DIVERSITY: WHAT DOES BONE MARROW HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

On Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Civic Engagement Office will sponsor a bone-marrow-test drive as part of this year's Diversity Week. Christine Lipuma '07 is the student organizer for the event. Lipuma, a leader of Bryn Mawr's multiracial and multicultural club Half and Half, explains: "Bone-marrow testing is especially important for minority and biracial patients because their chance of finding a match is very low. Twenty-five percent of registered marrow donors are minorities, and only two percent are biracial."

Each year, about 30,000 people are diagnosed with blood diseases that can be cured with bone-marrow transplants. Patients are most likely to find a match in those of similar racial or ethnic background, so a diverse pool of registered donors is necessary to ensure that all patients have a chance of finding a life-saving match.

Lipuma first became involved with bone-marrow testing when she attended a conference for mixed-race students sponsored by the MAVIN foundation, a Seattle-based organization. MAVIN has spearheaded a national Marrow-thon across the country on college campuses, which came to Haverford last semester. "It's important," Lipuma says. "I hope that in future years it's done again."

The testing, which consists of a blood test, will be held in the Quita Woodward Room. All are welcome, although there is a fee for Caucasian students who wish to be tested. Contact clipuma@brynmawr.edu for more information.

—Allison Siegenthaler '07

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