Stuck-up school officials help in Butler fundraiser
By Patrick Thornton
Daily Record
BUTLER — Being duct-taped to a wall by giddy students sounds like every high school administrator's nightmare.
But, for one day, those at Butler High School allowed students to do just that.
Assistant Principal John Vogel stood for about half an hour as one student after another walked up and covered his flannel shirt, dark jeans and cowboy boots with duct tape, leaving him immobile against a wooden board.
Two lunch periods later, Principal Bill Hanisch met the same fate.
The administrators, however, didn't volunteer their time and pride for nothing.
Students had to pay $1 for each foot of tape they used, with the proceeds going to benefit muscular dystrophy research.
Two senior members of Butler's DECA club — a national club dedicated to developing future leaders in marketing, management and entrepreneurship — organized the fundraiser as part of their senior DECA project to qualify for nationals.
Chapter President Amanda Konopinski and Vice President Erin Hallock sold tickets for the event during lunch periods for a week leading up to the event.
Konopinski read about other people doing similar fundraisers and brought the idea to Hallock.
"Amanda asked me to do it, and I fell in love with it ever since," Hallock said.
In addition to the fundraiser, the girls also have to make a presentation to a committee and write a 30-page paper for their senior DECA project.
"They're dedicated," said Scott Sisco, chapter adviser and marketing teacher. "It's a lot of work."
Sisco spared Vogel and Hanisch from having to cover all four lunch periods by volunteering to be taped up as well. Sure enough, Sisco's students lined up to show their appreciation.
"He's the coolest teacher here," senior Jason O'Laughlin said about why he chose to donate his money to duct-taping Sisco.
About 100 tickets were sold prior to the event, with several more being sold during each of the four lunch periods.
Home Depot donated a $25 gift certificate, which was used to buy supplies for the fundraiser.
Sisco was pleased with the number of tickets sold at the approximately 500-student school and the total of more than $100 raised.
Hanisch said Butler's DECA program always has been very active.
The club traditionally has been about teaching students about the business world, but recently DECA decided that its chapters needed to develop a social consciousness.
"The program wanted to get them looking outside themselves and looking into the community," Hanisch said.
The junior members of DECA are in the planning stages for their fundraiser, which will take place in the spring and benefit cancerresearch.
All teams in the state raise money for the same causes but have to find their own ways to raise money.
Despite being the first duct tape guinea pig, Vogel enjoyed the fundraiser.
"It's a good fundraising idea," he said. "It's good for the morale of the students."
After the steady flow of ticket buyers ceased, Konopinski and Hallock decided to let students duct-tape Vogel for free.
"We just want to get him covered," Hallock said.
The last piece of duct tape applied to Vogel, however, was a $5 piece bought by Hanisch.
With a laugh, Hanisch said, "I'll take pleasure in this."