Odyssey of Mind Team Skips World Championships
June 4, 2019
An Odyssey of the Mind team comprised of Campolindo students will not be competing in the World Championship on May 25-27 despite qualifying for the event for the 3rd consecutive year.
According to sophomore Vishal Lashkari, the team had outperformed the previous year’s squads at the state championships. Unfortunately, some members of the team had conflicts with this year’s World Championship schedule.
Sophomore Alex Clare said that the camaraderie is 1 of the highlights of the extracurricular, but he was “disappointed” to miss the competition. “World Championships are a fun experience and there are people from all around the world,” he said.
This particular team was formed 5 years ago. “It has been a very unique experience because it helps you become more creative and think outside the box, so you can apply that to everyday problems,” said sophomore Jack Erickson-King. “It has also been a way to see places and have new experiences.”
The competition itself consists of 2 tests: a long term project and a spontaneous problem. According to Lashkari, Odyssey of the Mind is a “creativity outlet” that boosts critical thinking, and “its a way to hang out and build.”
According to Lashkari, future Odyssey of the Mind World Championships are likely to consistently conflict with final exams. As a result, there may be less interest in continuing with the program.
Lashkari said that the fate of the team is “up in the air.”
