Imagination Takes Murrieta Students Across Country, Literally

Six fifth-graders at Cole Canyon Elementary School in Murrieta have embarked on an odyssey together that is now taking them to world finals in Maryland.

The journey started with after school and weekend meetings, during which they brainstormed ways to tackle a problem they'd been given little instruction on.

Sponsored by NASA, the problem, called "Full Circle," was to create and present a humorous performance in which something in the skit changes form or appearance three times before going back to its original appearance.

That's all they got but they ran with it, creating costumes out of trash bags, candy wrappers and duct tape.

The eight-minute skit, for which the script, costumes and props had to be created by the students with no parental help--and all for under $145--won first place at state finals in Brentwood, Calif., March 26. There were 223 teams at the state competition, and 1,500 students.

The win qualifies the students to compete in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals May 27-30 at the University of Maryland, where there will be 800 teams and 10,000 students from elementary-aged to college-aged.

The notion of taking the trip to Maryland makes the deal even sweeter for members of the team, who are pleased their journey together hasn't ended yet.

"It has taught me how to work as a team and to let everyone give their ideas," said Arabelle Reece, 10. Her twin brother, Tristan, is on the team with her.

Tristan said he enjoys building the props, which included a spaceship and a 10-foot tall storybook. He didn't mind the acting part of it, either.

Ten-year-old Anna Lockwood said she was kind of shy before she joined Odyssey of the Mind, which they refer to as OM.

"I really like OM because it helped me make friends, and it let me get involved with acting," Anna said.

Lynn Varner, 11, decided in third grade that she wanted to get involved in OM. It is only open to fourth- and fifth-graders at the school.

"When I heard about the tournaments and that you get to spend all day with your best friends, I really wanted to do it," Lynn said.

For Ashley Chollar, 11, it was a given. She comes from a long line of OMers. Her two older sisters competed, and her mother, Lori Chollar, is the team coach.

"Over the years we have developed a really great friendship," said Ashley Chollar, 11, about her teammates. The friends competed together in Odyssey of the Mind last year, too. "I never knew them before this, honestly."

Lori Chollar has spent weekends hosting the team at the family's home, where the team prepared their props and practiced.

"They all know where the juice boxes are in the house," Chollar said.

"This is such a family thing. It wouldn't be successful without the families' commitments," she said.

Parents said the benefits of Odyssey of the Mind are that it teaches creative thinking, problem solving, teamwork, time management, self-motivation and self-confidence.

"They are really good at accepting each other for who they are and not criticizing the others' ideas," said Heidi Shimono, whose daughter, Taylor, is on the team.

The team wasn't the only one from Murrieta to compete in the program this year. Thirteen teams from Murrieta competed at the Inland Empire regionals March 5 in Palm Springs. Of those, six teams qualified to go on to state: four teams from Cole Canyon and two teams from Dorothy McElhinney Middle School. Other teams that competed included E. Hale Curran Elementary and Thompson Middle School.

Retired Cole Canyon teacher Constance Youens started Odyssey of the Mind in Murrieta in 1988 when she taught at Murrieta Elementary. The program originated in the 1970s on the east coast, and has gained popularity ever since.

"I've seen so many very shy, worried children over the years come out of their shell and go on to do so well in school and in life," Youens said. "They become more and more confident about speaking in front of people."

Youens, who is now the program facilitator for the district, said the last time a Murrieta team went to world finals was in 2006. Prior to that, teams from Murrieta qualified for world finals every year dating back to 2001.

The team has to raise $25,000 to attend world finals. The five-day trip will include students staying on campus at the University of Maryland, where they will interact with students from around the world.

The team will hold a performance night April 29 at Cole Canyon Elementary, which will include a silent auction.

Community donations are also being accepted to help defray the cost of the trip. All props must be shipped via ground transportation, and the families plan to fly. For donation information, contact Lori Chollar at lorichollar@hotmail.com.