An Appetite for Winning - 2023 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest
On Saturday, March 4th, the 12th annual, regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest was hosted by Genesis: Pathways to Success and Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corporation at Jac-Cen-Del Elementary. The clever contraptions amazed and inspired contest officials and spectators with entertaining stories and fun surprise elements integrated into chain-reaction machines designed to “Build a Lunchables.”
A variety of teams competed in two divisions. Division I included middle school teams from Batesville Middle School, Jac-Cen-Del Elementary, Salem Middle School, and St. Louis Catholic School. Division II included high school teams from Batesville High School, Oldenburg Academy, and the Ripley County Engineering Academy (Jac-Cen-Del High School).
As teams strived to Build a Lunchables, they had the opportunity to compete for numerous awards including first and second place for each division. Other awards including The Best Use of a Slinky Award that was presented to a team that had the most innovative use of a slinky in their machine, the Most Innovative Way to Start a Machine Award that was earned by having the most unique method to begin the chain-reaction of a machine, and the Most Rube Goldbergian Award that was presented to a team with a machine that demonstrated and upheld characteristics and attributes that most closely related to Rube Goldberg. This special award was judged virtually by Jennifer George, Chief Creative Officer of the Rube Goldberg Institute and Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter.
Awards for the 2023 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest are as follows:
1st Place Division I - St. Louis Catholic School
2nd Place Division I - Salem Middle School
1st Place Division II - The Ripley County Engineering Academy
2nd Place Division II - Oldenburg Academy
Most Rube Goldbergian - The Ripley County Engineering Academy
Best Use of a Slinky - Batesville High School
Most Innovative Way to Start a Machine - Batesville High School
The results from this year’s regional contest did not have an impact on the national contest finals. The National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest finals are still open through video submissions to anyone who would like to participate. Please visit www.rubegoldberg.org to submit a video by March 23, 2023.
Genesis: Pathways to Success would also like to thank our generous sponsors: Goldbergian Sponsor SEI REMC Operation Round-Up; Contraption Sponsors Batesville Tool & Die, Kids Discovery Factory, and Proud Moments Engraving; and Chain-Reaction Sponsors Friendship State Bank, Great Plains Communications, Napoleon State Bank, and the Ripley County Community Foundation. Without these wonderful sponsors, this event would not be possible.
