Students pose for a photo in the Curris Center Rocking Chair Lounge at Tuesday’s Stache Bash. The photo was shared on social media to raise awareness for breast cancer.
(WITH VIDEO) – The Curris Center Rocking Chair Lounge was bursting with all things pink Tuesday.
Rubber bracelets, stress balls and fuzzy pink mustaches were dispersed to students willing to snap a photo of themselves sporting the trendy pink facial accessories.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To raise support and awareness for breast cancer and research, the Murray State Women’s Center hosted Stache Bash.
More than 70 students and faculty members of different genders, ages and interests tried on pink mustaches and posed for a picture that was later shared on social media to raise awareness of breast cancer and show support for its survivors.
Following last fall’s Paint Me Pink event, the Women’s Center implemented a new strategy to spread the word about the event with those who participated, as well as those who did not.
Kelly Herrenbruck, graduate assistant for the Women’s Center, said that the use of social media was the vital element of Stache Bash and its success.
“We are using social media as a key to raise awareness,” Herrenbruck said. “Everyone who came and wore a pink mustache was allowed to tweet their photos.”
Students’ pictures highlighted the event and were shared on Twitter as well as Facebook and Instagram using #stachebash.
Herrenbruck said that the Women’s Center wanted to implement new and different ways to show support for breast cancer research. She said since mustaches are a pop culture icon and pink is the color of breast cancer awareness, the event would promote awareness through the photos.
Though Mary Jensen, senior from Mattoon, Ill., does not have a family member affected by breast cancer, Jensen said she had friends and classmates with family members that have been diagnosed with it. Jensen said this event was a fun way to get students involved.
“It is breast cancer awareness month so it’s good to show support for the cause,” Jensen said. “It was good that they had information about being tested for breast cancer.”
Although breast cancer is not prevalent among college-age students, it is not rare. Students were able to obtain information from pamphlets and fliers including statistics on breast cancer as well as steps to take to better prevent and detect the disease.
Not only did students leave with more information about mammograms, self-examinations and early detection methods, they also left with powerful messages etched into rubber bracelets. The bracelets used words including strength, hope, faith and save second base, to further the event’s effect outside of the Curris Center.
The Women’s Center received donations from some students and faculty members who stopped by the event. These donations will be used for breast cancer research.
However, awareness and support were the two main goals of the event, which is part of the annual campaigns sponsored by the Women’s Center.
Because of the success with Paint Me Pink last year, the Women’s Center is considering re-installing the event next year. Last year, nail artists from local salons painted students’ nails pink for breast cancer awareness. Unexpectedly, several men as well as women, chose to paint their nails for the cause.
The Women’s Center considered the event successful because of the high interest and participation but has not made a definitive decision if the event will return next year.
If students would like to view photos from the Stache Bash, they can search social media using #stachebash.
Story by Tiffany Whitfill, Staff writer
Video produced by Cameron Witte