1. Name: Emily Barstow
Year: 2015
Major: American Studies
Hometown: Amherst, MA
2. What is Protect Our Breasts?
Protect Our Breasts is a non-profit organization that aims to share the conversation about toxins in everyday products that can lead to breast cancer. The organization shares information both online through social media, and offline at field marketing events. Protect Our Breasts creates relationships with organic companies in order to provide the Protect Our Breasts chapters on different campuses the opportunity to hand out safer alternatives. Protect Our Breasts has a science and standards advisory board that ensures that the products we hand out do not contain endocrine disruptors or carcinogens, both of which can lead to breast cancer.
3. What is the Precautionary Principle to which POB adheres?
Protect Our Breasts is an organization focused on prevention instead of finding the cure. Research suggests that women are most vulnerable to chemicals from utero up until their first pregnancy. This information suggests that it is us, college students, that need to be changing our lifestyles in order to prevent getting diagnosed with breast cancer in the next twenty to thirty years. Yes, it is easy to say “everything causes cancer”, but this is not the case. Many endocrine disruptors and carcinogens have been implicated in breast cancer and while scientists and government are still unsure, Protect Our Breasts’ recommendation is to take precaution instead of waiting for the science and legislation to be definitive. Protect Our Breasts works hard to provide students with safer alternatives in order to demonstrate that we can change our choices in order to protect our future and future generations.
4. How did you become involved with the organization?
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago and after going through treatment decided she needed to create awareness around the issue. As a professor at UMass Amherst, she realized that the environment around her was the best way to work towards this goal, which led to the creation of the Protect Our Breasts Executive Board. Since then, different chapters have been starting on college campuses and I decided that I was passionate about the subject and wanted to do what I could to spread awareness.
5. What is your role within Protect Our Breasts and what does that entail?
I am the president and founder of Protect Our Breasts at Trinity. I am in charge of talking to the Executive Board at UMass and communicating with the chapter here at Trinity. I also take responsibility for holding meetings and events on campus for Protect Our Breasts.
6. How many different chapters are there of Protect Our Breasts and how would someone go about starting one at their school?
There are five chapters of Protect Our Breasts that exist at the moment, which include UMass Amherst, Trinity College, Baypath College, Bates College, and Syracuse University. The Executive Board is currently working with two other schools. Protect Our Breasts is always looking for campuses to start chapters. The best way to go about starting a chapter is to email the Executive Board at info@protectourbreasts.org. They will then send you the packet of information that goes through the process of starting a chapter.
7. What does it mean to be part of Protect Our Breasts on Trinity’s campus?
The members of Protect Our Breasts at Trinity are involved in learning the cutting edge information on chemicals in products that can lead to breast cancer. The Executive Board often sends information that I will share with the chapter here on campus. Additionally, members engage in field marketing events by giving out safer products and educating their peers on the issue. It is a fun and fulfilling organization to be part of, so please don’t hesitate to join! Email me at emily.barstow@trincoll.edu if you are interested!
8. When will Protect Our Breasts host an event on Trinity’s campus and what should we expect at it?
The first Protect Our Breasts event this year will be held this Tuesday, September 30th, in Mather during common hour. We will be handing out full size organic free-trade chocolate bars from Equal Exchange. Additionally, the members of Protect Our Breasts will be interviewing students on campus for an Instagram campaign “Voices of Awareness” that will occur during and throughout the month of October. Come to Mather on Tuesday to get free chocolate and learn more about avoiding chemicals in our products!
**Please check out the Protect Our Breasts website: protectourbreasts.org, and like the organization on Facebook! It is here that you will learn more about what you can do to prevent breast cancer, now, and in the future.