The Saint Mary's Health and Wellness Department is promoting breast cancer awareness this month at a booth in the Student Center atrium.
"Girls here need to realize that [breast cancer] can happen to them," said Cathe DeCleene, director of Women's Health at Saint Mary's College. "It doesn't just happen to old women."
In honor of National Breast Cancer Month, The American Cancer society is hosting a "Making Strides against Breast Cancer Walk" Oct. 10 at Howard Park in South Bend.
At the booth, students can sign up for the "Belle Brigade," the team representing Saint Mary's.
Registration is free and students can also sign up online at www.cancer.org/stridesonline. Donations will be accepted at the booth, online or at the walk.
Over 30 students have already registered for the walk.
The booth also offers pamphlets to students about mammograms and self-breast exams.
DeCleene said students should also inquire about their family's history with the disease, because this could indicate a higher risk factor of having breast cancer.
"In general, [student's bodies] are changing as they mature. Students should practice good health habits and be aware of the changes and abnormalities," she said.
In addition to promoting the walk and raising awareness, the booth is also selling pink rubber ducks to place around the banister of the atrium. There is no fixed price, but most students donate a dollar.
Students may dedicate the ducks to a person they know who has struggled with breast cancer, or simply buy one in support of breast cancer awareness. All proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
Besides the booth, Saint Mary's is raising awareness about breast cancer in other ways.
The Saint Mary's volleyball team sponsored "Dig for the Cure," a charity event that raises money for The Susan G. Comen Foundation Tuesday. The event took place in Angela Athletic Facility in the team's game against Calvin College.
Participants donated a flat rate, or offered a fixed donation for every dig the team made. The gym was decorated with pink slips written in memory or honor of cancer victims, and the team sold pink shirts at lunch on Tuesday in order to raise additional funds.
The shirts will be on sale in the bookstore until the end of October.
DeCleene said many Resident Advisors are also helping to raise awareness by organizing events for their sections that educate students about breast cancer prevention.
Pamphlets explaining how to conduct a monthly breast self-examination were also hung in showers throughout the campus.
