Calling all problem-solvers, puzzle-lovers, and snack-eaters to room N203 where Rubik’s Cube Club is the place for you! The club typically meets the first Friday of every month, though they are working on approval for holding a meeting every other week. Participants can solve any form of cube they want while drinking Dr. Pepper, chatting with friends, and munching on chips and Oreos. Karina Tertel says that she enjoys going to Rubik’s Cube Club because she gets to hang out with friends and “learn a new skill that I can’t actually apply to life.” Solving a Rubik’s Cube is not as pointless as it may seem, however, as it creates mental stimulus and provides the solver with motivation to reach specific goals.
A typical meeting starts out with the agenda for the day, and everyone suggests different snacks to bring for the next meeting, what Rubik’s Cubes they have, and the new Rubik’s Cubes they are planning to get. Despite an expected disorganization with only six members, the club functions as it should with everyone discussing the different types of cubes they can and cannot solve and the speed at which they solve them. Members also help each other out, whether it is teaching newbies the patterns to solving the simplest of cubes or assisting each other with harder puzzles.
Every Rubik’s Cube has a different algorithm for solving it and the algorithms are often complex, involving multiple repeated steps depending on the state of the cube. Knowing the algorithms takes lots of practice, and people can learn them from website and watching YouTube videos of other people solving a cube. Before someone should think about how fast they can solve a Rubik’s Cube, they need to know the algorithm for it so they do not get stuck or make a mistake. Riley Froelich claims, “I have the algorithms almost memorized, but Brandon and Caitlyn know them.” She also says that the best way to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube is to practice solving one side repeatedly before trying to solve the entire cube, that way the person has a stronger understanding of what they are trying to do.
Club members attempt to solve a number of different Rubik’s Cubes, each with a higher difficultly and different algorithms. Caitlyn Bridge, the club creator, has multiple types of cubes, and she is often the only one who remembers to bring them to the meetings. She has multiple 3x3s, the standard cube, mini 3x3s, a 4×4, a 2×2, a Mirror Cube, Sudokube, Pyraminx Rubik’s Cube, Megaminx, and a Curvy Copter. Bigger cubes and one with patterns other than simple squares are harder to solve because there are more steps, colors to align, and different shapes that can be moved. The harder the cube, the longer it takes to solve. Part of the fun of Rubik’s Cube Club is the discussions that take place as members brainstorm how to solve these complex puzzles.
Anyone wishing to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube is welcome to join, too. Many members are still learning, and even those who have the ability to teach others often forget the proper algorithms. Tertel states, “We’re just a bunch of people who can solve difficult and cool puzzles,” and they would love to see more faces at their next meeting on Friday, November 20.
