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Students run group to fight brain tumors

BY MELODY BIRKETT

Tribune Contributor

The statistics are alarming. Within the next 12 months, over 200,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.

Brain tumors are now the leading cause of solid tumor cancer deaths in children through high-school age and the secondleading cause of cancer deaths in young adults ages 20 to 39.

Even benign brain tumors. Due to their location, they are difficult to treat and often severely compromise the quality of life. The cure rate for most brain tumors is significantly lower than that for most other types of cancer.

Amid these gloomy statistics, a nonprofit was started in Arizona in 2002 to raise funds for brain tumor research.

It was founded shortly after three students from the Paradise Valley School District were diagnosed with brain tumors and ultimately died. Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research is the largest stuBrie Dragonattie, assistant principal of Notre Dame Preparatory, is flanked by Radia Wong, left, and Lillian Mueller, a member of the student-run nonprofit Students Supporting Brain

Tumor Research. (Special to the Tribune)

dent-run non-profit in Arizona. So far, it has raised over $3.7 million.

The organization provides opportunities for students to work with managers of large companies, do media interviews, talk with researchers and observe live brain surgery.

Ayush Kothari, who just graduated from BASIS Mesa and is the current co-chair for SSBTR, already has plans to extend the organization’s reach to other states.

He joined the group three years ago, explaining that it was disturbing enough “to hear about statistics and what demographics brain tumors affect and how they disproportionately impact the youth population.”

But when Ayush talked to a survivor, he decided to join SSBTR and applied to become an ambassador.

“Having that connection with the person who was a survivor and hearing about their journey, the emotions, brought an incredibly personal touch which statistics themselves weren’t able to provide,” Ayush said. “Just hearing that story is what made me want to become involved in the organization.”

seeTUMORS page 18

Mesa band pilots through local music scene

BY ALEX GALLAGHER

Tribune Staff Writer

Marcus Reardon had been studying sports journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and living in a dorm at Taylor Place in downtown Phoenix when he had a conversation that changed his life.

“I remember there was a very pivotal conversation I had with someone on my floor where I asked him ‘what kind of music do you listen to?’ ‘I don’t listen to music … I’m a sports guy,” the Mesa man recalled. “I realized very quickly that the people at the top of the sports journalism world are people who literally wake up in the morning and their first thought is sports and I’ve just never thought like that.”

Instead, something else was at the forefront of Reardon’s mind at every waking moment of the day: Music.

Mesa-based rap-rock group This Modern consists of guitarist Tre Scott, programs and vocalist Timo Willsey, vocalist Marcus Reardon and drummer Sean Whiteman. (Amar Camisi/

submitted photo)

As students were rehearsing scripts or watching sports religiously, Reardon confined himself to his dorm to make beats and hone his craft as a rapper.

After graduating from in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism, Reardon began chasing his passion for music.

Through the connection of his cousin Thomas, he met Tim “Timo” Willsey — who graduated from ASU in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in sustainable energy, materials and technology — and Sean Whiteman — an alumnus of Mesa Community College.

Willsey and Whiteman had been veterans of the local metal scene and were looking to start a new project that Reardon’s vocal style suited.

“I wanted to make a change,” Whiteman said. “I was ready to get away from metal music and like really heavy stuff. I

Ayush recently talked to a doctor researching Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a fatal condition in children with a zero survival rate.

“It’s not curable,” he explained. “Current treatments improve quality of life but they can’t extend life itself. It’s an incredibly complex disease but we’re making steps to combatting it and creating a treatment plan that can help these children recover. And being able to help contribute towards that is very fulfilling.”

He said the organization has two main goals.

“One is increasing awareness about brain tumors and the second is raising funds,” Kothari explained. “To accomplish these two goals, first, we get researchers to talk with us. We hear directly from researchers and they can talk to us about different areas they’re working with and what research is being done with the funds that SSBTR has provided.

“We hear cutting-edge research from phenomenal institutes like Barrow Neurological Institute, T-Gen, the National Brain Tumor Society, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and University of Arizona Medical Research,” he continued.

“From these different areas, we can see what SSBTR’s tangible impact is. That helps increase awareness among the people we’re reaching out to.” He noted that 93% of every dollar raised goes directly to these institutions to fund brain tumor research.

“Second, for raising funds, we have ambassadors conducting their own fundraisers where they have their own events to increase awareness and response,” Kothari said. “At a “cur-a-thon” event earlier this year at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, the group raised $22,000. Radia Wong, a newly minted Notre Dame Preparatory graduate, has been involved in SSBTR since her freshman year and is also a student cochair. “We help lead the meetings and we organize our fundraisers so that we can help raise money for SSBTR to donate to brain tumor research organizations,” she said. She knows a lot of people at SSBTR who’ve been impacted by brain tumors and said, “I’ve met a lot of these wonderful people who have lost their children, brothers or sisters to brain tumors.”

Radia is also an advocate for the National Brain Tumor Society, talking and lobbying congressional representatives and

THIS MODERN from page 17

was looking for something new with some that hadn’t been completely explored yet and I figured the best way if I’m going to hit that route is at least start with a rapper, get him to learn how to sing and then go from there.”

The band got to work with Reardon handling the vocals, Willsey producing backing vocals and programming, Whiteman serving as the group’s stickman and Tre Scott shredding the strings.

The Mesa-based band recorded and toured under several names beginning in 2016 including “Without Feeling Weird” and “Project Marcus” before settling on This Modern in late 2018 — a name that Willsey feels encapsulates the band’s variety of sounds juggled within its tracks.

“Based on our style of music, it’s very rap rock-infused fusion,” Willsey said. “We have no genre limits to do whatever we want and it sounds modern.”

The band’s recent single “Everyone’s Miserable”, which hit the airwaves in April and addresses contemporary topics, exuded just that.

