To kick off this Valentine's Day weekend, Penn women - and a few men - sipped cocktails and nibbled pastries in support of breast cancer research.
As part of Women's Week, the Chesed Committee of the Orthodox Community at Penn hosted an event called "Pink Dessert."
Those who attended enjoyed a large display of pink-themed desserts, from lace cookies with pink ribbons to pink M&M;'s. The treats were served on tables covered with napkins, balloons and other decorations - all pink.
Liora Pollick, College junior and chairwoman of the Chesed Committee, explained that "the idea was born out of the concept of a fun night with a purpose."
The event included two speeches, one by Lori Marcus, a breast-cancer survivor, and another by Jackie Powers, a genetic counselor at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center.
Marcus spoke about her nine-year experience fighting breast cancer, which concluded with her eventual triumph in 1993.
Her talk focused on prevention of the disease. She recommended annual checkups, monthly self-checks and follow-ups for every woman, regardless of her family history.
College senior and former Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Emily Garrett said she was affected by the talk and will start looking into getting breast exams because of her family's history with breast cancer.
"A number of women came up to me and said they were really frightened" of the potential consequences of not getting tested, Marcus said.
Powers discussed the statistics of the disease. She informed students that one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer and that it is the second leading cause of mortality among women between the ages of 20 and 59. Fortunately, she added that the disease is curable if caught early.
College sophomore and one of the event planners Lini Stern declared the event a success. She said the Chesed Committee "intends to do more work with Women's Week in the years to come."
The Chesed Committee is devoted to the breast-cancer cause and also hosts the annual "Manicure for the Cure," said Pollick. She added that the Committee is involved in promoting this issue because "everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer."
The event was co-sponsored by Penn Consortium of Undergraduate Women, Jewish Learning Initiative, the Panhellenic Council, Student Nurses at Penn and the Society of Women Engineers.
