Wrong ways to do good things
Schools across the country are pitching in to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
While there are lemonade stands and bake sales from Connecticut to California, some schools are finding more creative vehicles.
Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa., has a fun fundraising program called "Stop the Bop."
Suggested by a few members of the student council, the school is playing Hanson's 1996 hit "MMMBop" through the loudspeakers before classes begin, between periods and during lunch. The idea? Annoy students into donating; have them pay to stop the music.
The goal is $3,000, which could be reached if each of the 659 students donates $5.
"MMMBop" has been playing since Wednesday, and the school has raised about $2,300 so far.
Student Council President Meredith Cox and Vice President Maria Landi, both of whom are seniors, came up with the idea.
With the song playing in the background, Landi told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm, "It's pretty annoying. I'm getting kind of sick of it. But we're doing it for a good cause."
The school's principal, Dr. Maureen Thiec, says that when the students approached her with the idea, "I thought, 'Oh, my goodness, the teachers are going to kill me.' But we're making it!"
She says that some of those teachers "have given very generously."
"Kids have said, 'If I give you a blank check, will you stop this music?' " Cox says. "People are just, like, some people give twenties. You say, 'Thank you very much.' They say, 'No, we just want it to end. Even though it's for a good cause, we just want it to end.' It's rather funny."
Thiec says the school's receptionist is in charge of the music. "She'll be ever so grateful if she doesn't have to do it anymore," Thiec says.
"We wanted a new, creative way to make money, not just put buckets in classrooms and say, 'Please give us donations,' " Cox says. "So, this is just a different way of getting money out of people. … It has worked thus far: a school of 600 being able to get $2,300 so far. It's working."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/13/earlyshow/main838253.shtml
Is it just me, or is this just completely wrong? I'm all for donating to the hurricane relief effort, but Jesus Christ. To me this isn't donating to a good cause, it's the same as paying ransom for a hostage or tribute to a dictator. It totally negates the goodness of it by making it into an opressive measure. If I went to that school I'd still donate to the relief effort but I'd make it a point to NOT do it through the school just on principle.
I also love the line: Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa., has a fun fundraising program called "Stop the Bop." Doesn't sound like anyones having much fun to me.
And they're probably gonna wonder why the have a school shooting in a few months.