There couldn’t be a better time to go above and beyond to create change. Change isn’t only occurring the realm of politics, environmental development, and technology. Change can and does take place across the board, on every level, across industries and interests of the masses.
Change is driven not only by world leaders the world over but by influential adults and children alike. The breaking of a world record challenges us and pushes our limits to the max creating internal and external change while it provides participants with a purpose and stirs up a feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves or our individual achievements.
Grade 4, 5, and 6 students from schools participating in the Standard Bank/Shikaya NumberSense Programme together with students from Stellenbosch University, in just 6 hours built what is believed to be the world’s largest Level 3 Menger Sponge in the fastest time. The record attempt formed part of the 2019 NumberSense User Group Conference held on 10 May 2019.
The world record attempt was hosted at Cape Town’s incredible Ziets Museum, which is housed in the revamped silos of the Waterfront – the perfect location for such a massive feat. With a classical duo providing music for the moment, the level 3 Menger Sponge was completed with time to spare as a crowd of excited delegates sang their support and invited onlookers cheered as they witnessed the event looking down from the balcony in the foyer of the Ziets Museum.
A total of 18,048 tabbed cardboard squares were glued to join, held together by 36,096 rubber bands, and standing at 1.8m x 1.8m x 1.8m. The Menger Sponge specifications will now be submitted to the Guinness Book of Records for approval and with a listing to follow. The official announcement is yet to be made and is expected within the next couple of months.
Written By: Jacqueline Freer-Van Zyl