Azul RiosChavez
Yurem Novoa, 12 and Leah Barrientos, 9, participate in the 2025 Ice bucket challenge and staff remember the original challenge in 2014.
While posting a video pouring ice water on your head might be entertaining, the USC speak your mind challenge’s original intent was to spread mental health awareness. This isn’t the first time the challenge has been popularized. The ice bucket challenge first became viral 11 years ago.
“I just remember it was a great way to kind of spread awareness for ALS. I know it’s like mental health awareness. We were just learning about it right now where it was just a kid in college that kind of took the initiative to run it back,” Former ASB Director, Brian Gallo, said.
The original challenge was meant to spread awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. According to the article “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)”, by Mayo clinic, this disease causes a loss of muscle control and affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The challenge began in the summer of 2014 in which participants were encouraged to donate to the ALS Association.
“It was just kind of a fun viral trend and we were lucky enough to bring it to campus,” Gallo said.
During the 2014-2015 school year Gallo and former Musket Media member Sarah Singler took part in the original ice bucket challenge. Gallo and Singler convinced former principal Tom Allison to let them pour a bucket of ice water on him to create awareness around campus.
“To me, the USC ice bucket challenge is about fighting mental health and showing why it matters to people,” Markus Maramba, 9, said.
This year the challenge has resurfaced under a new name and hashtag. The USC speak your mind challenge has become the new viral ice bucket challenge. It has gone from University of South Carolina to people of all ages participating to show their support after losing someone who struggled with their mental health. However some students have said they didn’t know what the challenge was about and participated because it was popular. Others only participated because they were nominated, not knowing it was to create awareness for mental health.
“They should take note of the fact that it isn’t just about pouring water on yourself, but to help others and donate because a lot of deaths at a young age are from suicide,” Leah Barrientos, 9, said.