USC Ice Bucket Challenge Sweeps Sabers’ Instagrams

By Niya Miller

Freshman Adalyn Leistikow participating in the challenge. She was nominated by Jaqueline Wilke and nominated Jenny Claussen, Marie Klostermann and Anna Prosise.

Many of us have seen or participated in the USC Speak Your Mind or the USC Ice Bucket Challenge. In mid-April 2025, the USC Speak Your Mind Challenge started at the University of South Carolina. Wade Jefferson, a junior at the school, lost 2 of his peers to suicide. Feeling inspired to change this, he created the campaign to normalize conversations around mental health. The challenge was focused towards college and high school-aged people, which is why it has taken over our Instagram stories this past weekend. The challenge works like a chain: One person is nominated, they record themselves dumping ice water on their heads, then challenge 1-4 other people to participate. Those people then have 24 hours to respond. The chain keeps working, spreading like a virus from school to school, state to state. 

Junior Adam Wilke participating in the challenge. He was nominated by Parker Petsche and nominated Noah Ericksen, Ashton Schneider and Ryan Zidarich.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen an ice bucket challenge sweep our for you pages. In 2014, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge made waves across the internet. ALS is a degenerative neurological disease that slowly shuts down your body, and the original ice bucket challenge worked to raise awareness and funds for the condition. Millions participated, including Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Taylor Swift. The challenge successfully raised approximately $115 million for care, advocacy, and research for ALS. Of 110 respondents, 64 (58%)  Sabers mentioned that they remember their families participating in this challenge. 

Last weekend, you may have seen videos like this all over your Instagram stories or TikTok For You page, or maybe even gotten the dreaded tag yourself. Of 110 Sabers, 72 (65%) said that they have participated in this trend. That is only 7% more than how many participated in the challenge in 2014. 

Senior Natalie Cagle participating in the challenge. She nominates Jenny Claussen, Ellie Cagle, Grace Hendrickson, Caitlin Proctor, and Callan Hursey.

The challenge hasn’t gone completely smoothly, however. Many think that the

challenge doesn’t raise money or awareness in the same way that the ALS challenge did over 10 years ago. The money donation link isn’t spread through each video, and some have pointed out that not getting nominated could make someone feel left out, or just flat out call the challenge stupid. Regardless of your opinion on the topic, you can’t deny that it did come from a good place. So far, the challenge has spread from coast to coast, from colleges to high schools, and will continue to spread across the internet.