I didn’t understand the emotional and helpless feeling a family member has when their loved one is diagnosed with cancer until my grandpa was diagnosed with it last week. There seems to be nothing I can do but just wait for the chemotherapy to run its course and hope for the best.

Although there is nothing I can do that can directly change the course of my grandpa’s situation, I do have the power to take care of myself and participate in programs held by the community.

This weekend, Wichita will take part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a 5K race whose proceeds go to breast cancer research.

However, there is another program closer to home that all Wichita State students should seriously consider.

Student Wellness Action Team plans to host Big Pink Volleyball on Oct. 27 in the Heskett Center to raise money for breast cancer charities.

SWAT is a new student group advised by Campus Recreation, Student Health Services and the Counseling and Testing Center.

“I look at health in a broad prospective,” President Jesse Briscoe said. “We want to be part of student wellness emotionally, spiritually and mentally.”

Big Pink Volleyball is a volleyball tournament with one catch—participants will be playing with a four-foot wide, hot pink volleyball.

This will be the organization’s first big event, and Briscoe hopes it can be an annual fundraiser.

Registration forms are available in the Heskett Center, Student Health Services, Counseling and Testing Center, and the Office of Housing and Residence Life Oct. 1. The cost is $5 per person with four to 10 people per team.

The forms are due Oct. 19 at Student Health Services in Ahlberg Hall.

There are also simple ways to decrease your chances of getting breast cancer like exercising and limiting alcohol consumption. It is important to get a clinical breast exam after the age of 20. Also, take into account any abnormalities with how your breasts look and feel and remember every woman is different.

Visit www.komen.org for more resources and tips and contact Jesse Briscoe at 660-833-6607 for more information about SWAT or Big Pink Volleyball.