The ladies of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and The American Cancer Society hosted A Night Out for Breast Cancer on Tuesday in Lee Hall.
This event was designed to inform the student body of the effects of this life-threatening disease.
“Four elements are essential to the survival of cancer patients and their families,” said Sheltoine Seymore, a 23-year-old graduating business administration student who serves as the chairwoman of the sorority’s projects committee.
The four elements to which Seymore referred were faith, courage, beauty and love, the Atlanta native said. The program was broken into four presentations to reiterate each element.To display faith, Sasha Wright opened the program with the gospel song “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.” The song was followed by a video from the American Cancer Society. The video included testimonies from cancer survivors.
The element of courage was displayed in a poem performed by Black On Black Rhyme’s Maura McCasted, whose grandmother is a cancer survivor.
The models of Epicurean Fashion Experience showed the element of beauty by walking across the stage of Lee Hall auditorium in pink and black. After the modeling portion of the show, the Deltas presented Shanalee Gallimore, a sophomore biology student from West Palm Beach with the LaWanda Renee Henry Book Scholarship.
Seymore said the motivation for the scholarship came from LaWanda Henry who crossed Delta in the spring of 1992. Unfortunately, Henry, who was diagnosed with cancer, did not survive.
The scholarship was open to all students. Male contestants were asked to write an essay on the importance of prostate cancer awareness and how it affects the black community. Female contestants were asked to write about the same thing, but they were told to write about use breast cancer instead of prostate cancer.
Gallimore was awarded $200 for her essay about her father’s battle with prostate cancer. Visibly emotional, Gillmore stumbled over her essay. The essay stressed bringing awareness to the forefront. As the essay concluded, she emphasized “It may be too late for my father, but not too late for someone else.”
As those in attendance took their seats after giving Seymore a standing ovation, the element of love was introduced with First Corinthians 13:4-6.
Preston Lucas closed the program with his rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky.” As he played the piano and displayed his vocal skills, the audience yelled in agreement to the tune.
Irene O. Aihie, 24, a senior health management student from Miami, said the objective of the program was to “entertain and inform at the same time.”
Aihie said the age of students being diagnosed with cancer gets younger every day.
“Students feel they don’t need to get checked annually,” Aihie said. Aihie, who is one of the coordinators of the event, said the goal of the program was to inform the entire student body, not just women.
“I didn’t know too much. (The program) greatly informed me,” said one of the few men in attendance.
At the end of the event, members of Relay for Life and the Student Government Association stood in front of the steps of Lee Hall selling Yoplait yogurt for one dollar. “We just want the lid,” said one of the females selling the yogurt. For every lid collected from a Yoplait yogurt container, money will be donated for cancer research.