During the summer of 2014, three men diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, poured a bucket of ice-cold water over their heads to raise awareness for the disease. In March of 2025, the challenge was reinvented by a group of students at the University of South Carolina to raise awareness for mental health. This created the USC Speak Your Mind ice bucket challenge, a current trend amongst people. Since the trend has started, people all over the U.S. have made videos and posted them on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram.
Some think it’s good that the Ice Bucket Challenge has come back.
“I think the Ice Bucket Challenge is something fun to do, and it will spread awareness for mental health,” sophomore Zaley Baumgart said. “It’s cool to see that people brought back the Ice Bucket Challenge for a new cause, which is mental health. Yes, it’s not new and crazy like it was back in, like, 2014 or 2015, but it is still fun and a creative way to spread awareness.”
When being nominated, people can feel scared.
“When I was nominated by Joe Dexter, at first I was a little scared about doing it because of that cold water,” freshman Molly Hunnicutt said. “But, soon I realized that it was all for a good cause. I did mine with a whole dance class watching. So, even if nobody sees it online, I will know that at least a few people will bring awareness to mental health.”
Others might feel pressured to do it by their friends.
“When I got nominated for the ice bucket challenge, I didn’t really want to do it,” Pioneer High School freshman Arthur Wallace said. “But I did, mainly because of peer pressure and not wanting to be the only one who refused.”
The Ice Bucket Challenge can be a good way to spread awareness.
“It is a fun and creative way to help raise awareness,” Baumgart said. “I think that it might also help people start talking about something that can be hard for them to open up about. This trend also has helped raise money for programs and organizations that will help people if needed, which does make a difference.”
Some think that the challenge surging to popularity is a good thing.
“The ice bucket challenge is one of the best trends right now,” Hunnicutt said. “Mental health is a thing many people struggle with, and I believe that we should do anything we can to help with these problems.”
Wallace thinks it’s a good way to spread awareness, but he has an opinion about it.
“It could spread more awareness if more people said what for when they did it,” Wallace said.
Although the trend isn’t raising as much money as it did back in 2014, it is still an effective way to raise awareness for mental health and help raise money for people in need. Along with that comes a new, fun trend.
“It shows that viral challenges like this one can do some good, unlike other trends that end up fading away or are just for fun,” Baumgart said.
