By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – For a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, most people use a juicer.
But that's not the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest way. The 2007 student-engineering contest Feb. 25 at Purdue University challenged contestants to make freshly squeezed orange juice in no less than 10 steps.
"It's like reverse engineering. You're making something extremely easy extremely difficult," said Brandywine High School junior Shane DeMeulenaere.
The Brandywine team of 11 students took fourth place overall, but earned first place honors for best theme -Florida vacation. The background of the five-foot by six-foot by six-foot area was painted with a golden Florida sunset on a palm tree-lined beach.
"It started with world travel and then we decided to pick one place," said senior Erin Sinkoff.
The team also earned recognition for best spirit.
"I think our spirit has helped a lot too. The kids had a lot of energy and did a good job presenting," said Jim Derucki, the project advisor and Brandywine chemistry teacher.
Aside from DeMeulenaere and Sinkoff, the team also included freshman Casey Deranek; sophomores Jo Ferenczi, Jill Sinkoff, Andrew Wycoff, and Bryton Hutchings; juniors Steven Phillips, Cameron Roth and Jake Wilson; and senior Ray Young.
The juice squeezing process starts by dropping a quarter down a plastic shoot that hits a ball bearing. From there occurs a series of plunks, swings and thuds courtesy of a kick by a boot, a snapping mouse trap, a homemade pivoting Plinko board, the innards of the singing Bigmouth Billy Bass, a pool cue, bowling ball and pin, and the list goes on.
What intrigues the students to make a simple task into a difficult one?
"Problem solving," Sinkoff said.
By rules, the students must complete the challenge in at least 10 steps – the Brandywine crew used 26 – and without flammable materials, animals or interference from the participants, unless the process is stalled and needs to be coaxed. The end result was a pitcher pouring fresh O.J. in to a plastic cup.
"And then we offer it to the judges, and they don't take it," DeMeulenaere said, pointing out it's mixed with wood chips, dust and sand courtesy of the Florida theme. "I wouldn't want to drink that juice."