by Annie Zhang, executive editor

The Roar spoke with senior Colin Xie, president of Cube Club, about his passion for cubing and teaching others how to cube.

So, what made you want to create a Cube Club?

Well, it was initially started by Micheal Bettati, but after he [graduated], it kind of disappeared. I restarted Cube Club again this year because I like Rubik’s Cubes, and I’m sure that a lot of people also share that passion, like Steven Wang, Josh Weimer, and Seth Feagan.  We have 17 members, and we all cube. We also teach beginners.

What do you teach them?

We teach cube theory and algorithms to those interested. It’s a mixture of Ping-Pong club and math club—you learn stuff, but you also have fun. I teach it a bit differently because I’m colorblind.

Wait. You’re colorblind?

Yeah. I have to get certain stickers and certain shades of color to distinguish better and improve on speed. Usually, colorblind people solve the blue and green colors first, but regular solvers usually do white and yellow. That’s how they teach it in most textbooks, but I’ve been teaching it my way.

And when did you start cubing?

I started cubing in middle school—seventh or eighth grade. I was a one-minute solver back then, and I stopped for a year. But then I started learning more advanced methods, and I’ve been practicing ever since. Usually people ask me if there’s a secret method to solving a Rubik’s cube. There is no secret method; you have to put your time and dedication into the cube, and you’ll be able to solve it eventually. The key to getting faster isn’t just having the fastest turns per second—it’s being able to solve the cube without pausing between algorithms and steps. That’s how you get faster.

What would you say is your favorite part about Cube Club?

Just inspiring others how to cube. I know this sounds stupid, but take Steven Wang for example. He didn’t know how to cube because he couldn’t get the first step, but after I taught him, he just started catching on, and it’s really great to see the results of your successors.

What’s your greatest accomplishment with the Rubik’s Cube?

Sure, having a fast solve is good. But just getting other people to be able to solve the cube is really nice. I don’t know, it’s like this feeling. You teach someone, and they understand you.

How often do you cube then?

I carry around my [kit of] cubes every single day, but I have like twenty other different cubes at home. I carry around my screw driver, too, for when I take apart the cubes. And some screws, springs and lube. Which probably sounds kind of weird. But. the 3×3 cube is probably the most basic, because once you know how to solve it, you can solve basically any other cube, like the 2×2, the 4×4 or the 5×5. They’re all really interesting. I cube whenever I’m stressed. I’ll sit on my bed and just cubing and thinking about how my day’s been. It’s just a hobby.

Twenty different cubes? Which one’s your favorite?

I practice the 3×3, but if I have five minutes, I may do the 5×5. If I have two minutes, I’ll do the 2×2. It’s just whatever I want. I mean, sure, they’re twisty puzzles. But I value speed over complexity. It takes more dedication to be able to solve it in less than ten seconds, but every single cube is based off the 3×3, even the weirder ones, like the gear shift, but those are just for fun. But to actually be passionate about them, you have to build up speed, and that’s what I’m about.

Want to learn how to cube? Cube Club meets after school on Mondays in Mr. Childers’s room.