By EMILY SMURTHWAITE
emily@newsroom.byu.edu
When an American Heritage professor walked into class on Wednesday wearing a big, brimmed hat, his students knew they had accomplished their goal.
For the last seven years, American Heritage classes have participated in a Sub for Santa program. To motivate students to donate money and time, each year a professor makes a bet. If the students meet the goal, then the professor must do what the students decide.
Brett Latimer, a BYU American Heritage professor, was on the other end of the student bet. If the students raised $16,500, then Latimer would bleach his hair.
The 3,000 students raised over $18,000.
Just before Latimer shed his hat in class on Wednesday, he informed the students he had kept his end of the bargain and bleached his hair.
'I'm not sure what looks more stupid,' he said to the class, 'the hat, or what's underneath it.'
After the bleached hair was revealed, Latimer told the class he realized blondes really do have more fun.
Past wagers had professors dancing in a pink tutu, shaving their head and kissing a pig. Latimer said the bleached hair wager was quicker than performing a ballet for the class.
Linda Jensen, the American Heritage coordinator, said the money raised by the students was enough to support 45 families. The students donated the money and will do all the shopping and delivering of the gifts, she said.
Jensen said the professors want to help the students recognize the inequalities of society. She said some students have said the Sub for Santa program is one of the best experiences they have had.
'We want to teach them that one person can make a difference,' she said.
Latimer said the money that is left over will be donated to an international relief fund.
'We're going to send some money to people in Third World countries who are just trying to survive,' he said.
Latimer said he was impressed with the efforts of the students to raise funds.
'We were going to try to make some sort of a difference. It turned out to be a pretty big one,' he said. 'The students did it -- I just reminded them in class.'
Rhett Glauser, 24, a senior from Pittsburgh, majoring in public relations, said the Sub for Santa project reflected the concept of the American Heritage class.
'We've talked about how the government really can't provide for the poor. It's up to individuals, communities and churches,' he said.
Glauser said the project was a good way to get a big class involved in a Christmas project.