By Brittney Bruner

The Colleges Against Cancer open house on Oct. 2 wasn’t packed. However, the cause they are fighting for made up for the quantity of students.
Colleges Against Cancer has two main events this upcoming year. They include both the Great American Smoke Out, which takes place the same day that the University of Louisville will be turning smoke-free, and Relay for Life, an overnight walking and running event that symbolizes the journey of a cancer patient.
Brek Meuris, the president of Colleges Against Cancer, has been a participant in the Recognized Student Organization for three years now. Although he’s looking forward to the Great American Smoke Out this year, his efforts have been more concentrated towards Relay for Life.
“My biggest goal is participation,” said Meuris, a senior mechanical engineering major. 
He wants to raise awareness of the event throughout the campus, and get both students and faculty involved. It is his hope to get more survivors involved as well.
Jackie Smith, a staff member of the American Cancer Society, also participates with Colleges Against Cancer and shares the same sentiment as Meuris. Her work is also focused on Relay for Life, primarily because of its association with the American Cancer Society. According to Smith, explaining the event in classrooms and spreading the word long before the event takes place would help increase student and faculty involvement.
Tara Kollenberg, a senior biology major, is passionate about the organization because several of her family members have been diagnosed with cancer. She does her part to spread the word about Colleges Against Cancer through her work as leader of the activities committee. A four-year participant in the organization, she focuses on the entertainment and programming during Relay for Life. 
“I want to make it fun and keep people there,” said Kollenberg. “Hopefully, we can get a lot [of people] to stay all night, so the point can really be made about the cause.”
Regardless of the individual motivations behind joining the organization, it seems every member’s attitude is positive, with their ultimate goal being to reach more students and faculty, while obtaining better sponsorship, funding and participation from businesses around Louisville
“We have the framework; we are just continuing to build,” said Meuris.