ODYSSEY OF THE MIND World Finals 2007

ACJC wins Odyssey
of the Mind World Championship!

The journey undertaken by the ACJC Odyssey of the Mind team has truly been an odyssey of discovery—of the art of creation and imagination.

It was also a journey with many challenges along the way, but our team of seven brilliant students (Dior Lee, Nicholas Lai, Nirali Sabnis, Ashwin Gowtam, Glenn Yong, Noel Ng, and Meranda Tang) rose to the occasion to emerge as World Champions!

After breezing through the Nationals, the journey to the World Finals in Michigan was not plain sailing. Comprising mostly JC2s, the team members were faced with the challenge of juggling their time between competition preparations, school work and CCA commitments.

Top (L-R): Noel Ng, Glenn Yong & Dior Lee
Bottom (L-R): Ms Choo, Nirali Sabnis,
Meranda Tang & Nicolas Lai

Siamese Twins!One of the members, Noel, even had to make the difficult decision to postpone his Mother Tongue examinations before he could go to the competition, while several other members were faced with inadequate funds to participate and the team had to undertake fundraising in the midst of busy competition preparations.

Then to add to their problems, a valuable team member could not make it to USA due to personal reasons. Despite all these setbacks, which were further compounded by the need to completely overhaul the competition script and create new props in a single month to make the skit more competitive, the team valiantly pressed on with a firm trust in God, allowing Him to convert every obstacle to a victory.

However, that did not mark an end to the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that the team faced. In an almost comic twist of fate, they stepped onto the tarmac of Detroit Metro Airport, only to find their luggages missing in transit! Thankfully, their props for the competition were intact. Perhaps, the deprivation of clean clothes magnified their desire to win.

Mr Sam Urai - in costume made up of old phone cardsThe ACJC Odyssey team stayed focused and gave of their best on competition day to receive a standing ovation. There were some anxious moments when their raw scores reflected a 5-point penalty and the team thought they had lost all hope of gaining the championship.

However, on the way to the second part of the competition (the spontaneous problem), a stranger approached them and his comments that their performance earlier had him laughing harder than he had in a long while really encouraged them and gave them strength to deliver their best yet again. Perhaps, it is God’s mysterious ways of sending His people to encourage the ACJC students that day.

The wait to the awards ceremony was tremendously nerve-wrecking. Just when the tension was becoming unbearable, they were pronounced World Champions, sharing the title with Ithaca College, with a difference of 0.4 points.

The entire Singapore contingent cheered for them. It was then that they truly savoured the fruits of their labour, with the 8 magnificent minutes of performance playing over and over again in their minds like a broken recorder.

A group shot or our performersThe team’s success in replicating ACJC’s 2005 success brings honour and glory to the college and Singapore - thanks to the teachers-in-charge (Miss Choo Wan Xian, Miss Azlina Bte Majid and Mdm Ng Cheng Cheng), their alumni coaches (David de Winne and Jill Ng), and many faithful schoolmates. Special thanks also go to the many individuals who contributed to their fundraising efforts, and especially to the Lee Foundation and National Youth Council for their earnest support.

Upon reflection, the team members could understand better the many obstacles faced, the fear of failure, moments when they allowed their hearts to give up; restricted by their humanness, but God who is sovereign once again assured ACJC that ‘A man’s heart plans his way, but it is the Lord who directs his steps’ (Proverbs 16:9). We saw in part, but God sees the whole.


Click below for more on the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals 2007!

ACS (Independent) - Two World Titles & The Best in the World! ACS (Junior) Bags Singapore's 1st Ever Under-12 Title! ACS (Primary)'s
Odyssey to the
OM World Finals
 

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