As teenagers, social media is not a foreign concept to us. From Instagram, to Snapchat, to Facebook, to Twitter, we know it all. With all of these social media outlets at our fingertips, it’s no wonder Bronx Science students are so eager to partake in what is known as “viral media challenges.” These can include anything from doing push-ups to flipping water bottles to eating extremely hot peppers. But as social media becomes a bigger part of these trends, the challenges themselves evolve from being simple forms of entertainment into ways to raise awareness and enact change. While many new challenges can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening, others are making a huge positive impact and are actually saving lives!

Most of us remember the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Ice Bucket Challenge from back in 2015 when we were being challenged left and right to pour buckets of ice water over our heads for the whole internet to see. Challenges like this were backed by many celebrities, including, Chris Pratt, Cristiano Ronaldo, The Rock, Taylor Swift, Drake, Bill Gates, George W. Bush, Oprah, and Martha Stewart, who all gladly soaked themselves.

“I’ve never been pied before, so that was an interesting experience.”

Challenges like these informed the public of important things they might have otherwise never learned, and, according to The New York Times, worldwide participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised over $115 million for ALS research. Many students at Bronx Science participated in this challenge and some were even inspired by it and tried to create their own. Back in January, Bronx Science’s very own Kristina and Alexandria Ang ‘18 started their own “Pie-In-The-Face Challenge” to raise awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Many friends of Kristina and Alexandria participated in the challenge. Karen Yeung ‘18, Joyce Zhang ‘18, Allen Iskin ‘18, Eric Jiang ‘18, Victoria Yu ‘18, and Jessica Wang ‘18 were a few. “I did the LLS Pie-In-The-Face Challenge to help my friends spread awareness for their campaign. I’ve known Kristina and Alex for years, and it was really fun to help them. Plus, I’ve never been pied before, so that was an interesting experience,” Wang said.

As funny as it was to throw pies in their friends’ faces, Kristina and Alexandria knew what their primary purpose was: helping those who suffer from Leukemia and Lymphoma. “Over the past two years of supporting LLS and fundraising for the cause, my sister and I have collected approximately $17,000. All of it has gone straight to LLS, and we really like to think every cent has made a difference,” Alexandria Ang said.

Although it was on a much smaller scale, the LLS Pie-In-The-Face Challenge was just as effective as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It went viral amongst Bronx Science seniors on Facebook, and almost all of the Class of 2018 knew what it was. “We chose pies because they were entertaining. It was nice to have our friends participate and to get recognition from our peers, but the most important thing was the money it raised for LLS,” Kristina Ang said.

As funny as it was to throw pies in their friends’ faces, Kristina and Alexandria knew what their primary purpose was: helping those who suffer from Leukemia and Lymphoma.