We presented 1 Ranatra Fusca Award and 2 OMer’s Awards this year at the closing ceremonies. Ranatra Fusca Awards may be presented to individuals or teams who demonstrate exceptional creativity or risk-taking in solving the problem. OMer’s Awards may be presented to individuals or teams who particularly exemplify the spirit and philosophy of the Odyssey program, or demonstrate exceptional skill or talent, or exhibit outstanding sportsmanship or teamwork.
The Ranatra Fusca Award was presented to:
Terra Centre ES, Membership # 29043, The Lost Labor of Heracles Division II, Nomination for Spontaneous for the entire team made by the Spontaneous Judges
This team showed exceptional creativity in taking Spontaneous verbal to a thrilling new level. Rather than simply giving responses to the Spontaneous challenge, this team performed their ideas, using a variety of voices, characters, puns, literary allusions, and styles of presentation that completely floored some of our most experienced judges. The team took an enormous risk in a problem where only seconds per response were available, and pulled it off with both style and substance far beyond expectation.
OMer’s Awards were presented to:
Nomination for OMer Award for Bob Kobee, March 3rd, 2009
My first year coaching OM, I was faced with the unexpected and seemingly daunting task of finding a “judge” for our team. I wanted someone who liked kids, had an open and flexible mind, was able to provide constructive criticism to the teams he world be judging, be willing to give up two Saturdays of his time and most importantly, look good in a silly hat! I considered several possibilities and finally decided to ask our friend. He had been in drama many years, participating in various productions and was an engineer so must have analytical skill, I reasoned. I asked and to my delight, he accepted. That was 12 years ago. I am now coaching my third team in as many years and his is still the name I fill in for our judge when registering the team. His dedication to our teams alone is enough to warrant recognition, but our friend does not stop there. Over the years, he has judged at the state meet, been a problem captain and even judged at meets in other regions! We couldn’t have done it without his selfless attitude and continued support. For his outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior, dedication and longevity, I ask that Bob Kobee be awarded the OMer Award.
Very Truly Yours,
Eugenia Sirgo-Driscoll
Bristow Run (Coach Klingman), Earth Trek Division I, Nomination for an individual by the entire judging team from all three divisions
Name of Individual: Bristow Run – Katherine Sandstrum (aka Pink Girl)
Katherine Sandstrum (aka “The pink girl”), in the face of adversity, kept her cool for 6 minutes while her teammates repaired their vehicle. She adlibbed and kept the skit going with great enthusiasm. The judges were very impressed by her positive attitude and her improvisational talent in keeping the skit going without a script for over 6 minutes.