Our St. James engineering team was a repeat winner on Saturday, April 9 at the Luther North College Prep annual Rube Goldberg competition. Coached by Becky Gorcyca, our middle school science teacher, our team of experts designed a series of ten mechanical operations around a Marvel super heroes theme which ultimately opened an umbrella. Their device performed flawlessly on both attempts and catapulted them to victory. Congratulations to our Maverick engineers: Bella McGowan (gr. 6), Adam Gorcyca (gr. 7), Henry Brennan and Jack Larson (gr.8).
The Speech
Jack: One year after the events of Age of Ultron, the government has now created a governing body that determines when to call the Avengers. Captain America tries to save his best friend Bucky from this act, but causes conflict with Iron Man.
Henry: Now the two are at opposing sides, one who supports government supervision and one who doesn’t, sending them towards civil war. Hawkeye shoots a marble arrow towards Vision, knocking her off a building. Pow!
Bella: Scarlet Witch is now controlling Iron Man and he is now flying downwards towards an incoming wall! Gasp! It has now started a chain reaction causing Ant Man to push forward marbles, sending them down a course of destruction!!!
Adam: Oh no!!! But wait! Black widow is using her shock sticks to complete a circuit that causes Thor’s mighty hammer to drop down from Asgard! Smash!! But… Oh no! Spider Man is trying to shoot captain America with his spider webs. Luckily captain America opens his shield just before the web hits him. Phew, that was a close call.
Explanation of How It Works
Step 1: A marble goes down a tube, hitting a cup
Step 2: The cup falls off a ledge, pulling a string
Step 3: The string removes a cloth from a ramp
Step 4: The removal of the cloth allows the fishing line wheel to roll down the ramp
Step 5: The wheel pulls a string attached to a tube/lever
Step 6: The lever rotates on its fulcrum, releasing Iron Man
Step 7: Iron Man zip lines down fishing wire and hits a book
Step 8: Several books fall like dominoes, the last book drops a weight
Step 9: The weight pulls down a string
Step 10: The string pulls down, lifting up an orange lever
Step 11: The orange lever releases marbles
Step 12: The marbles land on aluminum foil and complete a circuit
Step 13: The completed circuit starts a motor
Step 14: The motor twists string making it shorter
Step 15: The twisting string pulls a box off of a ledge
Step 16: A hammer drops from the box and pulls fishing line through a pulley
Step 17: The fishing line pulls open an umbrella
