September’s passing has ushered in the brilliance of Madison’s autumnal foliage. With it, of course, stumble in the drunken ghouls of State Street, an unseasonable stretch of warm weather, and enough pink ribbons to satisfy all of Madison’s tree-leaf requirements. With the ribbons come murmurs of pink fatigue. How could such a deservedly powerful symbol elicit complaints?

The pastel loop marks the commencement of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Following suit with the rest of the country, the Grainger School of Business went “pink” this past week, thrusting one of America’s fiercest epidemics into the limelight. Exhorting students to recognize the devastation of this disease is admirable, but does “raising awareness” actually eradicate breast cancer? The language itself, “awareness,” does not denote dynamic movement. Many activists believe the emblematic “pinkness” of awareness leads us off the true battleground where breast cancer can be directly tackled.

Activism must now switch gears from awareness and toward prevention and a cure. It should be geared toward rooting out causes of the disease. It should answer the question: Why has a woman’s likelihood of getting breast cancer skyrocketed to one in eight from  one in twenty only 50 years ago? Rather than addressing these questions, pink ribbon activities continue to finance already overfunded detection programs as well as new expensive medications that clearly fail to reduce the 44,000 annual deaths.

Instead, proceeds should flow into inadequately funded prevention programs and innovative concepts to counter the disease. We need to move toward aggressive eradication. Many movement leaders view the pink symbol as too feminine, and feel it is inappropriate for what should be an aggressive and ugly battle. However, neither researchers nor students live in some kind of fuchsia bubble; they are absolutely aware breast cancer exists.

A second disturbing pink issue has reared its head: The ribbon’s marketability has been so commercialized that it can undermine the cause. In April, Kentucky Fried Cancer unveiled a Pink Bucket to raise breast cancer awareness. The bucket is a marketing ploy, donating 50 cents per purchase; the goal is to raise $8 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. KFC could have easily tossed $8 million to breast cancer research – no skin off their teeth, or chicken. But instead, Yum brands, the largest restaurant company in the world, will be making money by exploiting cancer victims, a practice increasingly referred to as “pink-washing”.

Similarly, Lean Cuisine’s lush pink ribbon on their verdure box appears to signal proceeds to the cause, but no money is donated. Rather, fine print invites the consumer to purchase a Lean Cuisine tote bag. Proceeds then benefit the cause, while sporting your logoed tote benefits Lean Cuisine.

The ubiquitous ribbon has enjoyed spectacular success, appearing on Monday Night Football, preservative-laden bakery cookies and now finance class. The Business School’s exhortation to students is altruistic and admirable, but plays into “pink culture”. As WBSC President Matt Beemsterboer so elegantly stated, “I think the benefit to the entire campus is that breast cancer isn’t something a lot of students are aware of… so we’re trying to spread more awareness.” With all due respect Mr. President, you’re wrong – people are aware. Check Facebook to count the “like” hits for the Breast Cancer Awareness page. Beemsterboer explained,”…we do it because it’s a disease that a lot of people have been affected by, but at the same time a lot of students don’t really understand how it can affect us.” With odds like one in eight, I am sadly confident that every reader, like myself, has an affected aunt, mother, or sister, and we know all too well. Let’s put energy, clout and money into prevention and cure. Let’s initiate the switch in support, from “awareness” to action.

Within the next 13 minutes, one woman will take her last breath in the fight against breast cancer. In 26 minutes, a second will perish. The pattern will continue if we are placated into thinking supporting pink ribbons ensures research funding for critical life-saving prevention and cure. WBSC’s goals of uniting people, especially those of college age, against this devastating menace is laudable; however, let’s emulate the researchers by marching onto the battleground where the war is waging by engineering campaigns that funnel money where it desperately belongs.

Dennis O’Reilly ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in economics and English.