Shields Elementary Odyssey of the Mind team advances to World Finals

Shields Elementary students placed first to become state champions in their Division One category at the Odyssey of the Mind State Finals March 22. They will now advance to the World Finals to be held May 28-31 in Ames, Iowa.

Team Fabin - or Freaky Cabin - as the team members call themselves, competed in The Not-So-Haunted House category, in which the team had to create and present an original performance. In addition to writing the script, building all the sets, creating the costumes, choreographing and performing, the team also had to solve specific technical problems that included designing and building four different special-effects mechanisms that were meant to scare, but caused a different reaction - all within a mere $145 budget. Team Fabin’s story is set in a fictional haunted summer camp in Delaware on the banks of the Murderkill River.

Over 800 teams from around the world will compete in the four-day Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. The competition emphasizes creativity and teamwork and has grown into the largest international creative problem-solving competition worldwide.

Before going to Iowa, the team has to meet possibly the biggest challenge of all, raising thousands of dollars to pay for travel, lodging and meals.

For information or to help the team get to Iowa, contact one of the coaches, Anna Nutter at acnutter@comcast.net or Derek Cole at derekdwcole@comcast.net, or Shields OotM coordinator Cheryl Baldwin at Cheryl.Baldwin@cape.k12.de.us.