Subwaygate. They’re calling it Subwaygate now. Subway is having a contest and the grand prize winner gets ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL ($5000 VALUE) (caps and emphasis mine). They are not giving away CASH, they are giving EQUIPMENT of a specified dollar amount. And some (drama-loving, imho) parents have taken offense, shrieking discrimination because the contest specifically says “No home schools will be accepted.”
This is not discrimination, people. This is a corporation setting the rules for a giveaway. They don’t *have* to give anything – corporations reinvest funds back into the business all the time. Corporations make private donations all the time.
My children are homeschooled and I do not want $5000 worth of equipment, thankyouverymuch. We already have a corner full of toys that go untouched, why would I want to add to that? And honestly, I want to know what YOU are going to do with $5000 worth of equipment. (Unless you’re the Duggar family. Then? Totally understandable.)
Here’s an idea: instead of slamming Subway for a perceived slight why not email them and ask for a homeschool *specific* contest? Perhaps with a prize more geared to a homeschool family, such as a package of zoo/museum passes, amusement park passes (nothing like going to Disney when all the drones are in school, baby), books and manipulatives.
While you’re stewing over that idea, I want you to take a deep breath. Step away from The Drama. It’s doing nothing but raising your blood pressure and generally making you unpleasant to be around. Remember:
Offense is taken. Please practice portion control.
Have a great day!!
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I’m guilty of doing the same thing, I think we all are. But I’m incredibly conscious (and irritated by) things that tend to get “us” (homeschooling families) stereotyped in a negative way.
sweet post, girlfriend. you continue to show the wisdom of solomon.
but let’s face it, if subway is giving something away, what you want to ask for is the chocolate chip cookies. lots of them. scrumptious, they are. but then… i guess that means you’d need that gym equipment after all, huh?
smooches.
Yes! Send me a truckload of white choc macadamia nut cookies. And a place to store them. With a lock, so I can carefully dole them out to the progeny.
Cooooookies.
Ahhhh… that explains it. I’d heard about the boycott, and that it was something about Subway excluding homeschoolers from their promotion, but that was about it.
Thanks for clearing this up. And I agree completely with your suggestion of handling it. Too bad that they’re probably getting too much hate mail now to notice many reasonable requests.
You’re welcome for the explanation, and thank you for stopping by
I think you miss the larger issue. It’s not just about us as homeschooling families. Some of us live in areas where sports is accomplished through rec centers with limited funds. I would love to see homeschoolers be able to participate in this contest so that they could win athletic gear for their rec center. Personally, I’ve spent many a day in our state’s Ways and Means Committee trying to get better funding for athletics for our kids. It’s very difficult because we live near Washington, DC and there are some heavy handed public school officials who fight us every step of the way. Had Subway included homeschoolers, we would have had an opportunity to have a better athletic program.
Just my humble opinion.
I did not miss this as an issue – I think the boycott is misplaced. Why not take all the indignant outrage and channel it into getting local businesses to contribute to your rec centers? Bombarding Subway with emails is not going to get them to change the rules of a contest already in progress – but it MIGHT get them to cancel the contest outright.
Alternatively, if you’re bound and determined to write to Subway and complain – perhaps mentioning that it would be preferable to donate to the CITY of the winner instead of the SCHOOL of the winner?
If Subway wants to make sure that athletic equipment of this scale is not sitting in some HS mom’s corner collecting dust, why not make the stipulation of having a local church, club or other such organization be the beneficiary if they won? I think excluding them under the pretense that any mother would do such a thing in this case, indicates a stereotype that I find extremely distasteful.
I think excluding them under the pretense that any mother would do such a thing in this case, indicates a stereotype that I find extremely distasteful.
Yes, it’s distasteful to think about. It’s also distasteful to think about a HS contest winner who sold the equipment on ebay or at a yardsale and then bought what they needed/wanted for their homeschool. But? It could happen.
If you want Subway to donate to a local church or club or city rec department, then why not ASK them to do that?
Why are you assuming that we are not offering suggestions to Subway? Many of the people I’ve had communication from are writing to Subway asking why we (homeschoolers) couldn’t have the opportunity to donate the equipment? Other children who enter the contest wouldn’t keep the equipment either, but would have to donate it, we should have that same opportunity. Also, there are more prizes than the equipment that are meant for the individual kids … no one should be excluded.In this day of political-correctness, what is most appalling about this incident is how indifferent the media is to this discrimination. If Subway had listed any other group on the planet as not be accepted, the media and the ACLU would be all over it. This Subway exclusion is a symptom of a growing environment that is anti-homeschool, anti-christian. Mostly, I just want you to know that overwhelmingly, the homeschoolers are writing with suggestions on how subway could easily include all children, regardless of their educational setting, including a letter sent today from HSLDA to Subway. Thank you.
OneMoms last blog post..Subway Homeschool Discrimination Around the Web
Most of the posts and homeschool email/group posts I’ve seen have overwhelmingly been of the “froth at the mouth, screaming BOYCOTT!!!!” variety, hence the assumption.
If we’re going to scream discrimination because they’ve ruled out homeschooled children, why have I not seen similar posts from Canadians (Contest is open only to legal US residents,)? Is that not discriminatory?
Also, I’ve taken the liberty of deleting your link to the HSLDA. I’m not a member and don’t generally agree with their brand of politicking.