“Everyone’s miserable is really a song of the times,” Reardon said. “You turn on the news, misery, you turn on the radio, misery, and it seems like everyone’s miserable. Whether it’s financially or otherwise, everyone’s struggling. The economy’s crazy, there’s war, a pandemic and everyone is miserable.”

Despite the depressing nomenclature of the track’s lyrics, it offers an upbeat musical score that overwhelms the somber lyrics and provides hope for the listers.

“The instrumentation is an interesting dichotomy that makes you feel good,” Reardon said. “I wanted to make you smile and almost giggle at the fact that everyone is kind of miserable.”

Because of this, Reardon reiterates that the song is a glimmer of hope despite being a song about a somber time in history.

“It’s not a song intended to make you write sad or down about your state of the world,” Reardon said. “It’s actually the opposite. It’s a glimmer of hope.”

Reardon, and co. plan to perform “Everyone’s Miserable” along with other tracks in their discography when they take the stage at Pub Rock in Scottsdale in support of the Phoenix-based rap-metal group Dropout Kings. 

BASIS Mesa Class of 2022 member Ayush Kothari co-chairs the student-run nonprofit. (Special to the Tribune) THE MESA TRIBUNE | JUNE 12, 2022 senators and their offices.

“I also try working with other volunteers who are doctors and relatives of people who’ve passed away from brain tumors. We’re all working together to try and persuade the congressional officials to help pass legislation to increase funding for brain tumor research and also to help patients and caregivers.”

As she heads off to college, Radia wants to continue with the organization.

“SSBTR helped me develop my interests in the brain and how humans think,” adding she’s considering a career in brain research.

“My advice to others thinking of joining is SSBTR is it’s a wonderful cause where volunteers, students and adults, are passionate and inspired to make a difference to help improve patient’s lives,” she said.

“We are a team working through establishing and bringing together everyone’s different ideas and strengths to create these wonderful events.”

She said the group is expanding this year, starting at lower grade levels such as elementary and middle school and going into universities.

“We’re a growing organization and we’d love for other people to get involved,” added Ayush. “And the more people that are involved the closer we get to finding a cure.”

Information: ssbtr.org or admin@ss-

btr.org 

If You Go...

Who: Dropout Kings with This Modern, Optimystical and HandsxFeet Where: Pub Rock Scottsdale, 8005 E. Roosevelt St. When: 6 p.m. Sunday, June 19 Cost: $15 Info: Thismdrn.com

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Ob uaries

480-898-6465 • obits@TimesLocalMedia.com Deadline: Wednesday by 5pm for Sunday

Roy Everett Harris

Harris 89, a M e s a " S n o w Bird" since 1996 and a permanent resident since 2003, died in Mesa, Arizona, o n M a y 1 8 , 2022. Mr Harris was born in a remote ranch house near Ewan, Washington, in 1932. He graduated from Whitman College, Walla Walla, and the University of Washington Law School. He practiced Law in Anchorage, Alaska, from 1958 until 1995. He was preceded in death by three wives: Sally Maxon Harris (married 3 years) who passed away in 2021; Marie Schembre Harris (married 35 years) who passed away in 1998; and Susan Shaw Harris (married 12 years) who passed away in 2015.

Here in the Valley, he sang with the Phoenix Symphony Chorus and with the ASU Choral Union. He served as narrator for Christmas concerts with the Phoenix Symphony. He appeared on stage with Theater Works in Peoria as Vandergelder in "Hello, Dolly!" and as the Stage Manager in "Our Town" at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Mesa, where he was a choir member, lay reader and vestry member, and where he met Susan Shaw.

He is survived by his sister, Mary (Harris Crane) Cowan of Coupeville, Washington; and his three children, Daniel Harris (wife Trudy) of Spokane, Washington; John Harris (wife Robyn) of Cedar City, Utah; and Margo Schembre (husband Mike Dederian) of Portland, Oregon. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and Susan's children and grandchildren.

Deadline for obituaries is Wednesday at 5pm for Sunday. All obituaries will be approved by our staff prior to being activated. Be aware there may be early deadlines around holidays. Call 480-898-6465 Mon-Fri 8:30-5 if you have questions. Visit: obituaries.TimesLocalMedia.com

Jack Richard Alexander

Jack Richard Alexander, Ph.D. of Chandler, Arizona passed peacefully on Saturday May 7, 2022. He fell victim to Pulmonary Fibrosis and his own stubbornness. He just waited too long to seek medical help.

He was born in Santa Ana, California on February 5, 1944. He was the only son of Gerald and June Alexander. He had an active youth, became an Eagle Scout, and got his pilot’s license at 17 years of age. He loved working in machinery and after a few years as a machinist, he became a hot rod driver. A great part of his life was dedicated to pursuing his passion. In his late 20s he became a successful real estate broker in Orange County. In the early 80s he earned his PhD in business administration.

His true genius was being a pilot for several companies. He was a Chief Pilot for Skywest Airlines and worked until retirement as a jet captain. After retirement, he worked for a few years in Kona, Hawaii as a broker/office manager for a real estate firm.

He enjoyed watching drag racing as well as being crew on Randy Bradford’s racing team out of Washington State. He also, in younger days, was an avid scuba diver, mostly off the big island of Hawaii, exotic dive sites traveler, a Mason and a member of QBs. He was a baritone in the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Kona, Hawaii.

Members of his family include his wife of 31 years, Francine Alexander, his three adult children: Steven Alexander of Chandler AZ, Karen Alexander of Highland CA and Kimberly (Ryan) Dempsey of Middleburg VA. He has two grandchildren in Southern California: Jake McManus and Kristina Alexander.

Jack’s cremation has taken place and his service will be held at the Masonic Lodge in downtown Chandler on June 18, 2022.