Hoover, Collins, Addams teams finish strong at Rube Goldberg Finals

The Rube Goldberg teams from Hoover Math and Science Academy, Collins Elementary School and Addams Junior High School finished strong at the Rube Goldberg Live Finals competition at the Museum of Science and Industry on April 22. The teams were invited to the finals based on their performance at the regional competition at Hoffman Estates High School in February.

Teams are tasked with building a complex machine to accomplish a simple task through a chain reaction of anywhere from 10 to 75 steps - otherwise known as a Rube Goldberg machine, based on the cartoons created by Rube Goldberg. The teams build their machines in advance and demonstrate them at the competition.

The challenge for this year's competition was to build a machine that can pour a bowl of cereal. Hoover and Collins competed in the Apprentice Division for elementary school students, which was new to the competition this year. Addams competed in Division 1 for middle school and junior high school students. Teams were judged on teamwork, creativity and the spirit of Rube Goldberg.

The Hoover team won the Spirit of Hilarious Invention Award at the Finals for their entry, which told the story of a king who tasked his scientists with coming up with a machine that would pour the perfect bowl of cereal.

The Collins team won the Helping Hand Teamwork Award at the Finals. Their Harry Potter-themed entry featured various elements from the stories including the flying car, Hogwarts, and a train on Platform 9 ¾, as well as several Harry Potter books.

The Addams team finished in sixth place at the Finals. Their invention, which they dubbed "Everything but the Kitchen Sink," incorporated a variety of kitchen-related items including cereal boxes, utensils, a cup and a cookbook.