In response to Tuesday’s Diversion section article on Breast Cancer Awareness, I cringed. The thought that we are reducing breast cancer patients merely to “boobs” is gut-wrenching. Shirts sported across campus such as “Save the Boobies” and “Save 2nd Base” cheapens the heart-ache that millions of men and women experience due to this killer. The shirts reduce a life-threatening disease to mild vulgarities and immature humor. Is this how we want to show these women our support? Breast cancer patients and survivors are so much more than “boobs.” They are courageous, strong and beautiful women fighting for the very thing that they gave us – life. There has got to be a better way to go about raising money for breast cancer awareness and breast cancer research. There have got to means that justify the ends. I think that Illinois students should challenge themselves to exploring the lives affected by cancer and where these people derive hope and vitality. I think we should put these findings on shirts and inspire rather than using language that objectifies women and utilizes lame humor. The article says these students take breast cancer seriously and I do not doubt that. My question is . what do they think of the women?

Lauren Noone

Senior in Advertising