Mind Odyssey leads team to national finals

WANTAGE-Veni, cogiti, vici n "I came, I thought, I conquered." That's what Julius Caesar would have said had he taken on the Odyssey of the Mind instead of Gaul. And, while five High Point Regional High School students didn't use those words, it's what they did last Saturday in the Trenton suburb of Ewing. The honors technology students conquered all, emerging as New Jersey state champions in their division and earning a trip to the International Odyssey of the Mind competition next month in Boulder, Colo. Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition for students of all ages. Teams of up to seven members, working under the guidance of an adult coach, select a problem, create a solution, and then bring their solution to competition against other teams in their age or grade category. The High Point team, Jeff Flaherty, Paul Schmidt, Garret Eagles, Nick Aromando and Neil Karnutick, were entered in the Stunt Mobile competition, in which they had to send two cars over five courses both curved and straight within eight minuets. "The car for the straight course we built with a perfectly straight axel and powered with batteries," said Nick Aromando a senior who will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall. "The other car had to have an external power source, so we used a sling shot and curved the axel so that it would go around an obstacle," Points were awarded for long-term performance, on-site problem solving and a style component which related to a theme. "We used a spy theme and dressed in suits and had James Bond music playing," said junior Neil Karnutick. High Point's journey to the International Odyssey began in March, when the team placed second out of ten schools in a qualifying tournament. "This is a huge accomplishment for these kids," said Brian Drelick, technology teacher and coach. "They have shown great commitment and got the work done in time to test it, which usually never happens," he added. The team is very confident about its chances in the finals next month. "Our performance points were really high in the state finals," said Aromando. "We got 165 out of 200, so I think that we just have to work a little more on style so that we can get more points." The International Odyssey of the Mind competition will take place on May 21-25 in Boulder Colorado. Fundraisers are already being planned to help raise the estimate $5,000 it will cost to send the team. Those interested in donating to the trip fund may call Brian Drelick at 973-875-3101 ext. 538 or E-mail him at bdrilick@hpregional.org.