with multiple skits. During the practice portion of their hands-on/verbal problem, they simultaneously created their own Cinderella’s other story. The team worked simultaneously, cooperatively, and patiently with each other to develop a complete short story using every single item on the table that was provided. The team also demonstrated teamwork, physical comedy to supplement the verbal, and excellent body language. During the three minutes of scoring of the performance, they completed a significant portion of their short story; however, one team member struggled with stage fright and time was lost. Nevertheless they demonstrated excellent teamwork, excellent flow of story, and maturity beyond their ages. The judges are still looking forward to the rest of their story.

Ranatra Fusca Winners – advance to World Finals

Pennridge High School – Ooh-Motional Vehicle div. III

This team was nominated for extreme creativity in the design and engineering of the vehicle and the methods used to complete the task. Specifically, the gearing and pivoting of the legs showed exceptional engineering with the use of multiple pivot points and levers. The team merged exceptional engineering with creative artwork and engaging story. The innovative use of mechanical legs to convert rotational motion to linear motion gave the vehicle the appearance of truly walking across the floor. It was obvious to the judges that the team spent a significant amount of time designing, testing and perfecting their walking system and the entire vehicle. In addition their methods of changing and displaying emotions were also creatively designed and well-engineered

Berwick Area HS – You Make the Call div. III

This team showed exceptional creativity in the construction and design of a complex device as their function. From the audience’s point of view, it appeared that the team put in three different objects for input, and then turned a knob and produced three different outputs. The device was actually much more complex on the inside. Input one, which was one pound, caused a lever to release an output and a gauge with a needle to go up. The second input, which was two pounds, released the second output, and the gauge went up again; this time a little higher.  The third input, three pounds, triggered the gauge to go all the way up to max, and close the circuit that triggered a pneumatic device to fire what appeared as water into the air, with a loud bang. From the audience point of view, one did not expect such an awesome effect, which appeared to be just turning a knob was in reality a Rube Goldberg chain reaction. It was simply awesome.

Here are some resources to help you on your way to States:

• PAOdyssey.com – the state website with schedules, maps and more info


• Competition Schedule


• Photo tour of the competition sites


• Directions to Pocono Mountain East


• Awards Ceremony LIVE Webcast – tune in at 6 pm ET

The weather is supposed to be beautiful! State officials were busy today OMER-izing the school to get it ready for competition. Thank you to all of the coaches, parents and volunteers who make our program possible… And a special thank you to our host school district Pocono Mountain!

And don’t forget to check back here for photos after the tournament!

We’re excited to have OMERs from all across the state come up to our neck of the woods, and equally excited to be working with the Pocono Mountain School District to provide a top-notch tournament site. Every single long-term competition will occur in a gymnasium or auditorium. The hallways are spacious, and all the competition sites are within close proximity.

We’re so excited that we wanted to give you a sneak peak of the competition sites. Especially for those teams that have to travel several hours to get to Swiftwater, PA, we want to be as accommodating as possible as you continue your Odyssey here in the northeast.

You can either scroll through the tour below, or click on a problem/division to jump to photos of a specific competition site.

Ooh-Motional Vehicle – all divisions (HS gym)
Weird Science – Div I (Jr HS aux gym) | Div II/III (Swiftwater Gym)
To Be or Not to Be – Div I (Jr HS auditorium) | Div II/III (HS auditorium)
You Make the Call – Div I (Jr HS aux gym) | Div II/III (Jr HS main gym)
Odyssey Angels – Div I (Jr HS auditorium) | Div II/III (Swiftwater auditorium)

We start our tour…

outside, at the center of the campus. To the left is Swiftwater Intermediate, straight ahead is the high school, and to the right is the junior high school.

Hint: You can click and drag your mouse to scroll from side to side in any of the panoramas.

First up: Pocono Mountain East High School

The high school will be the home to Ooh-Motional Vehicle (all three divisions), To Be or Not to Be (Div. II and III), registration, spontaneous, and the awards ceremony.

Note: you can click on any still photo to enlarge it.

All divisions of Ooh-Motional Vehicle and the awards ceremony will take place in the high school main gym.

The divisions will be split up alternating on opposite sides of the gym. There will be seating for at least 350 spectators for the competition.

Prior to the awards ceremony, we will have a slideshow of photos from throughout the day. With the bleachers fully extended, there will be seating for 3,200 people, so please sit in the stands and keep the floor clear!

Unloading for Ooh-Motional Vehicle will occur at this entrance of the high school. The auditorium and gymnasium are off the same hallway.

Here is part of the spacious prop storage for Ooh-Motional Vehicle.

Next Page

Click here to see all the photos

And click here to see them on our Facebook page

We’re counting down to State Finals – which the Northeast region is hosting for the first time! Pocono Mountain East High School will be home to States on April 14. Because this is the first time States is at PME, we’ll be posting photos of the school and the competition sites soon. Stay tuned! We’re very excited to have the rest of the state come to our neck of the woods this year and look forward to the tournament.

