The Beacon - Issue 23 - April 11, 2013

Page 1

The Vol. 114, Issue 23

BEACON THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

News

3

ASUP passes resolutions urging change to Nondiscrimination Policy, an Office of Inclusion

Going bald for a cause UP student Erin Marshall shaves her head to support cancer research

Living

8

Professors balance teaching students and raising their kids

Thursday April 11, 2013 www.upbeacon.net

Redefine Purple Pride gives Beauchamp ultimatum

Movement demands response to questions about Nondiscrimination Policy Sports

Philip Ellefson Staff Writer ellefson15@up.edu

15

UP recruits eight new women’s soccer players

Kelsey Thomas Staff Writer thomask15@up.edu

Online Check out more photos from last week’s baseball game

From left to right: Freshman Erin Marshall and her friends Melinda Marchiano and Andrea Stoneman shaved their heads at an event supporting children’s cancer research. Marchiano, Marshall’s childhood friend, had cancer at age 13. W.C. Lawson Staff Writer lawson14@up.edu

Opinions

12

Beacon writer takes on the hypocrisy of sexiness

Weather Thursday

56/44 Friday

58/40 Saturday

52/42 Sunday

52/38

Photo courtesy of Erin Marshall

Sophomore Erin Marshall knows what it’s like to watch someone suffer from cancer. She’s watched a childhood friend fight devestating disease, and she’s helped children with cancer at a hospital, some who won’t make it to adulthood. Now, Marshall is committed to raising money for cancer research, even if it means drastically changing her hair style. Marshall recently shaved her head to raise more than $1,000 for cancer research. “Cancer is something that touches everyone,” Erin said. “I want to do what I can to help spread the word.” On March 30, Marshall raised about $1,200 at the St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving event in Oakland, Calif. St. Baldrick’s raises more money for children’s cancer research than any other organization in the country. Marshall has dedicated over half her life to supporting the fight against cancer and raised over $8,000 in 12 years of involvement with Relay for Life. For this year’s Relay, she is on the “Mehling Fights Cancer” team and also is on the Relay for Life Committee. Marshall particularly wants to raise awareness and support for the fight against children’s cancers. One of Marshall’s childhood friends was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 13. As a survivor who now attends Pepperdine University, she joined Marshall in Oakland to shave her

head. “She had to go bald because of cancer once before,” Marshall said. “But this time, her head was shaved by choice.”

“Cancer is something that touches everyone. I want to do what I can to help spread the word.”

Erin Marshall sophomore

Marshall realized her passion for children’s cancer research when she volunteered at the St. Jude children’s hospital in Memphis, Tenn. in summer 2011. One child she worked with passed away last September. “No one expects their child to pass away from cancer,” Marshall said. “Relay For Life is a great organization, but it only focuses on adult cancers. I want to lean more towards helping children.” Marshall thinks many people in the medical field don’t focus on searching for cancer when children are reported to be ill, like they do for adults. Marshall said by the time kids are diagnosed, the problem becomes exasperated because the treatments can cause secondary cancer. “People don’t realize childhood cancer is underfunded. The problem is not enough people think childhood cancer research is profitable because there are less kids diagnosed with cancer than adults,” Marshall said. “To me, any child diagnosed with cancer is one too many.” Marshall’s friend, freshman

Zarah Gaeta, said it is impressive that Marshall was willing to shave her head. “It speaks all about her character,” Gaeta said. “She is really inspirational. A lot of people are amazed and proud of her.” Marshall chose to come to UP for its prominent nursing program. She wants to continue working with kids and hopes to work as a pediatric oncologist. Even though Marshall admits cutting all of her hair off was a little nerve-wracking, she said, overall, it has been a very positive experience. “Here at UP I’ve received nothing but support,” Marshall said. “I’d love to attend more St. Baldrick’s events and even get a team to shave their heads with me.”

Get involved! - Check out Erin Marshall’s page to donate to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund childhood cancer research: www.stbaldricks. org/participants/ ErinMarshall - Relay for Life: April 19 at 5:00 p.m. in the Chiles Center. Sign up at relayforlife.org/ upor

Members of the Redefine Purple Pride movement have created a video and drafted a letter to University President Fr. Bill Beauchamp asking for a response to their continued requests for a transparent conversation about the absence of sexual orientation and gender identity in the Nondiscrimination Policy. The group said they plan to protest on campus a second time if they do not hear a response by Friday, but they would not say what time the demonstration would be.

“If we haven’t heard anything [by Friday], we’ll make plans to do something again that shows that just because we’re being ignored doesn’t mean we’re going to shut up.” Matthew Gadbois sophomore Laurie Kelley, associate vice president of University Relations and chief marketing officer, said the administration had started working on a response before seeing the video. A letter from Beauchamp to the University community regarding Redefine Purple Pride appears in today’s issue of The Beacon. See VIDEO, page 4


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