Upset with funding, Mount Carmel turns to opening a casino to reach Walkathon goals

^Above (A puzzled student considers “hitting the portal” and going to Brother Rice after losing it all.)

Recently, MC’s Walkathon wrapped up reaching its goal; however, the methods the school used to get there were quite questionable. Although this time of the year often leaves students with a nagging feeling through the rest of the school year since they have to fundraise. 

This year the school puts a fun and exciting twist to the walkathon offering a spin the wheel at lunchtime for a chance to win a variety of prizes. The combination of this fundraiser and various others around the same time makes students numb to the experience. However, at the end of the day all of the fundraising done is for the football field which is expected to be having another addition over the summer, and somebody has to pay for that. Money doesn't appear out of nowhere, and this has led to the school considering alternative methods for fundraising.

Following the wild success of using a roulette style wheel at lunches for a chance at cash and other prizes, MC has expanded to a full-fledged in-school casino. A particular hit among the students that has been especially popular with athletes is the school's creation of a sports-book. Allowing students to be able to bet on sports was possibly the best move MC administrators could have made, as major sporting events like March Madness and The Masters take place during this time period. 

Against all odds of losing money, administrators also pushed perks to highrollers to encourage spending, offering many different prizes, such as lunch fast passes, days off of school, and various exclusive raffles. All of these panned out for the Caravan, and the school ended up reaching its Walkathon goal.

“I really thought the school would have to take even more money from the student's relatives,” said the principal of the school, Mr. Scott Tabernacki, after seeing the results. “At this rate we might even have to drop our 501(c)(3).” 

Seeing the effectiveness of this year’s fundraiser implores the school even further to actually start paying teachers a decent chunk of change.

Historically with the Walkathon, there are incentives that, when met, give the students who raised the most funds a bonus. Now that the school has all of this money, were this year's incentives? For now only a few major ones were met, including a promise not to flood the school for up to forty days and nights. Despite the announcement being made, many students speculate that in the future the school will return to selling indulgences, beyond just the fees Mr. Tim Baffoe charges in his classroom to charge a device on his wall or for cursing, this time bundling them with a $5 credit on any valid parlay.

“I never imagined that I would be able to combine my two favorite passions in life,'' said one student influenced by these changes, junior Dan Matthews. “My lack of impulse control actually has a purpose now that it benefits the school,” he said, and Matthews is even currently a proud contender in the 1% High-Rollers Club.

Additionally, the Dean's Office also recommended that those who do not comply with the fundraiser receive "write-ups to last a student’s whole high school career.” Since the announcement was made, fundraising has increased by a staggering 28 percent. However, it is statistically proven that ninety percent of gamblers quit before their big win, and by sheer numbers, that means many readers. So those who are forced to join due to Mr. O’Connor are likely to win after being forced to play.