Odyssey of the Mind begins with Mid-Hudson competition on March 10

GOSHEN — The Mid-Hudson Regional Odyssey of the Mind Competition (New York State Region V) will be start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 10, at Orange-Ulster BOCES, located on Gibson Road in Goshen. The snow date is March 11.

Approximately 500 local students from Orange, Ulster, Sullivan and Dutchess counties will challenge each other in the daylong competition.

Odyssey of the Mind is an intellectual contest of creativity, inventiveness, mental acuity and elaboration that focuses on creative problem-solving using a team approach. It is based on the notion that “mind games” can be played with as much enthusiasm and competitive spirit as athletic games.

The problems are divided into five categories that encompass both long-term and spontaneous problem-solving. An overview of the 2012 long-term problems is included as well as a list of participating school districts. Teams will be scored on a combination of points earned from long-term solutions, spontaneous solutions and style.

Two awards ceremonies are scheduled, at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., in the auditorium in the Emanuel Axelrod Education Building. Competition schedules, participating school districts, maps of BOCES buildings and other information can be found on the Orange-Ulster BOCES Web site at www.ouboces.org. Click on the Odyssey of the Mind link under Hot Topics on the right side of the page.

For more information call Nancy Faddis-DeCerbo, local Odyssey director, at 781- 4363 ext. 10714.