than eight minutes long and the team members could only spend $125
on costumes, props, scenery and other supplies.
The students could choose from several different prompts, but
decided to create the skit during the fall of 2016. For months, they
spent several hours each week discussing ideas, writing the script,
rehearsing and building props. The students were required to do
everything themselves, and coach Lou Iannamorelli was only
responsible for coordinating meetings with the various parents. All the
team members were involved in other activities, including sports and
drama club.
“It was just as hard as working at PNC,” jokes Iannamorelli, a vice
president for PNC Financial.
His son, Jack, was on the team and had participated in Odyssey
of the Mind before. Iannamorelli decided to coach the team after
his ex-wife passed away and would not be able to witness the major
milestones in Jack’s life.
“It made me sad,” he recalls. “I wanted to be more involved in his
stuff.”
Some team members were better suited to writing the script and
acting, while Jack took a more hands-on approach and preferred using
technology to create props. The plot of the team’s skit revolved around
a villain trying to erase Norman Rockwell’s creative impulse. Jack
built a pump that resembled the human circulatory system and used a
computer chip to alter the flow rate. After building the pump, the team
didn’t have much money left for costumes, but they still created some
innovative attire, including a quick-release system that allowed team
members to switch from one outfit to another.
Throughout the process, the students learned how to work together
as a team and resolve conflicts. Iannamorelli urge