GMC News
Prep Students Advance to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals
Twenty-five Georgia Military College Prep School students competed in the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament held on April 10th at Columbus State University. For the past four years, GMC has participated in regional competitions and this year all four GMC teams advanced to the state competition. Over 110 teams from across the state competed in this event. This year, two of GMC’s teams have been invited to represent Georgia at the 31st Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University on May 26-29, where they will compete with teams from across the nation and around the world. GMC’s Gift of Flight team placed first in the high school division (III). The Gift of Flight team members are pictured (left to right) Eleni Constantinidis, Sarah Poole, Elliot Fairbrass, Jostin Grimes (back), Alex Levendis (front), and Seth Lowery with Coach Emily Fairbrass. The Gift of Flight long-term problem was to make and operate a series of aircraft that completed a variety of flight plans. The flight plans included flying straight, making a target spin, traveling slowly, dropping something into a target, touching down and taking off, and a mass launch of multiple aircraft. The aircraft in the solution was to be made of a variety of materials and was to have a variety of power sources. The testing of the aircraft was presented in a team-created performance that will include a character that served as a creative “air traffic controller.” GMC’s Nature Trail’R Team placed second in the middle school division (II). The Nature Trail’R team members are pictured left to right, (front) Bronte Joseph and Jeff Conner; (back) Liam Fairbrass, Analese Bridges, and Alex White. The Nature Trail’R long-term problem was to design, build and drive a human-powered vehicle and camper that would go on a camping trip. When the vehicle arrived at the Campground, the camper was to be disconnected and the vehicle travelled on a team-created Nature Trail. On the Nature Trail, the vehicle had to overcome an obstacle, clean up the environment, encounter wildlife, and undergo a repair. The performance included a character that was in or near the camper that explained the experience as part of its role. This problem was sponsored by NASA. Odyssey of the Mind (www.odysseyofthemind.com) is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Teams of students apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems — great and small — for a lifetime. Georgia Military College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate Degrees. ###
