by: Reese Price 

GS students took on the icy water with huge smiles and loud laughter as they participated in the 2025 USC Ice Bucket Challenge. 

The 2025 USC Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge was created to spread awareness for mental health across the United States. A group of students at USC wanted to collect donations for the nonprofit organization, Active Minds, which supports people who are struggling mentally. 

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Seniors Emma Helmick and Hannah Stillwagon participating in the challenge.

Photo Courtesy: Kylie Mieze

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“I think bringing attention to mental health awareness at the high school level will help students possibly reach out to someone to get help and it allows for more conversations dealing with mental health,” Attendance Specialist for Pittsburgh Area Communities in Schools Mr. Jake Hoyle said. 

The campaign was inspired by the original ASL Ice Bucket Challenge which gained widespread attention in 2014. Pouring ice water over your head is a symbolic act meaning to grab attention; just like the shock of cold water, mental health struggles can be sudden and overwhelming. 

“The water made me go into a feeling sort of like shock,” junior Tanner Schmidt said.  

The challenge made an appearance on many social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram. Part of the objective of the challenge is to nominate others to pour ice onto their head. 

“I was nominated by my girlfriend on Instagram,” Schmidt said. “I didn’t know it was a thing until she nominated me.” 

When students were nominated, they were encouraged to film a video nominating 2-6 other people, which they did by tagging them in the post. It was also encouraged that the participants use the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND and provide a donation to Active Minds. 

“I enjoyed participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge and I loved to be a part of helping raise awareness for mental health,” senior Hannah Stillwagon said.  

The challenge turned into a fun way for community members to interact. Many students gathered to capture the challenge on video. It wasn’t just about completing the challenge; it was about showing support, raising awareness, and coming together to support an issue that effects many people especially teens in high school. 

“I know discussing mental health is a touchy subject and people aren’t too fond of having those types of discussions, but until those conversations are had, people will continue to struggle,” Mr. Hoyle said. 

In recent years, conversations about mental well-being have become more common in both public and private places.  Many people have made efforts to contribute to reducing the stigma around mental health issues and promoting more open conversations about the topic. This challenge is evidence on how many people have raised awareness on these hard topics and how they are becoming normal conversations in people’s lives. 

“I believe mental health issues should be taken more seriously and from my perspective, as time continues to move on, the old stigma of mental health issues are beginning to fade,” Hoyle said. “We as a society are continuing to take strides in the right direction when faced with mental health challenges.” 

This challenge gave GS students a fun way to come together and support a serious cause. It wasn’t just about students pouring water over their heads, it was about having each other’s backs and showing that even small actions can make a big impact in the world.  

“I thought it was a good way to get the community all over the U.S. involved in a small action to help to raise awareness for a larger cause,” Stillwagon said.