Vol. 73 / No. 8
October 25, 2012
www.thejsuflash.com
Breast cancer awareness promoted at JSU Diamond Jenkins Associate Editor From the pink water in the fountains in front of the H.T. Sampson Library to a “Pretty in Pink” seminar held in Campbell College South residence hall, a number of activities at Jackson State University have focused attention on October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Other awareness events included an annual conference presented by a breast cancer survivor, a collection of bras to be donated to a local breast cancer charity, and members of the JSU Queen’s Court providing information bags and going door to door in the freshman residence hall. According to the United Nations World Health Organization, approximately 500,000 people worldwide die
from breast cancer every year. Odessa Hawkins, an 8-year breast cancer survivor and a nurse practitioner at the JSU Student Health Center who led the recent seminar, advised that women should begin getting mammograms at age 40 once every three years. Women over the age of 40 and women with a history of breast cancer in their family should be checked every year. She spent time explaining in detail how women should do a breast self-exam, and urged the young women to tell their doctor if they feel anything outside of the ordinary. To reinforce her point, Hawkins also had a breast model display set up with three different sizes of breast tissues where students were able to give breast exams to detect any lumps within the breast. One of the major reasons self-breast exams are so
important may have to do with the fact that approximately 40 percent of women who undergo screening, a disproportionate number of which are black, have dense breasts, experts say. In contrast with less-dense breasts, which have a high amount of fatty tissue, dense breasts have a high amount of connective and glandular, or fibroglandular, tissue that appears as solid white areas on a mammogram, just as tumors do. “Women should have their mammograms done along with doing their self-breast exams because mammograms along with a trained hand can detect a tiny lump easier and can start treatment earlier if the lump is cancerous to beat breast cancer,” stated Hawkins. Breast Cancer, Cont. on pg.5
Photo: Robin Jackson
Students receiving informational bags in McAllister-Whiteside lobby.
Breast Cancer Fact #1: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of death among women (lung cancer is first).
Jackson State to celebrate its 135th Founders’ Day
Dr. Earlexia M. Norwood Special to the Flash
INSIDE
Calvin Harris, a sophomore music education major from Jackson, Miss., summed it up this way: “I believe that
David Banner Founders’ Day is important because students get to learn about some of the history of our university. It’s a big deal to attend the 135th Founders’ Day.”
Terry L. Woodard Jackson State University will celebrate its history during the 135th Founders’ Day celebration, “One JSU: Honoring the Past, Embracing the Present, Creating the
JSU Events & Weather .......................................................... 2 Opinion .................................................................................... 3 News ......................................................................................... 4 Variety ...................................................................................... 7
Future,””beginning at 10 a.m. today on the Gibbs-Green Pedestrian Walkway followed by a bell ringing ceremony at the front entrance of Ayer Hall. Earlexia M. Norwood, MD, is a 1984 graduate of JSU and the physician-in-charge at the Henry Ford Medical Center in Troy, Mich., is the keynote speaker for the Founders’ Day Convocation. Dr. Norwood also serves on the HFMG Board of Directors as well as the Northeast Division Head of Family Medicine. She is acting chairman for the “Your Journey to Wellness” program and the medical chair for “Troy Daze”, Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence and “Troy Hoops. Later today, David Banner, a Jackson native, hip-hop artist and community activist, will speak at the Hip-Hop Series, a provocative, town hall style gathering that will challenge students to examine the ways the Obama Era
has impacted discussions of race and gender in America. The event, hosted by journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana, will take place at 6 p.m. in the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium. On Friday, Oct. 26, Terry Woodard, president of the JSU National Alumni Association, will be the keynote speaker for the Founders’ Day Banquet, at 7 p.m. in the JSU Student Center, Grand Ballroom. Woodard, a 1988 alum, is a life member of the JSUNAA. He was selected by the JSUNAA as the Alumnus of the Year in 2005, was chairman of 5th Biennial Alumni Conference, and has served on various committees, including Constitution and By-Laws, Budget, and Membership. Founders’ Day , Cont. on pg.5
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• OPINION- Empower and support a breast cancer survivor • SPORTS- Olympian Michael Tinsley returns to JSU