Is it “Wildwood” or “Wild World”?

 Wildwood Christian Academy Awarded Highest Honor 

It’s 7:30 am on Saturday, April 16, 2011 as Wildwood Christian Academy enters the auditorium of Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia for a ceremony that would rival the Olympics.  The event preceded the beginning of Odyssey of the Mind’s State of Georgia championship in which 250 teams from around Georgia were about to compete for a chance to challenge teams from Germany, Japan, China, Poland, Cuba, other state champions from around the country and more in the Odyssey of the Mind World competition. 

The three teams that Wildwood Christian Academy entered in the state championship competed and won their regional competitions in March.  Could Wildwood measure up against the other schools, some of which have over 2000 students, some of which mandate that their students take Odyssey of the Mind as a required course and still others that only permit students from their “gifted” program to compete?  The competition was extraordinary but Wildwood was up to the task, having won the State Championship in 2008 and 2009, both times competing in the World arena. 

Throughout the day the competition raged among the 250 regional champions but by 5:00 pm, it was all over.  Although exhausted mentally, the students from Wildwood were exuberant with their problem solving skills; but would it be enough to return to World competition?   

Back in the Columbus State University Auditorium, the announcements were about to begin.  The crowd of over 5,000 filled the bleachers, the floor area and the hallways in anticipation of how the teams would finish.  Then it was announced, “In the As Good as Gold…berg problem in first place and going to World, WILDWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY!”  Within minutes another announcements rang out, “In the Le Tour Guide problem, again in First Place and going to World, WILDWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY!”  the final announcement was made, “In the Unhinged Structure Problem, in second place and going to World, WILDWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY!”  Three teams entered and three State Champions.  What an incredible result.