An Egyptian pharaoh who loves disco music (aka “Phar-Fro” Diego Barnes, pictured) is part of a crew of Hooker School students heading West for the world finals in a creative competition called “Odyssey of the Mind.”
Six Hooker 7th and 8th graders received a send-off Wednesday in advance of their trip next week to Iowa for the finals. The students performed the original skit that won the state championship. Addie Mitchell (pictured) swung her cudgel before an intricately painted backdrop. (Click here to read about how Odyssey of the Mind, a national phenomenon, works.)
There were seven students on the winning team, but Natalie Beach (pictured, as she introduced the skit) won’t be going to the finals. Why not?
“This is such a sad story,” she explained. “I can’t go because I’m also a soccer player and my team is going to Pennsylvania Memorial Day and I can’t miss it.” Referring to her Odyssey team, she added, “I was kind of pessimistic —” I didn’t think we were bad or anything, but I never expected us to win, so I signed off on my soccer team and I said, ‘Okay, guys, I’ll be there in Pennsylvania,’ and I can’t say, ‘Sorry (I’m not coming).’”
When asked what their biggest challenge was in creating a winning skit, Ben Kafoglis said, “There’s so many different things you have to do, and lots of specifications and little things you can get penalized for. It’s really hard making sure you’re within the guidelines. Everything’s very strict; there are lots of rules.”
And no help from parents is allowed. “If the parents help and Odyssey finds out,” Natalie said, “I guess bad things happen, so everything is kid-made, although the parents give moral support.”
The team includes Ben, Diego, Cleo O’Brien-Udry, Addie, Thea Doyon, Natalie and Georgia Wetmore.
So what are they most looking forward to in Ames, Iowa?
Cleo O’Brien-Udry (pictured) had to dress in a ridiculous costume and perform in front of her classmates. After that, she says, the world finals will be a breeze.
“I’m really excited about going to Iowa. It will be so much fun because there will be people from all over the world doing embarrassing things, and no one will care.”
The team’s coach is Addie’s mom, Lisa Govan (pictured). She said the category in which the team competed —” Ancient Egypt —” was a popular one with 14 teams from around the state. Did she think they’d be going to the world finals? “No,” she said, laughing. “I should have known, but we were not prepared. It’s all been a great surprise.” She said not every team pulls together to be able to complete their challenge. “This team had whatever that chemistry is that allowed them to work together as a team and go very far.”
Maybe all the way to the world championship.