Mind”
By Tim Coupe, Lower School Technology Teacher and “OM” Club Coordinator
Brunswick has a challenging after-school opportunity for our students called “Odyssey of the Mind,” an international educational program that encourages students of all ages to creatively solve problems, from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Students bring their solutions to competitions on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and 25 other countries participate. Over 40 Brunswick boys (3rd through 6th grade) have competed in “OM” for the past two years, with a group of 4th graders even traveling in 2007 to represent Connecticut at the “World Finals” at Michigan State University. The unique aspect of “OM” is that the entire solution must come from the team members. No outside assistance from parents, friends, or teachers is permitted. This year, a team of 3rd and 4th graders—including Conrad Graf, Colin MacFaddin, Ridgely Knapp, Keshav Raghavan, Vikram Sud, Jack Kulesh, and Chris Peisch—took on an enormous challenge. With the help of assistant teachers Meghan Slattery and Kate Metevia and myself, the boys created and shared a theory demonstrating how dinosaurs became extinct, including the construction of a set 8-feet high! The team was assured of ceilings at least 9-feet high at the competition site. With eight minutes to assemble their set and perform their skit, the boys knew they had to be at their best in order to score well. Unfortunately, a key component of their structure had been assembled upside down, and the team didn’t recog-
(left to right): Conrad Graf, Colin MacFaddin, Ridgely Knapp, Keshav Raghavan, Vikram Sud, Jack Kulesh, and Chris Peisch.
Summer 2008
nize the error until they had almost completely put the pieces together during the performance. Correcting the mistake was no easy task considering the height of their structure, the height of the ceiling, and the lack of height of the team members! The seven boys showed amazing composure, incredible patience, and supreme teamwork as they flipped it over, put it all together again, and didn’t miss a beat. This “re-do” process took six minutes and left only two minutes to present their skit. As the last nerve-wracking seconds ticked away, the head judge announced “Time!” to a disappointed team and audience. The boys knew there was no way they would be able to move on to the World Finals since they hadn’t finished presenting their solution. What the team didn’t know, though, was that the judges agreed unanimously that we had showed incredible courage and teamwork in the face of an overwhelming obstacle. When the closing ceremony was almost finished, a judge announced, “We have one more award to give, ’The Omer Award.’ It’s a unanimous decision by all of the judges to recognize the Brunswick School team for demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior, and exceptional talent.” I couldn’t have been more proud if our team had won the World Series or the Superbowl. It’s easy to show class and character when you’re on top, but this group demonstrated incredible perseverance, teamwork, and grace under pressure. They exemplified the character of true Brunswick boys.
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