WNCAD Wrap Up: 2011

Christmas break means time to catch up... and I finally was able to mail off the 2011 Worldwide Net Cancer Awareness Day (WNCAD) signed proclamations to Grace Goldstein at the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation.

WNCAD: November 10th

Our students at Paramus Catholic High School were able to gather 959 signatures in one day (which is 167 more signatures than last year!) Also, our school newspaper, The Paladin Press, featured an article about carcinoid cancer as well as a student poem in honor of WNCAD. Even the varsity members of my mock trial team showed off their zebra striped bracelets during weekly practice. When WNCAD was over, students wanted to do more - and have already started planning for NET Cancer Day next year.

Additionally, one of my seniors who graduated last year delivered a presentation to her public speaking class at St. John's University on November 10th about carcinoid cancer, and had students from the course sign the WNCAD proclamation.

Overall, it was a tremendous student display of support and empathy - far from the lackadaisical, morally adrift stereotype many people have of today's teens.

The Paladin Cancer Awareness Club gathered signatures and passed out information about carcinoid cancer on Nov. 10, 2011

Some members of my Mock Trial team, showing off their stripes...

PC's paper featured an article and poem about carcinoid

NET Cancer Awareness Day Poem

by Selena Hart

Behind the trees, you hear them.

A soft pat against the dirt

a calm stride to the pool of blue.

You picture a strong, bold steed

a mane of gold, a sandy body.

You ready yourself to tame it.

To saddle it and ride away.

You breathe in, and push through the trees.

Stunningly enough, the mane you saw as gold

is black as coal.

His sandy body is quite the contrast,

stripes as black as ash and white as snow.

Your shock has stunned him too.

As he runs, you learn something new.

The next time you hear hooves,

it could be a zebra.