I joined Odyssey of the Mind in 2007 as a fresh-faced, wide-eyed Primary 5 student at Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) not knowing what to expect but a lot of laughing, creativity and time on stage. Now, looking back as a Year 6 student schooling at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), it was the best decision I’ve ever made for three main reasons, creativity, possibility and relationships.
There is a stereotype that Asian culture heavily revolves around conformity and hard work without questioning why, and OM is a testament to the evident creativity and critical thinking in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and many other Asian countries that take part in the competition. OM develops an ability to think out of the box, and to come up with solutions to the problem given, sometimes even under ridiculously short amount of time given. Teaching me that creativity, determination and critical thinking can go a long way.
OM has invoked in me a spirit of possibility, a resilience, and a never say die attitude. It taught me that possibility is a lot more than the revolutionary technological products a particularly charismatic gentleman in a black turtleneck and glasses used to talk about during his company’s keynotes. Rather, it’s more about the idea that came behind the products and how he brought these ideas to life that made him successful to the extent that he became recognizable without even having mention his name. The programme taught me that as long as we work hard having this mindset of “possibility” and creativity, we can come up with solutions and apply these solutions to the big and small problems around us. This mindset has remained me with me a year after “graduating” from the programme, and will remain with me till the day I die.
Through OM I’ve forged relationships that will remain for the rest of my life. When I stepped into ACS(I), my OM teammates became family to me. With the countless hours of work put into brainstorming, making props, practicing for the spontaneous rounds and perfecting our staged performance, it’s hard to imagine otherwise. I would be lying if I said the countless hours spent together have never lead to disputes, however, I’d also be lying if I said that those disputes had not made us even stronger friends, developing a brotherhood and a vast number of memories unrivaled this central to my experience in the school. After all, the AC spirit wouldn’t be the same without comraedery, and an ACS school not the same without family. The group of AC schools is termed the AC family for a reason, and OM showed me why.
Together with my teammates, I’ve grown massively, as a person and as an ACSian. Although I have a long way to go, OM has truly shaped me, and I owe where I am today and where I may be in the future, to the people I’ve met through the programme and to the programme itself.
Pang Kea Rui Christopher Aaron
2013-2014 Student Council President
There is a stereotype that Asian culture heavily revolves around conformity and hard work without questioning why, and OM is a testament to the evident creativity and critical thinking in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and many other Asian countries that take part in the competition. OM develops an ability to think out of the box, and to come up with solutions to the problem given, sometimes even under ridiculously short amount of time given. Teaching me that creativity, determination and critical thinking can go a long way.
OM has invoked in me a spirit of possibility, a resilience, and a never say die attitude. It taught me that possibility is a lot more than the revolutionary technological products a particularly charismatic gentleman in a black turtleneck and glasses used to talk about during his company’s keynotes. Rather, it’s more about the idea that came behind the products and how he brought these ideas to life that made him successful to the extent that he became recognizable without even having mention his name. The programme taught me that as long as we work hard having this mindset of “possibility” and creativity, we can come up with solutions and apply these solutions to the big and small problems around us. This mindset has remained me with me a year after “graduating” from the programme, and will remain with me till the day I die.
Through OM I’ve forged relationships that will remain for the rest of my life. When I stepped into ACS(I), my OM teammates became family to me. With the countless hours of work put into brainstorming, making props, practicing for the spontaneous rounds and perfecting our staged performance, it’s hard to imagine otherwise. I would be lying if I said the countless hours spent together have never lead to disputes, however, I’d also be lying if I said that those disputes had not made us even stronger friends, developing a brotherhood and a vast number of memories unrivaled this central to my experience in the school. After all, the AC spirit wouldn’t be the same without comraedery, and an ACS school not the same without family. The group of AC schools is termed the AC family for a reason, and OM showed me why.
Together with my teammates, I’ve grown massively, as a person and as an ACSian. Although I have a long way to go, OM has truly shaped me, and I owe where I am today and where I may be in the future, to the people I’ve met through the programme and to the programme itself.
Pang Kea Rui Christopher Aaron
2013-2014 Student Council President
I recently got a question on my askfm that went like this: name something that changed your life. Without a moment of hesitation, my fingers moved toward the two letters that I’ve used the most on my phone-OM. I questioned why my mind would subconsciously answer the question for me, though I’ve technically not done OM for over a year. I’ll give you two reasons why OM changed my life.
Reason 1: OM gives you more than just CCA mates.
