Castro Valley Students To Compete In Statewide Problem-Solving Contest

A team of local high school and middle school students have built a 3-inch balsa wood structure capable of holding 480 pounds before being crushed.

In so doing the six Castro Valley students, plus a seventh from Pleasanton, recently won the regional Odyssey of the Mind competition.

The Odyssey is a cross-disciplinary competition that combines engineering, theatrics. debate and basic problem-solving. It carries no monetary prize but is designed to sharpen students' thinking while encouraging them to have fun.

Russel Choy, a dentist and dad, has coached local teams for the last six years. This year's team was sponsored by Sycamore Lodge 129 of the Odd Fellows.

The seven team members are:

1. Lauren Choy (Bishop O'Dowd)
2. Brandon Choy (Canyon Middle School)
3. Priscilla Wong (Castro Valley High School)
4. Zachary Deigert (Canyon Middle School)
5. Emily Hoang (Canyon Middle School)
6. Brendan Hwang (Hart Middle School, Dublin)
7. Matthew Heng (Canyon Middle School)

On March 23, Choy will lead these magnificent seven to the state finals in Brentwood. There they will vie with siimilar teams from across California for a chance to advance to the national and international contest at Michigan State University in May.

The problem students solved was a head scratcher.

They were challenged to build a structure using no more than 15 grams of wood (about the weight of three nickles).

This structure had to tumble down a four-foot long runway, travel more than 18 inches through the air and survive a drop of at least seven inches.

Students then had to set the structure upright without using their hands, and load it with weights until it was crushed -- while doing a performance that was part of the overall competition.

Choy took a video but since it reveals their methods, he won't release it at this point. Read the full contest challenge in the attached PDF.

As recently as two years ago, Choy says 14 local teams participated in Odyssey of the Mind. He hopes to get more teams to form in the coming season. 

He says attending the state sinals is a great way to see what the competition is all about. It will be held from 8:00 a.m. to  4:00 p.m. at Heritage High School in Brentwood. There is no admission charge. Choy says it would be a great family outing because the campus is big and open. 

Fore more information email Russell Choy at cvootm@gmail.com.