Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among African American women, and the Iota Sigma chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sought to bring awareness to their sisters in hopes that the numbers will decrease in the future.

For the month of October, AKA has made it its mission to support women through its OctobHER campaign. On Monday, Oct. 22, they held their “All About the Boobs” event in Whitehall Classroom Building.

The full crowd that attended was lively, fun, eager to learn and (mostly) wearing pink. The sisters who were hosting the event started the night off by handing out pink and green construction paper, where they encouraged attendants to write a note of hope or inspiration. The focus then shifted to a comprehensive presentation about the very real problem of breast cancer among women.

From defining what cancer is to identifying specific risk factors and prevention methods for breast cancer at all stages, the presentation included all the information that a woman could need to know in order to help herself and the women she cares about. The atmosphere remained friendly, open and conversational, and every woman in the crowd was encouraged to give her input on the topics discussed.

To keep the audience engaged and attentive, the coordinators of the presentation noted that there would be a bingo competition after the presentation, and the information that was being presented would be what the questions were about. There were several prizes promised to the winners of the bingo, including candy, and with each round a new winner was announced. Wanting to mix each round up, the presenters changed the style of bingo from traditional to four corners and back.

Keyana Washington, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha and one of the main hosts of the event, emphasized the importance of the interactive nature of the event.

“This week is all about women, and today we really wanted to focus on the importance of breast cancer awareness amongst college-aged women,” Washington said. “After a few rounds of the bingo game, I think the information really stuck with the girls and helped us get our message across.”

The attendants of the event agreed that the message was effectively delivered through both the comprehensive presentation and the interactive game at the end. Sydney Wade, a sophomore not in the sorority, gained very important takeaways from the event.

“I think it’s been really good exposure for all of us to learn about breast cancer,” Wade said. “It’s there, and we know it’s there, but it’s hard to realize just how serious it is in the world today.”

AKA will hold another OctobHER event addressing the issue of domestic violence later this week.