Well, I just wanted to let you know that not every homeschooler is frothing at the mouth and that many of us are suggesting rational ways that Subway could have dealt with this. Also, I wasn’t attempting to promote HSLDA, it was just a copy of the letter they sent to Subway, which was practical in its intent and in no way was frothing … I only included it as an example.
The contest is only being held in the United States.
OneMoms last blog post..Subway Homeschool Discrimination Around the Web
I understand that the contest is only being held in the United States. My point is that there are Subway restaurants worldwide – isn’t making the contest only open to (LEGAL US RESIDENTS) discrimination against those Subway customers outside of the US? How far d’ya think $5000 would go in a third world country?
They’re a corporation holding a contest instead of just making an cash donation.
I very much agree with you ‘One Mom’. I also had written to Subway offering a suggestion that if a home schooled child should win that the prize be donated to a YMCA or another community based organization that the home school family participates in. Also, $5,000 does not stretch very far when it comes to athletic equipment. I could put $5,000 worth in my small back yard quite easily
Thanks for your comment, Angela. I think we’re looking at stretching that $5000 in entirely different ways though. I think of a storage closet full of basketballs, kickballs, and baseball equipment. Maybe soccer stuff. You have to remember: if it’s going to a public school, they’ve already got the basic “sports” infrastructure already in place in the CafeGymnaTorium.
“How far d’ya think $5000 would go in a third world country?”
scouting around the interwebs, i found that you can build a school in africa for around $11-13K. so, you know, pretty far.
[...] I read this blog today. And she makes a very good point. The grand prize is $5000 for playground equipment for the [...]
I really appreciate your post. I linked to your post in my own blog today.
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Thank you for stopping by and for the link, Stacy
im a gainst subway becaused discrimination they agaist homeschools and home school are better then the school because the school donot not teach our children well now days my son is homeschool he done very well in homeschool and the other homeschool kids that are in our homeschool group is doing very well their no fighting going on like it is in school the kids are very talk and you donot here their talk about other kids or pick on other kids i think subway should go back to school and i hope subway go bankrut and goes out of buniness because im not eating their or my family is not no more subway close down
Terry, it frightens me that you’ve written this comment and that you’re in charge of educating a child.
I think the person is being sarcastic, or make homeschoolers look bad.
That said, I think you’re right about the issue.
Generally speaking, when homeschooling parents are being sarcastic it is with a very sharp wit – not like the above comment. And yes, it does make homeschoolers look bad when someone pops off with a comment like this.
Thank you for stopping by
Some people look for ANYTHING to get upset about. You are right. They are a corporation trying to be helpful to schools that lack equipment. They don’t have to be generous, but they are choosing to in this ill economy. The real boycott should be of all those corporations raking in all that money (hmmmmm, like maybe the oil companies) that don’t give back. I completely agree with you. Think, before you scream “Boycott”.
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Thank you for stopping by, Corina
I am so glad hat I am finally finding other people who feel this way. I was getting outraged by those people outraged about this contest.
It’s really nice to know we’re not alone!
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It is, isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by
I agree – it’s crazy. Business donate stuff to schools all the time -why don’t the homeschoolers get up in arms about all those donations?? I applaud Subway for wanting to give back to their community in some way, and I wish more corporations would do so as well.
Yes, we will be homeschooling (or rather – roadschooling) our boys starting next year, but I don’t understand the us vs them attitude a lot of homeschoolers have. There are great things about both – different strokes for different families. Yanno what I mean?
We will be taking off soon with our kids to ride orur bikes from Alaska to Argentina – and I would love to get $5000 from Subway! However – the reality is that Subway is most likely doing it as a tax write-off and the donation has to go to a non-profit agency. It just so happens they’ve chosen the schools as that agency. Is that really so wrong?
You can read about our journey at http://www.familyonbikes.org
That sounds like a magnificent adventure, and I wish you speed and safety (while I sit here in just a smidge of envy).
You are so right! It sad, but I think that people in the world today just want to be outraged about something or another at all times. =(
HELLZ yeah!
I’m a homeschooler. I did not give a damn about the contest and all the pissing and moaning was just irritating. We still eat at Subway and always will. My best friend’s son, also a homeschooler, just got a job at Subway.
I’m glad that Subway woke up and realized the homeschooling population is a lot bigger than they realized. That’s always a good awakening. It was pretty funny. I am sure they weren’t expecting such a huge backlash.
But it’s on the homeschooling lists I belong to and people just went on and on and on about it. They are still doing it.
Enough.
I wish they’d just order a footlong and shut up about it.
Homeschooling mom of 4
update: undeterred by the controversy, we ate more subway chocolate chip cookies last night. soooo good.
full disclosure: we are not homeschoolers (private, Christian academy instead), although the cousins are.
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Oh ye heavens, a voice of reason crying out in the wilderness !
Don’t you know it’s the Right of Every American to be outraged, lol ?
I can’t count the number of contests out there for ‘your local school’ and frankly as a Homeschooler I think they’re a GREAT idea !
I’m tired of my tax dollars supporting a failing system, so if some corporation wants to pitch in, I’m for it.
While I agree with you in theory, the reality is that it’s never enough. There is always something else – something PERFECTLY worthy – that will need funds.