ODYSSEY OF THE MIND

2009-2010

Problem No. 5: Food Court

© Copyright 2009, Creative Competitions, Inc.

Food Court
Problem No. 5: Divisions I, II, III & IV

A. The Problem
The problem is to create and present a humorous performance where one food item accuses another of being
unhealthy or bad in some way, and that food item has to defend itself. All of the characters in the performance will be
portrayed as food items and will include “the Accuser” and “the Accused,” and a jury that signals to the audience
whether the Accused is “guilty” or “innocent” in a team-created “trial.” The performance will also include a team-creat-
ed “fact” about nutrition and an artistic representation.
The creative emphases of this problem are on the claim made by the Accuser, the defense of the Accused, the
team-created “fact” about nutrition, the way the jury is portrayed, and the signal.
The Spirit of the Problem is for the team to create and present an original humorous performance where all of the
characters must be food items and one character accuses another of being unhealthy or bad for others, causing a
dispute that is resolved in a “trial” where a jury signals a verdict of guilty or innocent. Included must be a team-created
food fact and an artistic representation.
B. Limitations (Italicized words/terms are defined in the problem glossary on page 5 or in the 2009-2010 Odyssey of the
Mind Program Guide.)
1. General Rules: Read the 2009-2010 Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide. This manual is updated each year and
includes basic limitations for this problem and the forms required for competition. This problem cannot be solved
without referring to the Program Rules section of the guide.
2. Problem Clarifications: The Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide explains the types of questions about the rules
that will be clarified and the ways to submit those questions. General problem clarifications can be accessed at
www.odysseyofthemind.com/clarifications/ and are published in the fall and winter issues of the Odyssey of the
Mind Newsletter. Problem clarifications improperly submitted, or sent after February 15, 2010, will not be
answered. CCI may find it necessary to issue clarifications after that date, so continue to check for new postings
after February 15 and before each competition.
3. The time limit for this problem is 8 minutes. It starts when the Timekeeper says, "Team begin." During the 8 min-
utes the team must set up the competition site and perform its entire problem solution including the Style portion.
4. The cost limit for this problem is $125 (U.S.). The combined value of the materials used during the performance of
the team's solution, including Style, cannot exceed this amount. The Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide
explains the cost limit and lists items that are exempt from cost.
5. The team will create an original performance that includes:
a. all of the characters portrayed as food items.
b. the Accuser - a food item character that accuses another of being unhealthy.
c. the Accused - the food item character accused of being unhealthy that defends itself.
d. a team-created food fact.
e. an artistic representation.
f. a Jury that signals whether the Accused is guilty or innocent.
6. All of the characters in the performance must portray food items and nothing else. The food items that the charac-
ters portray:
a. must be food that is regularly consumed by people in the world today as all or part of a meal or snack.
b. do not include everything people eat. For example, things ingested solely as part of a ritual, only to survive in
the wild, vitamins, and medicines cannot be characters. The team may provide documentation of its selected
food items to avoid possible disqualification of any characters.
c. may be foods that are commercially produced and may be a combination of ingredients that form a combined
food (e.g., pizza).

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 d. must be as they appear when prepared to be eaten (cooked, mixed, sliced, etc.) or when they are offered for
sale (in its peel, can, box, wrapper, etc). They must not be an unprocessed form of a food item that would
normally be processed for eating (e.g. animal). They can be in a variety of forms such as a raw whole toma-
to, a slice of tomato, tomato sauce, etc.
7. The Accuser must claim that it is unhealthy or bad for a person to eat the Accused. The claim:
a. can be true or not true, relevant or irrelevant, opinion or fact, and is not limited to the physical effects of eat-
ing the food item.
b. may be anything negative linked to any part of the process of acquiring, preparing, eating, or the effects of
eating the Accused.
c. does not have to be made while the Accused appears in the performance.
8. The Accused must defend itself against the claims of the Accuser. The claim and defense may be interspersed
and any other characters can take sides.
9. The "trial":
a. is a dispute that may be presented in any way. It does not have to be presented as an actual court trial.
b. must include the claim and the defense scored in D5a and D5b.
c. must include the Accuser and the Accused.
d. must end with the jury's signal.
10. The jury:
a. must portray a group of at least five food items. They may be the same type or different types of food from
one other.
b. cannot not be physically portrayed by team members in any way except to provide voices and sounds.
c. must signal to the audience whether the claim is true or not. An indecision or tie is not allowed. The signal:
(1) must be visible and/or audible to the judges and audience.
(2) does not have to state "guilty" or "innocent."
(3) may be anything that conveys which character won the dispute.
11. The team-created food fact:
a. must be an original idea that is not known to be true.
b. cannot be the claim against the Accused.
c. must be explained to make it appear to be true.
d. may be presented at any time during the performance.
12. The artistic representation must be:
a. original and team-created.
b. one or a combination of the following: music, poem, dance, painting, sculpture, or mime.
13. The team must present the Staging Area Judge with four copies of the Team's Required List Form found in the
forms section of the Members Area at www.odysseyofthemind.com/members/ or four copies of a list on one side
of one or two sheets of 81/2" x 11" or A4 paper. This list must be hand-printed, typed, or computer generated. It is
for reference only. The list must include:
a. the team's membership name and number, the problem and division.
b. a brief description of the Accuser.
c. a brief description of the Accused.
d. a brief description of the claim against the Accused.
e. a brief description of the signal that will show the jury's decision.
f. a brief description of the artistic representation.
g. the team-created food fact.
h. the signal the team will use to indicate it has finished its performance.

