Sigma Sigma Sigma stops the bop

Andrea Lannom - Issue date: 9/8/10

Those walking by the Student Center Tuesday could have heard a familiar nineties-era pop song.

In fact, they could have heard it several times.

Part of a Sigma Sigma Sigma fundraiser, the event was dubbed "Stop the Bop," and its goal was to play Hanson's "Mmmbop," repetitively until reaching their monetary goal. After that, the music would stop.

"After all, who can't use a little more Hanson in their Tuesdays?" Brittany Means, a member of the Tri Sigs, said.

The original goal was to reach $200 by noon and $300 by 2p.m. After that, the goal was much more ambitious and was amped up by another $100 by 6p.m.

Although they didn't reach their optimum goal and didn't play the song as long as they had originally intended, the Sigmas did manage to reach $178.06 in a six-hour time frame.

"I feel the event went fairly well considering there was much skepticism as to the outcome of this fundraiser," Grace Hurney said. "I, for one, honestly didn't believe anyone would actually pay to shut off 'Mmmbop.'"

"The amount we raised was close enough to count as success in terms of a zero-cost fundraiser," Hurney added.

Stop the Bop is the Sigmas' first fundraiser of the semester. Means said the group is in need of money for a number of things including: formal recruitment expenses, fixing the sinkhole in their lodge's backyard, and raising money for a spring trip to Chapel Hill, where they help terminally ill children.

So just how did the public react to this fundraiser?

"Some people loved the song! They said it was actually tolerable, and we should have picked something more annoying," Means said. "Many people said it brought them back to their childhood and made them happy. Others, however, were threatening to report us for cruel and unusual punishment, which really was the whole point of the fundraiser."

Hurney agreed with Means saying although some were not happy with the repeat play of the song, the biggest surprise was the amount of "closet Mmmbop lovers."

"There were members of athletic teams breaking out some dance moves to the smooth grooves of Hanson. Certainly very entertaining."

Both Hurney and Means said they would consider having an event like this in the future but said there needed to be more "fine tuning."