Sales soar as ‘the cube’ catches on
By MIKE LEE
Of the Emerald
Somewhere in this world, a wicked
architect is cackling.
His name is Erno Rubik, the inventor
of the “Magic Cube" — a three-dimen
sional descendent of the old sliding
15-number puzzle.
From its obscure origins six years
ago, the cube has grown in popularity
worldwide. Locally, sales of the eight
dollar cube are topping 250 monthly at
Endgames, a three-store chain that
features adult games.
To describe the magic cube is to
embody frustration. When bought,
each side of the cube is a separate solid
color. The six sides are each divided
into nine smaller squares called
“cubies.”
By twisting various rows and faces of
the cube, the cubies end up some
where else on the cube. The trick is to
slide the cube back into its original
state.
That's called “solving the cube."
Anything short of that is called “twist
and shout."
“It takes about 20 hours to solve it if
you're of average intelligence," says Al
Villanueva of the downtown Endgames,
though many people would consider
that optimistic. “It has to do with per
severance.”
Rubik, a Hungarian architecture
Photo by Erich Boekelheide
The Magic Cube has 40 billion possible combinations, but a person of "average
intelligence" should be able to solve it in 10 hours, says a local toystore
salesperson.
teacher, invented the object in 1975 to
help his students conceptualize three
dimensional objects.
Endgames first stocked the puzzle
about two years ago, according to Vil
lanueva. Almost from the start it sold
well — 12 to 20 a month — but “it was
pretty much limited to the intellectual
type pursuits," he says.
"Then just at the end of last term
some people came in — they'd just
been to the lecture, and they had to
have one.”
The lecture was an evening presen
tation given by Douglas Hofstadter,
who wrote an 11-page cover article on
the Magic Cube for the March 1981
Scientific American.
From Endgames' booming sales, it
appears that Hofstadter’s lecture
piqued more than a few interests.
Besides the merely interested, there
are also the obsessed
“One of the guys who works here just
about lost his job because he spent a
week working on it,” Villanueva says.
"I think it’s just because it’s hypno
tizing. You spend your time turning the
faces and watching what’s happening. I
have two.”
Yes, two. One for solving, and the
other as a “helper,” to see the results of
various moves.
Cubemeisters — as the addicts are
called — find many ways of spending
their money. Not only can they buy
more cubes, but they can buy a
60-page answer key for $5.95 at the
University Bookstore.
Hofstadter, by the way, says it took
him 50 hours to solve the cube, which
has "40 billion billion’’ possible
combinations. Those who want a real
goal to aim for might consider
18-year-old Nicholas Hammond from
England.
Hammond can solve the cube in 30
seconds.
Officials arrest, jail two with expired visas
By MIKE RUST
Of the Emerald
Two “revolutionary internationalists”
are in the Lane County Jail after being
arrested by immigration officers last
week.
Immigration officials say Ismet Guchan
and Turkan Erden were arrested late
Friday on charges of violating the immi
gration and naturalization act. However,
friends of the two say their arrest was
politically motivated.
Carl Houseman of the U S. Immigra
tion and Naturalization Service says Gu
chan arrived in New York City on Jan. 3,
1979, with a student visa good for a
period of two months but didn’t reapply
when the visa expired.
Erden, Guchan’s wife, had a visa good
from September of 1979 to August of last
year, Houseman says
However, Nancy Whitley, a member of
the Revolutionary Communist Youth
Brigade, says Guchan and Erden applied
for renewal of their visas two months ago
but hadn’t received an answer at the time
of their arrest. Most visa violations bring
no more than a notice in the mail, Whitley
says.
Guchan was arrested on charges of
hindering prosecution after he allegedly
attacked police as they took Whitley and
RCYB member John Kaiser into custody
following a ribbon-burning incident dur
ing ex-hostage Victor Tomseth’s ap
pearance at the University in February.
Guchan was arrested on the EMU Ter
race two days after Tomseth’s visit.
Whitley says he “was arrested for talking.
“We (the RCYB) think they’re just
trying to get them on something.”
If Guchan is deported to Turkey, he will
face a "certain prison sentence and
possibly death,” Whitley says. In Turkey,
Guchan was associated with the leftist
newspaper “Partizan.”
Erden, a Fullbright Scholar, received a
masters degree from the psychology
department last term. Guchan was not a
student at the time of his arrest.
A hearing for the two will be held in
Portland within two weeks. Whitley says
bond has been set for $5,000. The pair
will depend on contributions and loans to
raise the money, she says.
However, jail officials say bail has not
been set for Guchan and Erden. Bail is
not generally available in immigration
cases, the officials say.
Portland attorney Ann Whit is repre
senting the two free of charge, according
to Whitley.
The University of Oregon Bookstore, Inc.,
will hold its
ANNUAL MEETING
on
Thursday, April 16, 1981
3:30 p.m., Room 101, EMU
The purpose of the annual meeting shall be to receive annual reports of officers of the
corporation, receive recommendations or proposals to the Board of Directors as the
members may deem advisable and to receive nominations for membership on the
Board of Directors.
Positions on the Board of Directors open for nomination are:
One (1) freshman position for a two (2) year term
Two (2) sophomore positions for two (2) year terms
One (1) graduate position for a two (2) year term*
One (1) graduate position for a one (1) year term**
One (1) faculty position for a two (2) year term
*Graduate student receiving highest number of votes fills two year graduate position
* *Graduate student receiving second highest number of votes fills one year graduate
position.
The meeting is open to all registered students of the University of Oregon, all faculty
members employed on the Eugene campus and all classified staff members holding a
full-time University position.
Coffee and donuts will be served.
To encourage your participation in this year’s annual meeting, the Bookstore is
offering gift certificates totalling Si00 in a drawing following the meeting.
Food Service
Skylight
Refectory
Featuring:
French Roast Coffee
GYROS Sandwiches
Vegetarian Sandwiches
Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.