Bras burn at Stephens College

Students met around a bonfire to burn their bras for breast cancer awareness.

By Grace Meiners

Published Oct. 17, 2008

 In a metal portable bonfire pit, logs and Lycra crackled together during Stephens College's "No Bra, No Problem" event Wednesday night as a part of cancer awareness month.

Camera flashes lit up Stephens College's Willis Court to capture an activity that had, until now, mainly been associated with feminism.

Women wearing bras on top of their shirts chanted "save second base" while tossing bras into the fire until all that was left were ashes and under wires.

"Everyone loves boobs," said Amy Sand, vice president of the junior class government. "It's one of those staples associated with femininity."

The class government sponsored the event, which will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation, secretary Ginny Wilfong said.

Some tossed bras into the fire with a group while others dangled them slowly into the flames. A few held bras over the fire and watched as the flames melted the lingerie cup by cup.

Stephens junior Kahlia Kanas suspended a front-open lavender bra with black lace into the bonfire pit and watched as the blazes engulfed the delicate garment.

A group took pictures of women donning bras as outerwear. One of the women in the photographed group told the others in the photo to display their chests.

"Show 'em," she said. "Stick them out!"

Sand said she and Stephens junior Jen Huemmer came up with idea for the bra-burning event.

"It was a fit of brilliance and we ran with it," Sand said.

The student government sold T-shirts for $10 and took an open donation for people to toss bras into the fire. Next to the fire sat a cardboard box simply marked "Bras." Those who did not bring their own were encouraged to throw provided bras to their fiery fate.

Sand said all of the bras were donated from thrift stores in local Missouri.

Two students tied a string of bras together and began to twirl the makeshift rope. Women and men, solos and pairs, jumped while others sang accompanying playground songs.

The crowd surrounding the fire began to chant "Captain Jack" as a man in a black Stephens College security jacket tossed a bra into the fire.

Before throwing the donated undergarment, he said "Save second base" after some prompting.

The man, Jack Hastings, head of security for Stephens College, said the event was a good way to bring the students together.

"If you go around and ask, I bet you someone has been touched by cancer," he said.

Hastings said he lost both his grandmother and mother to cancer. He said because Stephens College is made up of primarily women, breast cancer has the potential to effect a large portion of students.

Stephens senior Dominique Richardson wore a satin pink bra over her shirt and held a floral print one on her head.

Richardson said her mother took part in bra burning ceremonies when she was her age, but with different motivations.

"When my mom did it, it was a part of women's rights and liberation," she said. "Now I'm doing it to promote breast cancer awareness. Anyways, it's initiating change. We need to look after our sisters."

Previously, the student government lined the bridge across Broadway with bras to promote breast cancer awareness, Richardson said. The city asked them to stop because they said it might cause accidents.

Patrick Wombacher said he drove from St. Charles to come to the event.

"It's a big fun environment," he said. "I've never been to a bra burning before so I didn't know what to expect."

Sand said she knew of a Stephens College student who currently has breast cancer.

"Being a Stephens student, we can imagine what a struggle it would be to lose one of your boobs," Sand said.

Sand said breast cancer became more prevalent to her when she was preparing for the event.

"I was going to thrift stores picking out bras and the woman working at the store said to me, 'I've had breast cancer,'" Sand said. "That's when it hit me. Bam! This is affecting people."

Sand said it could be hard to tell if someone has breast cancer or has had it in the past.

"It's one of those quiet diseases," Sand said. "You don't know if a woman has had breast cancer. Some still have boobs or get more boobs."

Sand said the common chant that night, "Save second base," was a part of the American Cancer Society's breast cancer awareness campaign.

Wilfong said though a person does not need to be a woman to be affected by breast cancer, Stephens College's primarily female population has seen the effects of breast cancer.

"Breast cancer has affected Stephens College," Wilfong said. "It's a campus full of women who care about each other."

Sand estimated about 70 people attended the event, raising $150.

"We did it big," she said. "Save second base."