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C. Site, Setup and Competition
1. A stage or floor area a minimum of 7' x 10' (2.1 m x 3 m) will be used, but a larger area is desirable. This will
not be marked. Teams must be prepared to perform in a 7' x 10' area. If space permits, the team may perform
and/or place equipment, props, etc. outside the 7' x 10' area. If a drop-off exists beyond the 7' x 10' dimen-
sions, a caution line may be taped 30" (76.2 cm) from the edge of the drop-off. This will serve as a warning,
not a boundary.
2. A three-prong electrical outlet will be available. Teams must bring their own extension cords and adapters, if
needed.
3. The team members should report to the competition site with all items for the presentation of their solution at
least 15 minutes before they are scheduled to compete.
4. It is the team's responsibility to complete its solution within the 8-minute time limit. When the team is finished, it
must signal the judges. An overtime penalty will be assessed if the team takes more than 8 minutes, and the
Timekeeper will stop the team after one minute of overtime.
5. Teams should bring cleaning utensils to clean up any mess. Should a team take an unreasonable amount of
time to clean the site, or leave a mess; the judges will assess an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. Others not
on the team's roster can help the team clear the site and remove the team's props. The competition area must
be left clean and dry for the next competing team.
D. Scoring
1. Creativity of the overall performance (originality, effectiveness) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 20 points
2. Quality of the performance (audibility, movement, stage presence) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..1 to 20 points
3. The Accuser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 21 points
a. *Looks like the food item it is portraying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 or 6 points
b. Impact of its portrayal on the performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 15 points
4. The Accused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 21 points
a. *Looks like the food item it is portraying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 or 6 points
b. Impact of its portrayal on the performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 15 points
5. The claim against the Accused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 to 30 points
a. Creativity of the claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 12 points
b. Creativity of the defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 18 points
6. The jury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 to 23 points
a. *Creativity of how the jury is portrayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 13 points
b. Signals the verdict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 or 5 points
c. Creativity of the signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 5 points
7. Humor in the performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 16 points
8. The team-created food fact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 to 19 points
a. Originality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 9 points
b. How well it is explained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 to 10 points
9. The artistic representation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 to 30 points
a. Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 10 points
b. Impact on the performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 to 20 points
Maximum possible: 200 points
*if these do not appear in the performance the team may show them to the judges after time ends for scoring

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E. Penalties (Deduct penalty points from the percentaged score.)
1. "Spirit of the Problem" violation (each offense) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-1 to -100 points
2. Unsportsmanlike conduct (each offense) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-1 to -100 points
3. Incorrect or missing membership sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-1 to -15 points
4. Outside assistance (each offense) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-1 to -100 points
5. Over cost limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-1 to -100 points
6. Over time limit: -5 points for every 10 seconds or fraction thereof
overtime limit (example: 27 seconds over = -15 points) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .maximum -30 points
7. Required character is not a food item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no score for that character
8. If an additional character is not a food item ignore that role for overall scoring categories and assess a Spirit of the
Problem penalty of -5 points.
9. The Jury is portrayed by one or more team members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .no score for D6a
10. Team has no copies of the required list and is unable to produce them before its competition time . . . . . .-5 points
Omission of any scored problem requirement carries no penalty except loss of score for that category unless
marked with an *.
F. Style (Elaboration of the problem solution; use the Style Form from the Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide.)
1. Creativity of a costume of a character other than the Accuser, Accused, or Jury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 10 points
2. The visual appeal of the team's "trial" setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 10 points
3. (Free choice of team) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 10 points
4. (Free choice of team) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 10 points
5. Overall effect of the four Style elements in the performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 10 points
Maximum possible: 50 points
G. Tournament Director Will Provide*
1. A 7' x 10' (2.1m x 3m) presentation area (larger, if possible).
2. A three-prong electrical outlet.
3. A judging team and materials necessary to judge this problem
*NOTE: Contact your Tournament Director for information regarding site specifications, e.g., actual dimensions,
whether lights may be dimmed, etc. Do not submit a clarification request for this information.
H. The Team Must Provide
1. Four copies of its Style Form, four copies of the required list, one Material Values Form, one Outside Assistance
Form, and all team-specific clarifications.
2. Any necessary extension cords or outlet adapters.
3. Cleanup materials as needed.
I. Glossary:
Bad for a person to eat - The claim must be presented that eating the food is linked to something portrayed as nega-
tive. It may be but does not have to be anything to do with its nutritional value.
Character - Any animated role in the performance that acts, talks or communicates to the audience in some way.
This does not include props that move, backgrounds that change, etc. It does include static items that are present-
ed as actively communicating to the audience. For example, if a team member stands behind a painting and
speaks in a way to make it appear that the painting is talking, then that painting is considered a character and must
be a painting of a food item.

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 Portrayed by team members - All or part of a team member is used as all or part of the character's body. This does
not include manipulating and interacting with the character. For example, hand puppets are not allowed because a
team member's hand is part of the puppet but marionettes (string puppets) are allowed because hands are not part of
the marionette.
Visual appeal - How well the setting looks, including artistic quality and creativity.

Problem concept by Katarina Micklus & William Micklus

Problem by Dr. C. Samuel Micklus and Samuel W. Micklus
© Copyright 2009 — Creative Competitions, Inc
Creative Competitions, Inc., its licensees, and the problem authors assume no responsibility for damage or
injury incurred as a result of attempting to solve this problem.
® Odyssey of the Mind, OotM, the Odyssey of the Mind logo, and OMER are federally registered trademarks of Creative
Competitions, Inc.

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