Every year, a team of Hempfield Area students has the opportunity to compete in a Rube Goldberg Engineering Competition. The goal of the competition is to build a 2 ft x 3 ft x 5 ft chain-reaction contraption that completes a specific task. Led by Mr. Harden, this year’s team consisting of students Ryan Carter, Alyssa Parker, Alexis Trout, Bella Bargerstock, Shane Johnson, Chase Peck, Mercedes Thomas, and Matthew Comm placed first overall.
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg, better known as Rube Goldberg, was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. He is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, complex ways. He is the inspiration behind the chain-reaction contraption competition.
Through early October to the end of January, the team met every week, including in the evenings on their own time typically from 6 P.M to 8 P.M. According to Mr. Harden, they “met collectively for almost 300 hours worth of time.” It was a challenge to work around everyone’s schedule as well as the schedule of their Westinghouse engineer mentor, but the hard work paid off. “They’re a great group of kids, very dedicated.”
On Friday, February 23, the team departed the high school at 6:15 A.M. to travel to Westinghouse for the judging of their Chain Reaction Contraption. Around 4:30 P.M, the students returned to Hempfield Area High School, victorious.
After the first place win was announced to the rest of the school, the team had the opportunity to display their contraption outside the cafeteria, run the machine for their peers and the faculty, and answer questions/comments pertaining to their invention. The team learned a lot from the experience, and Hempfield Area is very proud of them.
