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Moraga Rotary Odyssey of the Mind members, from left: Kaveh Boostanpour, Navid Boozarpour, Ming Qian, Austen Li, Claire Matranga, and coach Omid Boozarpour. Photos Diana Lee
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The Moraga Rotary Odyssey of the Mind team took Iowa by storm May 28-31, competing in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Iowa State University. Competing in the High School Division of the "Not-So-Haunted-House" Technical Problem, the team took third in the spontaneous portion of the competition and placed 11th overall in a field of 49 teams from all over the world. The team's solution included an 8-minute skit involving four mechanisms that, although intended to scare, result in different reactions. Over 830 teams, including teams from 30 countries and 37 U.S states, took over the ISU campus, filled the dorms, and performed risk-taking, original, and creative solutions at the 35th Odyssey of the Mind World Competition.
Odyssey of the Mind publishes five problems each year, and teams from third grade through college develop their solutions and compete at regional, state, and world levels. The focus of OoTM is problem-solving through creativity and team work. Teams must present solutions they work on for months, as well as solve problems on the spot - all without any outside assistance from parents, teachers, or others. The kids' odyssey starts every year in the fall and continues through the spring depending on qualifying level. This team would like to send a special thank you to the Moraga Rotary Club which sponsors all the Moraga teams, and has for the past 10 years.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA