Brittany Maher
Editor-in-Chief
Over the last few weeks we’ve seen it take over our Facebook feeds: short videos of family, friends and celebrities in front of a shaky camera unabashedly explaining that they’ve been nominated for the ALS challenge. The clip almost always ends with a gasp for air as a cold bucket of ice water is poured directly over the person’s head while they call out their list of chosen nominees. And, by now, nearly every student at Kennesaw State has probably been tagged in this viral trend of charity.
With the fall semester at KSU in full swing, we’ve seen the ALS Challenge take off amongst students, faculty and a variety of student organizations. From Student Life and Resident Life all the way to Kennesaw State President, Daniel S. Papp and Athletic Director, Vaughn Williams – KSU is no stranger to the cause.
For those who still may not know all the details, the Ice Bucket Challenge is an effort to raise funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The rules are simple: Get challenged, accept the challenge to either donate $100 by hitting the “donate” button the ALS website or dump ice water on your head. But let’s be clear: Even if you don’t want to pay $100 dollars and instead choose to drench yourself in ice water, you’re still supposed to donate to ALSA, just not the full $100.
Although the ALS Association has received copious amounts of praise for the viral phenomenon, there is a wide range of viewpoints concerning the trend. As with most trending topics, the more coverage, the more ways people begin to look at it. With the variety of circulating opinions, often comes backlash – including a counteracting criticism to said backlash.
“It’s for a good cause, and I respect that,” said junior, Marketing major, Garrett Odem. “But I’ll admit it does it kind of annoying seeing it constantly pop up on my (Facebook) timeline.”
Others see it as what some would refer to as “Slacktivism,” which the Oxford Dictionary defines as “actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement.”
“I don’t see the point of pouring water on your head,” said an anonymous student. “Why don’t people just donate when they get tagged and move along with their day?”
Despite the differing opinions of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the campaign has raised over $79.7 million since July 29, Time reported. With this in mind, the ALSA still remains positive that the campaign will remain strong, as do many of its followers.
“It’s a good way to help out the cause. It’s a fun and creative way to raise money,” said Paola Nunez, sophomore.
The mission of The ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy, while also empowering people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support, according to the ALS Association website.
For donation Inquiries visit donations@alsa-national.org or dial 888-949-2577. Want to share your thoughts on the subject? Give us a shout on facebook.com/KSUsentinel or follow us on twitter @KSUsentinel.
