Last month was breast cancer awareness month. 25,000 people in Moblie Alabama walked five miles and raised $300,000. Honorary chairperson of Avon and actress, Reece Witherspoon recognized breast cancer awareness by launching a scholarship program for future doctors who will be participate in breast cancer research. Even Memorial High School in Savannah Georgia honored the causes on their homecoming night by the homecoming queen and each representative for preschool to 12th grade carried pink flowers during the half time showing.
Randall High School could do more to honor the month next year. Although breast cancer was acknowledged by the sports wearing pink socks and sweat bands, I think we can do more than just acknowledge, we can honor the cause.
If students can get riled up by dressing in colors for a football game or in order to represent their class, I think they can easily dress up in pink for breast cancer one day a week for the whole month, which is a much better cause. We have all this spirit and energy as young people; why not channel that power into something actually meaningful? Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. One in 36 deaths in women is attributed to the disease, which will be diagnosed in an estimated 230,480 women in 2011, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is a perpetuating issue that will haunt the health of women for years to come. The least we can do is wear a pink shirt or have a pep rally in honor of those affected by this horrible disease.
Spirit days always have a way of bringing students together in a sense of comradery. Mutual excitement for whether it be because of homecoming or Halloween makes students feel like they’re part of something bigger. If the student body honored Breast Cancer Awareness month, imagine how we could affect each other. If we fundraised for the cause, we’d feel like we were contributing in putting an end to this ordeal. Students who have been affected by breast cancer might feel better knowing that there’s people in their very school that want to make what they’re going through easier. Doing something as a group is always easier than doing it alone. So we should use peer pressure to our advantage and make a difference in the world.
Breast Cancer Awareness isn’t nominal or just a reason to get together; it also has a preventive purpose. Paula Carden of Madison Alabama had breast cancer that spread to her lung and thyroid. She had the surgeries throughout the course of three years. Despite being scared, considers herself fortunate. Thanks to early detection, she not only survived but was treated without chemotherapy. Breast cancer awareness highly advocates regular screenings and checkups. The more often women get examed, the earlier doctors will find potential threats, the earlier its found, the sooner the threat can be treated and that will increase chances of survival. So if students and faculty participated in breast cancer awareness, the staff at our school and even students parents would be more encouraged to visit a doctor to prevent this voracious disease from consuming more lives.
Our students and faculty might not do anything for breast cancer awareness because the topic is too personal, considering the part of the body the focus would be on. School staff may fear that students will become obscene with the matter. There are ways of acknowledging this disease without being graphic, pink outs are a way of conceding the disease without reviling that sanctified part of the female anatomy. Even if students can’t focus solely on breast cancer without acting juvenile, a general, cancer awareness month would still be a great cause; students would just wear yellow instead of pink.
If the members of Randall High did a spirit week for breast cancer awareness like they do a spirit week for homecoming, it would bring students together and excited with school ardor all for a life saving cause.