We also have photos posted on our Facebook page. You can comment on them and share your own photos.

The team photos from the Awards Ceremony will be posted later this week.

Click here for the scores and stay tuned for photos from the tournament. Comment here and on our Facebook page about your experience!

Check back here at nepaootm.com and on our Facebook page later this weekend for photos from the tournament.

UPDATE: You can watch back portions of the Awards Ceremony on our Ustream page here.

LIVE WEBCAST OF AWARDS CEREMONY BEGINS AROUND 5 P.M. ET

Streaming live video by Ustream

A special thank you again to all of the volunteers who make our tournament possible!

Coaches, once you have read through this letter, you need to read the Coach’s Contract and to share its information with your teams and their families. Please send me an email at grumberger@nepaootm.com to indicate that you’ve received and will abide by the Coach’s Contract. You will need to turn in a signed copy of your Coach’s Contract in order to register your team on competition day.

Our tournament site, Pocono Mountain West High School is part of the Sullivan Trail Campus of Pocono Mountain School district. It is located on Route 940, about 1.5 miles west of Exit 3 from Route 380. The campus entrance is marked with a traffic light on Route 940. Click here for directions.  The doors open at 7:00 A.M.  Please do not attempt to enter before that time.

Teams with their props and scenery should proceed around the building to the left to the appropriate entrance for their particular problems. There is ample parking around the back and sides of the building. Attempts should be made to avoid the lot at the very front. Directional signs will be posted outside so that your teams may unload at the appropriate entrances. The order of prop unloading is as follows:

• P5 Odyssey Angels (Blue)
• P1 Ooh-Motional Vehicle (Red)
• P2 Weird Science (Orange)
• P4 You Make the Call (Green)
• Primary Problem Hide and Peek (Pink)
• P3 To Be or Not To Be (Yellow)

Map of competition sites (.PDF)

Storage areas will be designated in the school’s hallways, and each team will have its own assigned storage area. Please look for the signs. Team members are responsible for the security and storage of their props, equipment, and other items. We are all responsible for keeping the building as safe and clean as possible, particularly keeping open paths through all storage areas. Let’s not give the nurses any excitement on tournament day. Materials should be moved to problem staging areas no sooner than 30 minutes before the team’s Long Term performance. All costumes, scenery and props should be packed directly after the team’s Long Term performance. And every effort should be made to remove materials from the hallways and re-load them onto vehicles by no later than one hour after the Long Term performance. No food or drink is permitted in the storage areas. Each team should bring a trash bag for its own trash and should transport the trash back with them.

While your teams are unloading, coaches, please come to the front hall to register. Coaches must register their own teams at the tournament and may not pick up other teams’ packets. When you drop off your signed Coach’s contract, you will pick up your registration packet. There are three important tickets for your team that will be found in the registration packet. One will admit you to Long Term, one to Spontaneous, and one will get you your take-home packet at the end of the night, after the awards assembly. Please be sure to keep those tickets safe.

Report to your Long Term competition site fifteen minutes before your scheduled time. Have all paperwork completed and ready for the staging area judge to review. These include your registration ticket (picked up that morning), four copies of your Style Form, one Material Values Form, one Outside Assistance Form (You had NONE, right?), four copies of the Team’s Required List Form (as required), all team clarifications received, and any additional paperwork stipulated in your Long Term problem. After completing your Long Term problem and discussing the solution with the judges, clean up the site and remove all your costumes and props so that the next team can start on time in a clean site. Coaches, parents, or other non-team members may help with taking all materials from the competition area. Coaches or team captains may return one-half hour (or otherwise, as directed by the Head Judge) after their team’s performance for their Long Term raw scores. Be sure to keep additional copies of your paperwork for use at the next level of competition

Report to North Hall upstairs to register for Spontaneous fifteen minutes before your scheduled time. Coach, please register at the table, then wait quietly with your team in the designated holding area for Spontaneous. Remind your team to be respectful of others who are competing. Remind them that they may not discuss the Spontaneous problem with ANYONE, including you. No one other than the team and coach is allowed upstairs. No teams or coaches are allowed upstairs except immediately before and during their scheduled Spontaneous times.

Spontaneous and Style scores are not given out during the competition day, but will be available after the awards assembly. One person should report to the library after the Awards Assembly to exchange the ticket found in your registration packet for your scoring packet. The take-home packet will include a Style composite score sheet, the results sheet from the team’s particular problem and division, and certificates for the team members and coaches. Please put the ticket in a safe place, as you will not be able to pick up your scoring packet without it. Please send only one person per team to pick up the scores.

