Richland One students aim to break Rubik’s® Cube “Speedcubing” record, May 18
May 9, 2019
On Saturday, May 18, 2019, students from across Richland One will pick up one of the most popular puzzles in modern history, the Rubik’s® Cube, to compete in the school district’s second “speedcubing” competition of 2019. Produced by EngenuitySC, the event will be held at W.G. Sanders Middle School from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Offering middle and high school students from across Richland One a fun, exciting way to sharpen mathematical thinking through practicing multiple algorithms, the contest challenges students to solve the Rubik’s Cube as quickly as possible.
The event will include both team solving and individual solving events. The record for the fastest individual solve from the first Richland One competition (held on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Hopkins Middle School) was from Lucas Biel of W.G. Sanders Middle School at 30.34 seconds. The fastest group solve was from W.G. Sanders’ team at 4:38.676. The world record for solving in competition is 3.47 seconds.
Though it first gained popularity in the early 1980s, the art of solving the Rubik’s Cube has slowly regained momentum over the past few years, aided by online publication of “quick-solve” methods on sites such as YouTube. The sport of speedcubing requires a student to learn and memorize algorithms — each an operation on the puzzle that reorients its pieces in a certain way —in order to quickly solve the cube. A typical solve will require memorization of more than 70 algorithms.
“It was so wonderful to see the excitement from, support for, and academic drive displayed in our students at the first competition,” notes Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon. “They have been practicing for round two since January, and we anticipate another animated, uplifting competition on May 18.”
Officially sanctioned by Rubik’s, this event is made possible in part by the company’s “You CAN Do The Rubik’s® Cube” outreach program. Bringing the program to Richland One was an idea pitched by the team at EngenuitySC, a nonprofit that provides logistical support, connections with the private sector and more for schools throughout the district.
The mission of the “You CAN Do The Rubik’s® Cube” program is to provide resources to schools so that they may promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) standards and 21st century skills via the Rubik’s Cube in both classroom and after-school settings.
“Programs like Rubik’s speedcubing build foundational skills in algebraic thinking that can lead to later success in engineering and computer science,” says Meghan Hickman, executive director of EngenuitySC. “All the while, the kids are having a ton of fun.”
“We are thankful to partner with the Rubik’s brand in planning such an innovative, exciting endeavor. We hope to continue this tradition in years to come,” says Sandy Brossard, Chief of Teaching and Learning for Richland One.
About EngenuitySC
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., EngenuitySC is a nonprofit focused on long-term competitiveness and prosperity in the Midlands. EngenuitySC specializes in managing collaborations between business, government, education and community leaders. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com/.
About “You CAN Do The Rubik’s® Cube”
“You CAN Do the Rubik’s® Cube” is the educational outreach program of the world-famous Rubik’s® Cube, which brings mathematical, cooperative, and art concepts together while empowering anyone to solve the Rubik’s Cube. For further information on using the You CAN Do The Rubik’s Cube program in your organization, go to: www.YouCanDoTheCube.com.
