- December 4, 2025
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Mason Allgire, a Thornebrooke Elementary School fifth-grader, put on his green and brown mossy bush costume complete with a nest on his head and was ready to go.
Throughout a seven-minute skit for the Odyssey of the Mind competition, Allgire used his bush character to save three animals while interacting with the rest of his team who played characters such as mad scientists, an angry neighbor, building inspectors and Dr. Moolittle, a comedic veterinarian.
Allgire explored the various aspects of the intricate two-story set the fifth-graders constructed themselves to bring their story to life.
From the set to the characters to the storyline, the team’s hard work and creativity paid off as the students qualified for the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals May 21-24 at Michigan State University.
“I’ve been coaching for 10 years now and probably about 30 teams, and this is the hardest working, most dedicated group of kids I’ve ever worked with,” said Jaime Kentner, the team’s coach. “They will come in any time they can. They’re having fun, but they work, and it’s evident in how everything they’ve created — from the quality of their skit and the uniqueness of their characters. It’s because they are so dedicated and have enjoyed being around (one another). Their team chemistry from day one has been amazing.”
For Odyssey of the Mind, each team is tasked with solving an open-ended problem. This year, the team needed to use an unusual character to rescue three animals created out of balsa wood.
As soon as they heard the problem, the brainstorming process began for fifth-graders Tyler McCollom, Callum Benedict, Alexander Mannella, Skyler Hadley, Colton Stewart, Shane Friedman and Allgire.
“The problem is one that kids from all over the world at all levels of education have solved,” Kentner said. “There’s the same minimum requirements for that problem, but how a team tackles these minimum requirements is truly unique, and that’s part of the fun.”
No idea was too big for this team. Literally.
The idea to have a two-story set was proposed early in the brainstorming process, and each of the students was on board, but how would they make it happen?
The students were not allowed to receive outside help. They had to build everything themselves.
“We all thought that was a great idea, but we knew we were going to have to spend a lot of time and a lot of hard work trying to make that happen,” Friedman said. “We spent a couple months perfecting this double-story set, and then we finally made it work, and it looked really good.”
The double-story set allowed the students to incorporate various environments, including a bathroom, a city landscape and underground sewer. The students even learned how to use power tools.
“To have a set built by fifth-graders that’s strong enough for kids to stand on top of is actually very rare in Odyssey,” Kentner said. “Even for that competition, it’s usually just a flat backdrop made out of cardboard with some fun props. These guys have definitely gone above and beyond this year.”
The team’s creativity didn’t stop there. The team needed to find ways to stand out.
One of the requirements for the problem was incorporating three animals made of balsa wood into the skit. The team chose a squirrel, roach and the never-before-seen bo-at, a rare mix between a bear and a goat.
The bo-at was created by mad scientists, another unusual aspect of their skit, who were played by Benedict and Friedman. The bo-at also was examined by a veterinarian, Dr. Moolittle, who brought comedic relief to the skit and was played by McCollom.
To add to the uniqueness of Moolittle, McCollom and his teammates decided he would constantly be referred to as a vegetarian, yet he would drive a ham-bulance, wear a fur coat and eat chicken while examining the bo-at.
“Being these characters is kind of like turning our personalities and making them become part of our skit and making it lively,” Benedict said. “It’s not really about who you are or what you are. It’s how you portray what you are.”
The skit only is part of the competition. The other part is spontaneous problem-solving, coming up with a solution as creatively as possible.
It forces the team members to think on their feet as they solve either a hands-on problem, a verbal problem or a hands-on verbal problem.
Although Thornebrooke Elementary’s Odyssey of the Mind team will be competing against dozens of other teams around the world, the students will have the opportunity to meet and interact with others from various countries.
The students said they can’t wait for pin trading. Each state and country has its own pin the teams buy to trade with other students. They can connect with one another over the pins despite any language barriers.