Judges, please report to your judging sites by 45 minutes before the first team performs, or otherwise as directed by your Problem Captain. When you report to your problem captain, you will be issued a judging t-shirt, ribbon, and lunch tickets. And even though I’ve nagged you about it before, I’ll say it again. Please re-read your Program Guide, specific Problem Guide, and any other materials your Problem Captains gave you on Judges’ Training Day. We are counting on you for excellence in evaluating the children’s efforts. Our Problem Captains were encouraged by what they saw on Training Day. It looks like we’re going to have some great judging teams.

Entertainment will begin in the gym at 4:30 and will last ‘til 5:30, when the awards assembly itself will start, but the assembly will not start until the halls are completely clear. Please show respect for the competition site, and help us keep it clean. Everyone should have a seat in the stands. No one will be allowed to sit on the gym floor. Please remember, we are prepared to show respect and good sportsmanship to all other competitors, coaches, judges, media, audience members, and tournament officials. All performers, speakers, and award recipients deserve a respectful audience. Please do not leave your places before the last award is presented and the assembly is dismissed. Please be sure that all team supporters are aware of this as well.

Do not attempt to enter any competition site after the Door Monitor has shut the door. Please turn off pagers and cell phones in any competitive venue.

Be sure that your kids inform any supporters who might possibly show up THE NAME OF THEIR PROBLEM. You’d be surprised how many sweet parents and grandparents come looking for their students who are “in the Odyssey of the Mind.” Really. We have about 750 kids who fit that bill, and nearly three hundred scheduled events for the day. Help us out here, please.

Program books and tournament souvenirs will be on sale throughout the day. Be sure to get yours early. Once again, the Pocono Mountain West High School cafeteria will be open all day with some absolutely delicious offerings for us. The menu is available on the website. Remember to enjoy all of the wonderful food only in the cafeteria. No food or drinks may be taken to any other part of the building. Everyone needs a place to sit when they go into the cafeteria to eat. To that end, no one or no one group may claim tables for longer than one hour. The cafeteria is not a team or family storage area. No one may camp out in the cafeteria. No one may use the electrical outlets there. Those who bring coolers or other food storage containers in for their meals, must bring them in just before they eat, and remove them directly afterwards.

In the event of a medical emergency, contact a tournament official immediately.

WHEW! That’s a lot to take in. Here’s the most important “do” for the day – enjoy yourself and have fun! We’re in for a great ride. See you Saturday. Break a leg!

–Gloria

P.S. Division III coaches, be sure your seniors check out the many Odyssey scholarship opportunities. Hound your kids to submit applications, especially for our own, Karl R. Schneck, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. Karl Schneck dedicated himself to the Odyssey of the Mind program. As a coach, regional co-director, state problem captain, and world finals official, he embodied the spirit of creativity and positive attitude that kindles Odyssey of the Mind. To reward students who think outside the box while solving problems in OotM and in every day life and to honor his memory, we are awarding a scholarship each year to a senior from our region. The monies collected at the tournament will be used for this scholarship. Together, we can honor Karl’s memory in the way that would mean the most to him.

In Hands-on problems you don’t need to ask permission for every idea you have.  The old saying, “ if it doesn’t say you can’t assume you can” applies in most cases but not all.  All hands-on problems leave some room for creative problem solving, but there are some times when solutions go beyond what is acceptable.

In the General Rules from the Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide, this issue is addressed in the entry, “Spirit of the Problem” Penalty Category.  It is described as “circumventing the intention of the rules or the intention of the problem itself.” This “applies to spontaneous problems also.”

This is where the spontaneous judges come in.  If it is the judge’s decision that the team’s solution does not follow the intention of the problem it is up to her or him to inform the team.  The judge’s decision in this case is final.

Note: to view the Program Guide, click here to log in to the Member Area.

The following is taken from the official 2011-2012 Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide:

Spontaneous problems cannot be revealed until the tournament is completed.  At that time, team members may discuss the problem with the coaches and non-participating family members.  No one may share the information with anyone else until that level of competition is completed around the world.  For example, no one can discuss an Association Finals spontaneous problem until the last Association Finals is completed.  Violators will be subject to disqualification and/or other disciplinary action taken against the entire team.

Anyone who shares ideas and/or solutions with anyone who is not on their team will be subject to disqualification and/or other disciplinary action taken against the entire team.  Those receiving ideas and/or solutions are also subject to penalty.  For example, if a team member posts a description of its solution to a chat room, that person’s team will be disqualified or suspended, and those who participate in that chat room must include the incident on their Outside Assistance Form to avoid disqualification.

 

 

Competition starts: 8 a.m.
Snow date: Saturday, March 10 (check back here morning of the tournament)
Location: Pocono Mountain West High School (directions)

• Competition schedule

• Tournament instructions

• Coach’s Contract (.PDF) – must be turned in at tournament registration

• Map of competition sites (.PDF)

• Cafeteria menu (Available to print as a PDF… click here!)

• Spontaneous reminders

• Directions to Pocono Mountain West High School

• Long-term problem synopses

• Press/media information

Stay tuned to this post for updates. In case of inclement weather, postponement information will be posted here the night before or morning of the tournament.