By the Qube Executive Team
Back in the autumn of 2019, three ambitious first-year students, driven by their shared passion for Rubik’s Cubes, founded the Qube Club here at the Queensland University of Technology. Their vision was to create a community where fellow enthusiasts could gather, learn and compete in a friendly environment. Fast forward to today, after five challenging years the club has orchestrating over 100 captivating events, has extended a warm welcome to more than 80 dedicated members, and hosted an official World Cube Association cubing competition right here at our university.
The establishment of club was officially recognised on the 25th of March 25, 2019, marking the beginning of an exciting journey. The founding members hosted the first annual general meeting and immediately began setting up the club. The team established a brand identity with a distinctive Qube logo and created a presence on various social media platforms to engage with students. Their diligent efforts culminated in a successful launch during the university’s orientation week, where they absorbed their first group of members. This event signified the start of a series of engaging seminars and competitions, inviting students of all skill levels to join a community centred around their shared interest in the Rubik’s Cube.
Qube anticipated steady growth each semester, then the unexpected outbreak of the Coronavirus in early 2020 created a significant challenge. This global pandemic had a major impact on communities worldwide, including operations here at QUT. In response the club swiftly adapted, following the University’s guidelines to transition events to an online format. Fortunately, by leveraging digital technologies like Zoom, Discord and Cubingtime, the club managed to create an engaging online environment. This approach effectively maintained and strengthened the connections among Qube’s members (also known as Qubers), and supported students in staying united throughout the difficulty quarantine period. This also opened the door to connecting with cubers from around the country. Qube extended its reach beyond Queensland by collaborating with the Rubik Society from the University of New South Wales to organise the ‘Uni Cube Competition’. This event was a remarkable achievement, as it linked students from interstate universities by establishing an online platform for members to socialise and exchange experiences related to cubing.
With the pandemic situation under control in 2021, Qube gradually resumed to on-campus activities, enhancing QUT students’ experience with a variety of social and competitive events. The club’s growth was soon recognised, earning features in QUT’s Student News and on local radio. The following year was also active for Qubers, with many members competing in their first WCA competitions. Receiving official results and rankings from a speedcubing competition was undeniably the most exciting achievement of the year. These accomplishments provided a sense of personal triumph and served as strong motivation for Qubers to continue their journey.
In 2023, Qube continued to thrive, hosting compelling events and fostering a supportive environment for both newcomers and experienced Qubers. The Australian Nationals 2023, hosted in Brisbane, offered members an opportunity to meet and compete with cubers from across the nation. In addition, this year marked the club’s debut on the global stage, with members competing in the Rubik’s WCA World Championships 2023 in Incheon, Korea. Capitalising on this momentum, the Qube Executive Team decided to organise its own official WCA competition. In close collaboration with Speedcubing Australia and the QUT Student Guild, Qube became the first university student club in Queensland to host such a competition. More information about the competition can be found here.
As we pause to reflect on the extraordinary five-year journey of Qube, the executive team are overwhelmed with pride and esteem for the resilience and achievements of our members. We would like to express our truthful gratitude to every individual who has contributed to shaping the club into what it is today. Looking ahead, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for what the future holds, and we are eagerly looking forward to meeting and competing with Qubers in upcoming cubing competitions.
We are QUT Qube Club, a club that is really passionate about Rubik’s Cube! Each semester we run fortnightly seminars to help beginners develop advance Qubers’ skills. We are open to all QUT students under the QUT Guild’s program.
