LIFE&ARTS
Mar. 1, 2021 | The Mercury
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Stick(er)ing up for cancer research
UTD student raises awareness for breast cancer with animal art SMRITHI UPADHYAYULA Mercury Staff
BRITTANY THU-ANH HUYNH | COURTESY
Students should be cauttious if they have small pets, but the bocats’ presence is a net-good in terms of keeping the populations of other species under control.
The bobcat’s out of the bag Sustainability projects, low student traffic brings wildlife to campus LAUREN DOUGHERTY Mercury Staff
Two bobcats were spotted on campus in January, thought to be due in part to decreased traffic on campus and the biodiversity efforts of the Office of Sustainability. According to a photo posted on the Facilities & Economic Development website on Jan. 14, an adult bobcat and its kitten were seen in the middle of the day near a storm drainpipe. Gary Cocke, director of energy conservation and sustainability, said that the photo was taken along the creek near the UV housing north of Franklyn Jenifer Drive. “What I think (the photo) is indicative of is just simply with lower traffic from people on campus, we’re seeing some wildlife poking up in locations that we haven’t normally seen,” Cocke said. While the presence of bobcats is likely caused by a quieter campus, Cocke said, it’s also the result of an environment that can support the native species. Sustainability efforts such as the monarch butterfly waystations on campus help create a healthy base for the ecosystem, which ultimately allows the presence of predators at the top of the food chain, like bobcats. “Ecosystems really do require apex predators like bobcats that can help to keep everything in balance; they control the animals that are lower than them on the trophic ladder,” Cocke said. “I thought it was a testament to the good work that our university does.”
In recent years, Cocke said, the Office of Sustainability has launched a number of initiatives designed to increase biodiversity on campus. Many of the campus’ 7,000 trees have been planted in the last decade, and they’ve planted wildflower seeds on five acres of campus in the last few months. “When you have the right native plants in the ground, that means that we’re going to have the right native pollinators, and then that ripples up through the ecosystem,” Cocke said. A multi-year Texas Parks and Wildlife study published in 2019 found that despite rapid urbanization and loss of habitat, a larger-than-expected bobcat population in North Texas persisted. The research focused on a 78 km2 central section of the DFW area, which was selected due to a relatively high volume of bobcat sightings in the area. At the time of the study, an estimated 43 bobcats lived in the section. “A robust population of bobcats in the heart of a dense metropolitan area like DFW provides optimistic possibilities for the potential of bobcats and other carnivores to thrive in urban landscapes with minimal conflict,” the study said. There have been other bobcat sightings on campus in recent months: according to a post on the UTD subreddit by user u/Deanuna on Nov. 27, a single bobcat was spotted between the Johnson and Green buildings.
SEE BOBCAT, PAGE 16
Photo caption online: Raicu said her lifelong passion for art helped fuel the process of starting her business, in addition to her past experience in breast cancer research. Photo caption in print: Raicu chinchillin’ with her artwork (and pet, Willow) Combining the classic pink ribbon with her whimsical drawing style, a neuroscience and healthcare studies freshman is now selling her art to raise money for breast cancer research. Izzy Raicu’s interest in breast cancer began with a high school research internship. “In 10th grade, I got paired with a research lab at UT Southwestern, and I did breast cancer research there for the next couple of years,” Raicu said. “I also got to shadow and actually interact with patients, so it wasn’t only bench research. That really got me into understanding the breast cancer community and the challenges that everyone faces when they go through having breast cancer.” Unable to spend last summer in her lab due to the pandemic, Raicu found another way to pursue her goal of aiding breast cancer research. “I couldn’t work in my lab because it was shut down to anyone who wasn’t faculty or a postdoc employee, so I was just sitting at home,” Raicu said. “I kind of had this idea to keep contributing to the breast cancer community through fundraising.” Raicu opened an Etsy shop selling a variety of stationery and gift items from vinyl stickers and sticker sheets to greeting cards for birthdays and holidays. All of her products feature original drawings that incorporate the pink ribbon, a well-known symbol of breast cancer awareness. Hence the name of her company: Pink Ribbon Parcels. She said her lifelong passion for art helped fuel the process of starting her business. “My grandma was an art teacher; she taught high school art back in the day,” Raicu said. “She taught me to paint, honestly, before I could even write, so I’ve always had art as a hobby, as something that helped me express things in a different way.” Many of Raicu’s products star cartoon bunnies inspired by her pet rabbits, Scotch and Marbles. Her sister’s chinchilla, Willow, has also made a guest appearance. She said she hopes her cheerful designs deliver a message of positivity to those who really need it. “I wanted something that would be aesthetically pleasing and something that people would enjoy,”
Raicu said. “I think animals bring a lot of joy to people and are just universally liked. The traditional, normal ribbon – we’ve seen that a hundred times, you know? An animal holding the ribbon still carries that message of pink and support but with a different twist so that people can get something that not only supports breast cancer but is also cute in general.” In the future, she hopes to launch care packages directly aimed toward breast cancer patients. “(The packages) are going to have a support pillow, a mask, some adult coloring pages, stickers of course – things like that,” Raicu said. “Just some cute knick-knacks so they can take their mind off of what they’re going through and feel a little bit more happy and supported.” Raicu uses her website and Facebook page to raise awareness about breast cancer as well as the necessity of properly caring for animals like her rabbits. She said she hopes her shop helps foster a community that is educated about breast cancer and supportive of those fighting the disease. “It’s been a challenge, launching a business during a pandemic with no business background,” Raicu said. “There’s so much I have to learn, but it’s been a great journey so far.”
ISABELLA RAICU | COURTESY.
Raicu chinchillin’ with Scotch and Marbles.