Over my 4 years of OM I’ve made so many friends I know will stick with me for life, through thick and thin. These teammates you work alongside with every day for months become the only people you know and care about. You learn so much from them and share their problems, inside and outside of OM. I still keep in touch with OMers who are 5, 6 or 7 years older than I am, because the bonds built during OM are ineffable. Years after we had our OM season, my 2011 team still catches up, builds mega sandcastles in Sentosa and cycles around Singapore. I’ve had the privilege of becoming amazing friends with Shao Yuan, as well as Chris and Rushi, whom I ended up running for council with, Chris of course our Council president. I’ve also come across the most caring and thoughtful teachers who were our coaches, Mr. Dumortier, Mrs. Megan Lim, Mr. Jonas Chow and Mrs. Andriany Tee, and these teachers truly taught me what their role as a teacher was. No other teachers would make dinner for us every night so that we could focus on making our props, give us advice on OM as well as our personal problems, and be a mentor and a leader for all of us to follow.
Reason 2: The experience is unmatched.
I can, with utmost confidence, claim that there is no other opportunity in our school that provides you with the richness of experience that OM does. Where else can you:
- Spend day and night for months with the people you truly care about, making your far-fetched ideas manifest in real life?
- Have the freedom to truly explore your creativity and not be subject to (much) criticism?
- Have an avenue to truly put in your 100% into your team?
- See a team of 7 boys break down, exposing each other’s flaws to settle issues within the team like men?
- Have buffalo wings on the floor of a hotel in America, waiting in anticipation for the competition to commence?
- Perform to hundreds of people from all around the world watching in anticipation as the AC brand of OM etches in their minds, and in history?
2 World Champion titles, 2 Runners-up titles (though honestly, the medals don’t matter as much as you think) and 5 unforgettable years later, I can safely say that OM is the most beautiful thing that can ever happen to anyone, ever, period. I found it hard not to give back to the group that changed my life, so in year 5 I became a student coach in the knowledge that I would be able to touch the lives of my juniors. I am who I am because of OM. We all are. I am selflessly giving you a glimpse into that magic, so maybe you can feel what I’ve felt.
Matthew Ryan Rajakumar
Year 6 (2014) Student Councillor
Reason 1: OM gives you more than just CCA mates.
Over my 4 years of OM I’ve made so many friends I know will stick with me for life, through thick and thin. These teammates you work alongside with every day for months become the only people you know and care about. You learn so much from them and share their problems, inside and outside of OM. I still keep in touch with OMers who are 5, 6 or 7 years older than I am, because the bonds built during OM are ineffable. Years after we had our OM season, my 2011 team still catches up, builds mega sandcastles in Sentosa and cycles around Singapore. I’ve had the privilege of becoming amazing friends with Shao Yuan, as well as Chris and Rushi, whom I ended up running for council with, Chris of course our Council president. I’ve also come across the most caring and thoughtful teachers who were our coaches, Mr. Dumortier, Mrs. Megan Lim, Mr. Jonas Chow and Mrs. Andriany Tee, and these teachers truly taught me what their role as a teacher was. No other teachers would make dinner for us every night so that we could focus on making our props, give us advice on OM as well as our personal problems, and be a mentor and a leader for all of us to follow.
Reason 2: The experience is unmatched.
I can, with utmost confidence, claim that there is no other opportunity in our school that provides you with the richness of experience that OM does. Where else can you:
- Spend day and night for months with the people you truly care about, making your far-fetched ideas manifest in real life?
- Have the freedom to truly explore your creativity and not be subject to (much) criticism?
- Have an avenue to truly put in your 100% into your team?
- See a team of 7 boys break down, exposing each other’s flaws to settle issues within the team like men?
- Have buffalo wings on the floor of a hotel in America, waiting in anticipation for the competition to commence?
- Perform to hundreds of people from all around the world watching in anticipation as the AC brand of OM etches in their minds, and in history?
2 World Champion titles, 2 Runners-up titles (though honestly, the medals don’t matter as much as you think) and 5 unforgettable years later, I can safely say that OM is the most beautiful thing that can ever happen to anyone, ever, period. I found it hard not to give back to the group that changed my life, so in year 5 I became a student coach in the knowledge that I would be able to touch the lives of my juniors. I am who I am because of OM. We all are. I am selflessly giving you a glimpse into that magic, so maybe you can feel what I’ve felt.
