Velvet ropes and VIP rooms are staples of the nightlife scene, and you know how they work: The only way people in the general admission line get in is if they’re on a guest list, have the “right look,” or can slip the bouncer some cash.
That is not, however, how lunchtime at a public school is supposed to work.
But maybe parents at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland, Florida, spend lots of time at the club because a fundraising appeal letter from the school’s parent teacher student association offered a controversial perk: donate $100 in exchange for your kid being able to cut in the lunch line.
The letter, which was included in orientation packets for the school’s nearly 700 students offered the opportunity to become a "$100 Family or Business Sponsor." In exchange for the cash, parents could get their name or company logo displayed on the school website and at PTSA events, and their children would get a “front of the lunch line pass.”
That would mean that kids whose families don’t have $100 to fork over for VIP status in the lunch line will get their food last and, thus, have less time to eat. If Lawton Chiles Middle Academy is anything like other middle schools across the nation, bullying is probably an epidemic. How long until a kid whose family can pony up $100 makes a snarky, hurtful comment to a student whose family can’t?
As you might imagine, this did not go over so well with some parents.
“Like they can’t have thought, ‘Hey, this is a great idea!’” Chris Stephenson, the father of a sixth-grader told WTSP, the CBS-affiliate in nearby Tampa. “It’s 2017. This is not the 1960s. We’re not telling people to go to the back of the bus ‘cause you’re poor. That’s stupid!”
But many schools do just that by lunch-shaming poor kids who can’t afford meals. Campuses nationwide have been called out for making hungry students mop floors or get their hands marked in exchange for a meal.
The fundraising appeal caused such an uproar that the school’s principal, Brian Andrews, had to send a school-wide email disavowing it. “Please disregard this form as it was not approved prior to distribution,” he wrote.“I do not approve of any donation that is tied to any student advantage or privilege on campus."
The PTSA subsequently explained that it had explored the idea of the family and business sponsorship and, ultimately, decided to scrap it. The letters ended up in the orientation packets due to a clerical mistake, according to the PTSA.
You’d think school administrators would want to review exactly what’s in an orientation packet prior to distribution to make sure everything is as it should be. After all, who knows what else could get into those packets by mistake? Lawton Chiles is lucky those middle-schoolers weren’t accidentally given a sheet of paper with every teacher’s personal email.
But more so, what happened at Lawton Chiles is another reminder that many of America’s schools are struggling to make ends meet. Teachers regularly beg strangers online to help them buy books and other classroom supplies, and I can personally attest that it is no fun to harass people I work with about buying chocolate bars, so that my kids’ schools can pay for art and music classes.
“We don’t want any kids feeling like second-class citizens,” Andrews told the station. If the nation’s schools ever get fully funded, maybe students won’t have to.
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Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.