Students, faculty and staff at Mississippi State University are “thinking pink” during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Many student groups and organizations on campus are participating in efforts to support the cause.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a global leader in the breast cancer awareness movement. The organization’s members strive to empower women, create a network of survivors and raise money and awareness for a cure for breast cancer.
In late September, the “Komen on the Go” RV was displayed in front of the Colvard Student Union to provide information on ways to get involved, educational materials and a chance to show support for lost loved ones.
Braxton Stowe, graduate assistant with the health and education wellness department, said “Komen on the Go” was an excellent way to get the MSU campus involved with breast cancer awareness. 
“‘Komen on the Go’ has been happening for the past seven years but had never been to the state of Mississippi until now,” Stowe said. “They basically did a tour of Mississippi and came to Mississippi State. I worked alongside Nicole Smylie, and we decided to promote this as a huge breast cancer awareness event,” Stowe said.
Christina Oates, sophomore elementary education major, was one of the volunteers for “Komen on the Go.”
“We worked that day to get students to sign up for more information about ‘Komen on the Go,'” she said.
She said she did not know much about breast cancer at the time but learned about it through a 10-minute video in the RV.
“Even though breast cancer does not run in my family, I realize that I could be at risk,” Oates said.
Breast cancer awareness is the official philanthropy of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. The sorority is organizing different ways to get the campus involved.
Madison Poole, freshman accounting and economics major, is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha.
“Zeta Tau Alpha does ‘Save Lids to Save Lives’ — by saving the pink lids from certain Yoplait yogurt containers and placing them in the boxes located around campus as well as the community; a portion of the money made from them goes to breast cancer awareness,” she said.
Poole said the sorority’s members also hand out pink ribbons to wear to show support for breast cancer, and they hold MSU’s ‘Big Man on Campus’ event to raise money.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancerous death in women, with an estimated 192,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
For more information about breast cancer awareness, symptoms, treatment or the Susan G. Komen foundation, visit komen.org.