Matthew Ryan Rajakumar
Year 6 (2014) Student Councillor
Odyssey of The Mind has been an indelible part of my time in ACSI. From learning how to make props to acting, it has indeed provided me with many lessons that I would keep for the rest of my life. For one, being partly a drama competition, it has provided me with an avenue to freely express myself and in doing so, built up my self-confidence. It has also, by extension, allowed me to communicate my ideas across confidently. OM has pushed me to think deeply into things, and to consider a multitude of perspectives whenever faced with a challenge or a problem. It truly embodies its promise of being a creative competition.
Apart from that, the OM World Finals allows one to immerse themselves culturally through interacting with teams from all around the world. It is perhaps no surprise then, that their performances often reflect the culture with which they belong to. Personally, it was an unforgettable experience making friends with my buddy team from Pennsylvania in 2013 as it was unexpected how like-minded we were despite our vastly different backgrounds.
However, OM runs deeper than that. It builds up bonds between teammates and the tenacity of mind to push through the late nights and enervating sessions. It gives us the creative space to make something out of nothing, and the satisfaction of seeing our brainchild come to fruition is, well, out of this world. And so was my OM experience. Indeed, I have brought back much from my time in OM and it has shaped my life for the better.
Dominic Ting
2012-2013 Student Council President
Apart from that, the OM World Finals allows one to immerse themselves culturally through interacting with teams from all around the world. It is perhaps no surprise then, that their performances often reflect the culture with which they belong to. Personally, it was an unforgettable experience making friends with my buddy team from Pennsylvania in 2013 as it was unexpected how like-minded we were despite our vastly different backgrounds.
However, OM runs deeper than that. It builds up bonds between teammates and the tenacity of mind to push through the late nights and enervating sessions. It gives us the creative space to make something out of nothing, and the satisfaction of seeing our brainchild come to fruition is, well, out of this world. And so was my OM experience. Indeed, I have brought back much from my time in OM and it has shaped my life for the better.
Dominic Ting
2012-2013 Student Council President
Participating in the Odyssey of the Mind was an incredible experience that I will always look back on fondly and be grateful for. It gave me self-confidence, nurtured my creativity and taught me to adapt in wide variety of situations. Most importantly, the friendships I forged in the OM room have endured throughout the years. We still laugh about some of the lines we wrote for our skits, regret some of the decisions we made with respect to our choice of style items and reminiscence about the ridiculous things we would do during our numerous self-declared breaks. Till this day, I feel this inexplicable excitement when I meet someone who is currently participating in OM and remain remarkably enthused about each new problem. The special connection I have with fellow OMers is also priceless.
Coaching one of the Odyssey of the Mind teams was a completely different experience altogether, but also a true eye-opener. Given the massive support that the seniors had provided my own team previously, I felt a sense of duty to help some of my juniors as well. In the beginning, it was really frustrating having to deal with a bunch of Secondary 1 students who had never acted before and almost impossible to control. However, the growth that I witnessed in each team member during their own OM journeys made these challenges worth it. Their team chemistry developed quickly, which allowed them to bring out the best in each other. Gradually, they became more independent and confident. The flair and the humor came quickly after. It was a real joy to see them mature and I felt like a proud parent. Seeing them harness their own potential reminded me of the immense value of participating in OM. It is no coincidence that so many OMers go on to occupy leadership positions in the school and excel in their own cocurricular activities.
As such, I strongly urge anyone reading this to consider joining Odyssey of the Mind! It is an experience you will never regret.
Joshua Rene Jeyaraj
2008-2009 Student Council President
Coaching one of the Odyssey of the Mind teams was a completely different experience altogether, but also a true eye-opener. Given the massive support that the seniors had provided my own team previously, I felt a sense of duty to help some of my juniors as well. In the beginning, it was really frustrating having to deal with a bunch of Secondary 1 students who had never acted before and almost impossible to control. However, the growth that I witnessed in each team member during their own OM journeys made these challenges worth it. Their team chemistry developed quickly, which allowed them to bring out the best in each other. Gradually, they became more independent and confident. The flair and the humor came quickly after. It was a real joy to see them mature and I felt like a proud parent. Seeing them harness their own potential reminded me of the immense value of participating in OM. It is no coincidence that so many OMers go on to occupy leadership positions in the school and excel in their own cocurricular activities.
As such, I strongly urge anyone reading this to consider joining Odyssey of the Mind! It is an experience you will never regret.
Joshua Rene Jeyaraj
2008-2009 Student Council President