Many organizations and foundations across the world are in support of the cancer fight, however, students brought it upon themselves to bring awareness to campus for one common 

Yoshua Mathai, co-president of MSU's Anti-Cancer Society who is double majoring in human biology and biochemistry, said their group’s goal is to focus on informing students on cancer research that occurs around the world, especially at MSU.

The Anti-Cancer Society was founded in 2013 and two years ago they were successful at implementing an anti-smoking ban on campus. They intend to research the student’s opinion on the ban this year. 

Mathai knows people will still smoke on campus, but he wants to find out if the ban is “actually affective.”

Neuroscience junior and another co-president of MSU's Anti-Cancer Society, Leslie Batoha said her best friend’s step-dad is currently going through chemo therapy treatments. It has been tough. 

“He’s like my second dad, I’ve known him since I was five,” Batoha said. “It’s been hard to watch him go through it.”

Batoha has only been a part of the organization for a short period of time, however, she said there will be MSU professors and researchers speaking at meetings to fill the informational gap. 

“What we really want to do is inform the members of the club and students, as a whole, as to what’s going on in the cancer world." Mathai said.  

Advisor for The Hope Movement, Roslyn James, said her organization creates gift baskets for pediatric patients and their families in support of their battle. 

James said she thinks the program improves community awareness and helps students see there’s somebody else out there that has needs.

“I think it’s always good to give back,” James said. “It prepares them for the future.”

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015.

The number of new cases is expected to rise 70 percent over the next two decades. 

One popular cancer organization called, Dance Marathon, is not only on MSU’s campus but a trend around the world that aims to raise funds.

“Schools all around the country really do some form of dance marathon, basically the same as ours," Neuroscience senior and President of MSU’s Dance Marathon Madison Valentine said. 

Valentine said the only difference is that they raise funds specifically for the Children’s Miracle Network and The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation.

It’s especially important to be a part of the Children’s Miracle Network at Sparrow Hospital because it is closest to the MSU community, but for The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation there is a different connection, said Valentine. 

The Cassie Hines foundation was created by the Hines’s family to spread awareness about the former MSU student who lost her battle to cancer in 2012.

Their foundation’s mission is to guide young adults with cancer to social support programs and services for mental healing.

Valentine was a cousin to Cassie Hines and said as a freshman, when she heard about the Dance Marathon, she joined as soon as possible.

“As soon as I got here I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it and I didn’t really think I would be president eventually,” Valentine said. 

Dance Marathon’s biggest event occurs in February and Valentine said it’s very important that students come out to support. 

“I think it’s really important that while we’re at school, we fundraise for people that are in our community here,” Valentine said.