Ice, ice baby

ALS ice bucket challenge takes over the internet, and IU Southeast

Elizabeth Hohenstein, Staff

A shrill scream pierces the air as a wave of freezing water crashes down over the body. The muscles alternate between stiffening and violently shaking. Laughter ensues, and the video ends. Welcome to the new face of charity.

his isn’t for fun and this isn’t about droughts. Those are issues, but we can do those next. Now is the time to focus on ALS.

— Kristen Findley, psychology sophomore

In June 2014, a movement began to benefit the Association for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Once a person is nominated to accept the ice bucket challenge, within 24 hours they must either make a donation to the ALS Association or film a video of themselves being doused in ice cold water. Then they nominate others to take the challenge.

People are turning it into ‘how can I make myself the most popular’. I think people need to start focusing on ALS versus trying to make the best ice bucket challenge video.

— Nick Lawrence, business senior

The challenge has gone viral with over 2.4 million videos uploaded to Facebook alone, according to a figure that Facebook gave TIME magazine.

ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, but is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is a progressive neurological disease that causes the connection between the brain and the body’s nerves to break down over time.

I think if non-profit organizations benefit from our desire to ‘one-up’ each other with donations and videos, then that’s awesome.

— Summer Messer, business sophomore

The disease reduces the ability to control the movement of the body. As ALS progresses it can cause paralysis, and ultimately, death. It is approximated that there are 30 thousand Americans living with ALS. There is no known cure.

The ALS Association has raised over $94 million dollars in less than a month, according to their website. Last year during the same time period, the Association raised only $2.7 million.

Dumping ice water on your head is to show you what it’s like to not have control of your muscles and body because that’s what ALS does, it attacks the nerves in your body.

— Alyssa Hendershot, business junior

If everyone who posted an Ice Bucket Challenge video on Facebook used a five gallon bucket of water, it would mean that 12 million gallons of water have been used to date.