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THE ABINGTON s
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The Voice of The AbingTons
Twenty-seven AH football players named to all-academic team Page 12
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Three AH ‘Odyssey of the Mind’ teams advance to world finals
Around Town
Sports
April 30, 2015
Top of the World
ON THE INSIDE See what’s happening in our area Page 4
SUBURBAN
by Stephanie Longo
ABINGTON SUBURBAN EDITOR
It’s their chance in the spotlight in front of the world. Three “Odyssey of the Mind” teams from the Abington Heights School District are headed to Michigan State University next month to participate in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. More than 800 teams of students are expected to attend, representing most of the 50 United States and more than 20 countries, including Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, Poland, Japan, Hungary, Switzerland, England and India, among others. This isn’t the district’s first time at the world finals, as coordinator Mary Beth Adelman explained. The district has been competing since 1998 and Adelman is on the regional and state board for the competition. Supported in part by the Abington Heights Educational Improvement Organization (AEIO), Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving competition for students ranging from kindergarten through college level. Teams of five to seven students get to choose from one of five problems and spend months creating and perfecting an eight-minute performance that might entail building a mechanical device or wooden structure, creating props or scenery, writing a skit or even designing costumes. Every aspect of the presentation is entirely student-produced and parents and coaches are not permitted to work on any part of the solution. When the performances reach competition stage, students are also required to solve a spontaneous problem about which they have no prior knowledge. “Over the years, it has been fun to watch as the students mature,” Adelman said. “I see the self-confidence they develop. They are confident public speakers. They are not intimidated by chal-
The “Experiencing Technical Difficulties” division three team from Abington Heights High School celebrates its recent state competition win. From left, front row: Joe Fulton, Evan Phillips, Jared Levinson and Mark DeSeta. Back row: Bill Fulton, Stephen Sokalsky, Sue Fulton, Matt Galaydick and John McGarry.
lenges, but can break down problems into manageable tasks. They can assess issues from different viewpoints. They encourage and value multiple inputs and opinions.” This year’s world finals participants include “Experiencing Technical Difficulties” division one from South Abington Elementary School, with team members Jordan Colombo, Avery Folmar, Rita Gowarty, Molly Lindaman, Kate Lloyd and Ava Ramsey. Team coaches are Ruth Colombo and Karen Lloyd. “Experiencing Technical Dif-
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ficulties” division three from Abington Heights High School includes team members Mark DeSeta, Joe Fulton, Matt Galaydick, Jared Levinson, John McGarry, Evan Phillips and Steven Sokalsky with coaches Sue and Bill Fulton. Finally, “Silent Movie” division three from Abington Heights High School includes team members Elizabeth Bamford, Nicholas Beckish, Rachel Gilmore, Alex Gockley, Joe Sileo and Sarah Uhranowsky with coaches Teresa and Steve Beckish. Please see ODYSSEY, Page 14
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