German Odyssey of the Mind team hits Yuma

A group of Germans were in Yuma last week to get a taste of Arizona. The Germans came on the invitation of the Yuma Catholic High School Odyssey of the Mind (OM) team after the two teams competed at the OM World Finals in Ames, Iowa.

Members of the team from Berlin, including Connor Berr, Max Krausch, Fabian Jaensch, Caro Achilles, Sebastian Kremkow and Caro Schmitt, were given a chance to experience some of the best Yuma has to offer during their few days here.

The two teams floated down the Colorado River with Yuma River Tubing, went to the West Wetlands Park, ate at Lutes' Casino, and shopped at the Yuma Palms Regional Center.

"We took part in the world finals in Iowa, and placed 9th out of 35 teams," said Uwe Krausch, German OM team coach. "After that we had the chance to stay with the Yuma Catholic Team."

Krausch said the heat in Yuma is extraordinary.

"This is completely different than Germany. The temperatures are 20 degrees Celsius in difference, (about a 40 degree difference in Fahrenheit). One of the great things about Odyssey of the Mind is that it allows cultures from around the world to get together and interact. You get to understand so much more in person than you can in a classroom. Youth exchange is very important."

The German students were all well versed in English in preparation for their journey.

"Arizona is cool," said Sebastian Kremkow, 15. "It is much different than Germany, and it is very interesting to see on my own. I love Mexican food, and it is really fun to drive with a 16-year-old in America, because you have to be 18 to get a license in Germany. In America there is a lot of space, but I like Berlin."

Kremkow said there are many misconceptions about Germans.

"Something most Americans don't know is that we are not all blond with blue eyes, don't always drink beer, and rarely wear lederhosen."

Max Krausch said he likes the weather in Yuma.

"I like the desert around the town, and the weather is great. It is warmer than Germany and I like the sun. It shines a lot more here. It is also summer time in Germany, but it is much cooler there."

The World Finals competition, which is the culminating event of the year for OM, took place at the end of May and involved teams from across the United States and many foreign countries. Two years ago, the YCHS team also hosted a team from Poland.

The Yuma Catholic team members are Ed Harris, Lauren Hennig, Peter Hooversal, Elizabeth Norton, Nick Pierson, Tiffany Riggs and Kelsey Wyman. Adele Hennig is the team’s coach, and Yuma Catholic alumnus Mariel Hennig is its spontaneous problem coach.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program consisting of thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and 25 other countries, and provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.

Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state and world level.

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Chris McDaniel can be reached at cmcdaniel@yumasun.com or 539-6849.