Minooka Community High School Students Place at State and Nation

Minooka Community High School seniors Alexis Yakich, Karla Gossen and Nicole Johnson placed first in the state and second in the nation at the National

Minooka Community High School has never taken first place in the state competition before.

The students, who are in Anthony Babich’s Honors Physics class built a toy-store themed Rube Goldberg. They names it Mr. Rubeorium’s Wonder Emporium. They incorporated game boards, blocks, a tractor, a mechanical duck, and even a Superman figure. The girls were dressed with suspenders and a beannie - a hat with a propeller on top.

The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest challenges students to create a machine, made completely out of household items, that can complete a simple task in a minimum of twenty steps. This year’s task was to inflate and then pop a balloon.

The team that won at state and placed second in the nation was a lot smaller than competing teams. Only three girls comprised the wonder emporium team while others in the competition had up to 20.

Their machine was also on the small side.

“Our machine was a lot smaller than the other ones at the competition,” Gossen said.  “According to the rules, teams can create a machine that it six feet by six feet by six feet.  Ours was only four by four by three.”

This is the first time for MCHS students advanced this far in this contest.

Minooka Community High School MCHS juniors Alexis Stefaniak, Marissa Post, and Jessica Zohrer, also placed third overall at the state Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.