Volume 124 Issue 47
kansan.com
Thursday, October 27, 2011
RAISING CONTROVERSY
Helping and hurting
Slogans on breast cancer awareness merchandise garner negative reactions from students
ALEXA RUSH
arush@kansan.com
"Big or small, save them all." "Check your bumps for lumps." "A feel a day keeps the doctor away." All of these are common slogans seen on T-shirts, bracelets and other breast cancer awareness items.
The campus' fashion trend of the month seems to be a plethora of pink clothing and accessories to promote breast cancer awareness, because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although these products are intended to make a statement and educate the public, they are also sparking controversy.
Kaiti Xouris, a junior from
"It might seem creative or humorous, but to those with family who have suffered from breast cancer, and those who suffer themselves, wearing a product that says 'I love boobies' or 'save second base' seems disrespectful and uninformed." Xouris said.
Overland Park, questions whether these bracelets and T-shirts are still a means of support or if they are merely transforming into a fashion statement or icon.
Victor Mallin, a senior from Kansas City, Mo., agrees that these slogans seem degrading to women. Mallin thinks people should focus more on the millions of women who have this cancer, rather than the actual body part itself.
"I think it gets people's attention, but is it really the 'boobies' we care about, or the people that have them?" he said. "I have seen people almost turn breast cancer awareness into a type of pornography to get people's attention."
On the other hand, Danny Dowling, a freshman from Irenea, doesn't see any harm in wearing breast cancer awareness products with slogans that could be viewed in a provocative manner, since they can directly target the male population.
"It's ultimately for a good cause that almost everyone knows someone suffering from," Dowling said. "I mean, it's just pointing out what guys already love."
Although these slogans can be
perceived as having a negative connotation, they can be eye-catching and get people talking about the subject at hand, which is the overall purpose.
"At first the I love boobies' bracelets weired me out, especially because only guys were wearing them. But after awhile, it stopped bothering me and I thought it was funny." Abby Melgren, a freshman from Wichita, said. "Breast cancer research, in my opinion, is by far the most highly advertised and supported, and if using vulgar or inappropriate sayings is how they do it, then I'm all for it."
Maria Smithson, a junior from Overland Park, thinks that actions speak louder than words
and will have more of an effect in the long run.
"It is one thing to raise awareness about a problem by wearing these things, and an entirely different thing to do something about it, like fund-raising and providing information which promote research for a cure," Smithson said.
Undeniably, breast cancer awareness merchandise has been making an impression on those who buy and view them. Whether it's positive or negative attention to the cause, that's for individuals to decide.
Edited by Jennifer DiDonato
CAMPUS
Callers rake in alumni donations
ISAAC GWIN
igwin@kansan.com
Down the winding halls of the KU Endowment headquarters, tucked away in a large back room, rows of students sit in front of computer screens, microphone headsets at the ready, waiting for KU graduates to answer their calls.
"We have found that alumni respond really well to the students," said Emily Vieux, KU Endowment call center manager. "They usually like to share the experiences that they had at KU with the students, and they also like to find out how things have changed on campus."
Vieux said the call center usually brings in about $1.2 million a year.
According to the KU 2010 fiscal year budget, KU Endowment's fundraising efforts provided the University with more than $110.2 million, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the University's total revenue. Of that amount, $26.7 million was allocated in the form of scholarships and $3.2 million as low-interest loans helping to ease the financial burdens of nearly 6,500 students. According to KU Endowment's 2010 Annual Report, the funding was collected through the gifts of 45,192 donors, a new record of involvement for the organization.
Often students who are studying a particular major are assigned to lists of alumni who graduated from the same major.
"It's great talking with alumni that can identify with the stuff that I'm going through," said Connor Ireland, a KU Endowment caller and senior from St. Louis. Mo. "I'm an engineering major, and it feels great when you're talking with someone who does the things that you're hoping to do."
Ireland said he also gets satisfaction from knowing that when someone gives to the engineering department the
SEE CALLERS PAGE 3
LOCAL
Community loses energy-saving competition
BOBBY BURCH
bburch@kansan.com
The city of Manhattan and Kansas State University partnered to win $100,000 by defeating Lawrence and the University of Kansas in a year-long energy conservation contest known as the "Take Charge Challenge."
Greg Beverlin, coordinator of Lawrence's "Take Charge Challenge," said the University's loss to its archival wasn't in vain, as the competition spurred
The football field isn't the only place Kansas State University has outperformed the Jayhawks recently.
"There are so many positive things that were gained," Beverlir said. "The grant would have been iced on the cake, but every single community that actually participated in this — win or lose — they at least gain something."
The statewide energy competition, which had more than 275,000 participants in 16 different cities, divided competitors into four regions. The "University Region" pitted Lawrence and the University of Kansas against Manhattan and Kansas State University.
hundreds of local households to become more energy efficient.
The outcome of the
Despite Lawrence and the University saving the most energy out of all 16 groups, the region's prize money was awarded to Manhattan and Kansas State University based on a per capita measurement. Lawrence and the University won a basketball autographed by Gov. Sam Brownback.
competition was determined by three measurements; energy audits reported by the Kansas Energy Office; energy efficiency "retrofits," such as switching to programmable thermostats and high-efficiency light bulbs; and community involvement and education.
Horn said she was disappointed that Lawrence and the University lost the competition but thought the community's response was remarkable.
Lawrence and the University
"Our cut throat competition really yielded some phenomenal savings," she said. "It was exactly how it should have gone, which is both communities stayed highly engaged and yielded measurable, tangleable energy reductions."
saved enough energy during the competition to power 569 homes for one year, according to Eileen Horn, sustainability coordinator for Douglas County and the city of Lawrence.
Jeff Severin, director of the University's Center for Sustainability, said his organization helped to educate and raise awareness about energy efficiency around campus. He said he hoped to see the challenge return to Kansas next year and is thinking of starting a similar contest at the University.
Edited by Sarah McCabe
"It think it also kind of inspired us to think about ways to have our own local competition," Severin said, "whether that's with K-State in the future or between buildings on campus."
CLASSIFIEDS 13
CROSSWORD 4
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
110. 2 billion BTUs of gas and electricity with an annual value of $2,341,025
22 million kilowatt hours of electricity
IN TOTAL THE COMMUNITIES
OF THE TAKE CHARGE
CHALLENGE SAVED:
19,002 barrels of oil from being imported
SPORTS 14
SUDOKU 4
- 22 million pounds of CO2 emissions from being released
THE STATEWIDE SAVINGS:
(ii) contents; unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
Pick between Harry Potter 7: Part II and Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight. SUA is showing both at 8 p.m. in the Union.
Today's weather
Forcasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast see page 2A.
Hi: 54
L0: 31
Back to the brn
---