The Rubik’s Cube, a phenomenon of the 1980s, is making a comeback on Choate’s campus. More and more students are picking up the old puzzle cubes in hopes of achieving the seemingly impossible goal of making each side one solid color. So, why Rubik’s Cubes? What suddenly makes them so appealing? J.J. Braddock ’09 explains: “They are appealing because not many people can say that they can solve a Rubik’s Cube… it has a lot of novelty, and it’s just a fun way to pass time.” J.J. began solving Rubik’s Cubes during his freshman year at Choate. He has solved the puzzle in nineteen seconds, just twelve seconds away from the current world record of seven seconds.
Some attribute the fast spread of “cubers” on campus to observation of others. Thomas “Shep” Bryan ’10 has noticed an increase in Rubik’s Cube users: “I taught Eric [Schwarzenbach ’09] and a few others how to do it last year, and when I walk into their dorm rooms and notice that they have a Rubik’s Cube sitting on their desk, it makes me laugh… once you’ve started, you really can’t stop. Mine is always in my backpack in case I get bored in class.”
The passion for Rubik’s Cubes seems to stem from the male population at school. However, there are some girls on campus who have taken up the hobby. Lizzie Gromet ’10 has only been solving Rubik’s Cubes for a couple months, but has already achieved a best time of 63 seconds. “I’ve been solving Rubik’s Cubes since early this summer. I’m not really sure why they’re fun, but it feels really legit to be able to solve it, and it’s really addicting.” Gromet doesn’t know any other girls who can solve the cube.
About five years ago, there was a Rubik’s Cube solving competition at a school meeting during the summer program. There were no prizes, only “internal fame,” as Mr. Tisdale, the ultimate champion in the competition, remembered it.
Mr. Tisdale, one of a few active faculty cube solvers on campus, reflects on his own cubing past and sums up the history: “It used to be the thing (in the 80’s) to work the cube. Then it sort of ‘went away’ for about ten years. I always had one on my teacher’s desk… now they are back. Rubik’s [Cubes] came out with different colored cubes and ones that had multiple games on them. Some of them made noise. So now it is back in stores, and a newfound interest is there.” Whether it is the Rubik’s Cubes’ new variety in models or the bragging rights that come with victory, Choate students are eager to solve the puzzles.
