October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and students and staff of the University of Idaho are doing their part by hosting functions throughout the month to promote awareness.
Jackie Sandmeyer, a student coordinator at the LGBTQA Office, said UI’s awareness program as a whole was sponsored by the Women’s Center, but it was students from the Introduction to Diversity and Stratification class that put it on.
“Initially it was just an assignment for me and my group for my service learning project,” said Marissa Hornby, a student in the diversity class.
In the first week of October, there was tabling with information on breast cancer.
“The second week, we did a movie in the Student Diversity Center called, ‘My Breast,'” Sandmeyer said.
The movie was a true story about a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It showed the different issues of when a woman is diagnosed and how it effects all parts of her life.” Sandmeyer said.
Lysa Salsbury, the program coordinator at the Women’s Center, said it was wise of the students to pick a feature film instead of a documentary.
“By connecting important information to popular culture, so a medium like a film, it makes the issue more accessible,” she said.
Hornby said the latest project, for week three, was her “little project event.” She worked with her manager at Pony Espresso who informed her of a local woman going through treatment to fight breast cancer.
“I got in contact with a few of her friends and all proceeds from the bake sale on Monday went toward her,” Hornby said. “A bunch of different women from my manager’s church made baked goods and donated them.”
Hornby said they made approximately $200 in a couple hours from donations alone.
“The woman who we donated the funds to was fairly young and had six children,” Sandmeyer said. “I don’t think people realize how many financial responsibilities come up with treating breast cancer.”
The last event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a discussion on self breast exams by Terri Grzebielski, a physicians assistant from the UI Student Health Center, at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the Horizon Room in the Idaho Commons.
“She’s been doing this around universities for awhile now,” Hornby said. “She’s just going to come out and basically give tips for self exams along with prevention tips.”
Salsbury noted that Grzebielski has done programs such as these for the Women’s Center before.
“She’s very warm and accessible. She’s the type of person you want working at a health center,” Salsbury said. “She’s non-judgmental and very open to talk about any sexual or reproductive issues.”
Salsbury said her aunt had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“She had done routine breast exams herself and had gone to her yearly exams,” Salsbury said.
She said because the tumor was found so quickly, her aunt was able to get it removed with minimum invasive surgery and was completely cured.
“I hope people go because I don’t think many women know how to examine their own breasts,” Salsbury said. “There’s definitely a technique that’s under estimated. You should know exactly what you’re looking for and what it should feel like so you can detect anything.”
“All these programs are a huge example of service learning in general and how students can come together to promote change and awareness,” Sandmeyer said.