October has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Health Educators Reaching Other Students (HEROS), an organization on Alcorn State University’s campus, decided to inform the community about the disease.
On Wednesday, October 5th, a display was placed in the foyer of the Dr. Clinton Bristow Jr., Dining Facility. The presentation included a pink basket filled with treats, an informational flyer on Breast Cancer and a human anatomy replica of a chest plate. Students were encouraged to touch the replica to recognize signs of early detection. Elisha Bolton, a Sophomore Psychology major, from Cold Water, Mississippi, stated, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we’re giving out information to both men and women because anyone can get this dreaded disease.” A fact which many individuals are unaware of due to the stigma that it only attacks women.
Efforts such as this not only causes awareness but it plays a huge role with declining the number of deaths associated with the disease. The earlier you detect the disease the higher your chances of survival increases. Lazavion Berry, a Senior Business Administration major, stated, “Students on campus need to know about this because it’s not talked about on a daily basis which is very important.”
NBCAM was founded in October of 1985 and is meant to last the duration of the month. Its primary goal is to promote mammograms as the most effective weapon in the fight against Breast Cancer. Its pink ribbon symbol was founded in 1993 by Evelyn Lauder, who at the time, was the President of the Estee Lauder Companies.
For more information on Breast Cancer you can call the helpline at 1 (888) 753-5222.
