omer’S TH TH worldTuesday & Wednesday news | May 25 & 26 , 2010 WELCOME TO ODYSSEY OF THE MIND IN THIS ISSUE Welcome to MSU........................1 WORLD FINALS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY by Brendan Dwyer Opening Ceremony Ticket Information......................1 ast Lansing Michigan, and Michigan State Team Photography......................1 EUniversity, are pleased to be the home of the 2010 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals Today’s Schedule........................1 competition. This 31st annual event brings Important Phone Numbers..........1 together over 5,500 participants from around International Team Story.............2 the world and will provide an electric setting of NASA Sponsorship.....................2 learning, camaraderie and fun. Computer Access.......................2 A university known world-wide for cutting edge OotM Flickr Account....................2 research in science and agriculture, Michi- Be Spartan Green.......................3 gan State is the perfect backdrop for an event Helpful Team Information showcasing the innovation of today’s bright- Cancellation Stamp..................3 est young minds. With an annual enrollment of Local Supply Stores.................3 over 47,000 students, spread across a beau- Prop Storage & Delivery Info....3 tiful and scenic 5,200-acre campus, MSU is Dining Details - Wristbands..........4 both an intellectual hot-bed and a picturesque landscape. East Lansing is a bright and thriv- What to do on Campus................4 ing community full of unique attractions, galler- Willard Wigan Exhibit..................4 ies, museums and plenty of amazing shopping Wednesday Shuttle Schedule.....4 and dining opportunities. Thursday Schedule.....................4 When not in competition, participants, friends OMER's World News Staff..........4 and family are encouraged to seek out some of the many attractions on campus! As the na- The bronze Spartan statue, located at the intersection tion’s first land grant college, MSU is a fore- of Kalamazoo St. and Red Cedar Rd., replaced the WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE most leader in horticulture and botany. See previous terra cotta statue in August, 2005. all types of beautiful flowers and unique plant Team Registration International Center specimens at the Beal Botanical Gardens, the OPENING CEREMONY 8AM – midnight Demonstration Gardens and the 4-H Children’s Gardens. Learn more about Michigan history Coaches Meeting w/IPC's TICKET INFORMATION Auditorium at the MSU Museum or see over 7,500 works eams, coaches, and guests staying on 4PM – 6PM of art at the Kresge Art Museum. Tcampus will have reserved Opening Cere- Opening Ceremonies Just down the road from MSU Campus is monies tickets in their registration packets. All Jack Breslin Student Center downtown Lansing, Michigan’s Capital City. others will need to get their reserved seating 7:30PM – 9PM Take some time to explore the State Historical tickets at the Odyssey of the Mind Information Museum or GO NUTS at Cooley Law School Booth at the International Center on Wednes- Stadium as you cheer on our minor league day, May 26th for Wednesday night’s Opening IMPORTANT PHONE baseball team the Lansing Lugnuts. Science Ceremonies between 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. All seats NUMBERS fans of all ages will want to be sure to check are reserved. Any tickets still available after 6 out our award-winning hands-on museum, the pm can be obtained at the Breslin Center Tick- For World Finals Impression 5 Science Center. et Office. Concessions will be open during the event. Emergency ONLY All through the Greater Lansing region guests Fire, Police, Ambulance will find opportunities to learn, showcase cre- 911 ativity, make friends and have fun. From com- TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY Greater Lansing Visitor Center petitions with your teams, to trading pins to Premier Portraits is taking official team photos (517) 487-0077 exploring the areas many attractions, eateries again this year. Visit its booth at the Creativity MSU Campus Information and shops you’re certain to feel the energy of Festival in Jenison Field House. Team pictures (517) 355-1855 your Odyssey of the Mind home away from will also be available at the Breslin Center, lo- home. This is Spartan Country – Welcome to MSU Physicians Office cated on the concourse between Gate B and Olin Health Center Greater Lansing Michigan! the Ticket Office. Enter the building from Gate (517) 884-6546 B. Hours at the Breslin Center are: MSU Public Safety Wednesday - 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm Police Department Thursday - 9:30 am – 8:30 pm Parking Friday - 9:30 am – 8:30 pm (517) 355-2221 Saturday - 9:30 am – 9:30 pm MSU Visitor Center on Trowbridge Each team photographed will receive a free (517) 355-9651 5x7 photo and each photo will have the cur- rent Odyssey of the Mind logo. Photographers Props/Storage Information recommend that you bring your entire team to (517) 355-1700 the photo location to be photographed immedi- World Finals Information Desk ately after your competition. No appointments (517) 432-0798 are necessary, but come as early as you can The Red Cedar River winds through Michigan State Uni- to avoid long lines. Costumes and props are versity campus, adding to its natural beauty. strongly encouraged. Odyssey of the Mind 2010 World Finals | Michigan State University INTERNATIONAL TEAMS BEAMING WITH EXCITEMENT by Jane DePriest xcitement reigns at World Finals and Canada, both have worked on Odyssey proj- Radeu Grabicki, a coach with a team from Enowhere is that more evident than with ects for more than 25 years. The international Gdynia, Poland, sees Odyssey as an op- the international teams and the international host crew also includes Chris Eaton and Tom portunity for kids to learn something new. “It host crew. “Odyssey is the best thing in the Scott who co-ordinate the Home Stay pro- teaches them creativity, and they can devel- world,” says Mieko Graham, 15, from Coquit- gram, and Paula Mittner, who is the Buddy op new skills. Plus it is fun!” His team of five lan (near Vancouver), British Columbia, Can- Team coordinator, and many others who help students are experiencing their first World fi- ada. She had just arrived at the registration with registration. nals. desk with her mother, Crystal Graham, after One international team used a unique ap- a trip spanning almost 24 hours and involv- The Buddy Team program matches an Ameri- proach to seek sponsors to cover the trip ex- ing trips by car, bus, train, plane, and finally can team with an international team. This year penses. “Our team decided to run, walk, cycle a taxicab. 109 international teams have been matched up with American counterparts. In addition, 14 and/or swim the width of Singapore (42.8 ki- lometers, or about the same as a marathon),” This year there are 132 international teams international teams are participating in home says Colin Choe with the Singapore Anglo- from countries around the world, including stays. This offers an opportunity for interna- Chinese School. Ten percent of the money Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Ja- tional participants to stay with Odyssey of the raised went to the Singapore Red Cross pan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Mind families before or after World Finals. and South Korea as well as teams from the Society for their work with disabled children, Department of Defense Dependent Schools. Representatives of the Methodist Girls School and 100 percent of funds raised above the “The philosophy of the Odyssey program is in Singapore arrived at registration after a 21- trip cost also went to that organization. In the to provide an opportunity for people to come hour air trip. “It was a long journey, but we are end, the group raised almost $1,000 U.S. for together and appreciate each other’s back- excited to be here,” says Tsuilan Yap, who the Society. grounds and build good international rela- along with Shahedah Khan and Julia Tan are Stevenson wraps it all up by saying, “It isn’t a tions,” says Mabry King, the international teachers. They work with parent coaches at matter of what language you speak, you can host crew liaison. King and her co-liaison, the school that brought 21 girls who are par- participate and solve the problems and share Linda Stevenson from Leamington, Ontario, ticipating on three different teams. with others.” NASA SPONSORSHIP by Suban Nur Cooley ave you ever wondered what the inside glimpse into the innovative ways that NASA adds Graham. “We highly value the relation- Hof a hurricane looks like? Are you curious is conducting Earth observations and visual- ship with OotM and look forward to continued to see satellite images of our planet after the izations. sponsorship.” volcano erupted in Iceland? Luckily, one of Some other examples of the compelling earth the many perks of Odyssey being sponsored science images and movies you will see dur- OotM COMPUTER by NASA is the unique opportunity to observe ing the E-Theater are: the Earth in a way that you’ve never seen it ACCESS before. • The entire 2005 hurricane season viewed in three minutes. Computer labs are available with The 2010 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals • Satellite views of the oil spill in the Gulf of 24/7 access to Odyssey of the Mind will commemorate a decade of sponsorship Mexico and how NASA is monitoring it. guests at the following locations: from NASA’s Earth Science Division, with a focus and interest in the Earth science-based Another exciting feature NASA also has on of- • Akers – 22W problems being solved at OotM. fer is its Creativity Festival booth, with many • Yakeley – G26E fun activities for all. “Not many people know that NASA’s involve- • Union – 16 ment in Earth science is rather large,” says “The best and the brightest students [from] • South Case – 337 Steven Graham, Senior Outreach Specialist countries around the world [are] pooling their • Wilson – C108 at NASA.