Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication, Visual Communication Design and Cartoon and Animation Departments collaboratively organized the “LÖSEV Social Responsibility Benefit Project” event. Şeyda Doğu, LÖSEV Benefit Project Coordinator, attended the event as a guest. Providing information about the LÖSEV Benefit Project, Doğu emphasized the importance of volunteers in LÖSEV's fight. Doğu also noted that a great number of people are now contracting cancer, drawing attention to the fact that early diagnosis saves lives.
Prof. Dr. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cem Tutar, Head of the Cartoon and Animation Department, attended the event held at Üsküdar Üniversitesi South Campus Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall.
Prof. Dr. And Algül: “Let's not forget that kindness is contagious”
Emphasizing that seemingly small contributions can open the door to big changes when combined, Prof. Dr. And Algül said: “We gathered here today not just to come together, but to make a difference collectively, contribute to society, and offer hope. Social responsibility is the transformation of the sensitivity we carry as individuals into social benefit. When all of our seemingly small contributions combine, they can open the door to big changes. Our main goal in realizing this event was to raise awareness, support those in need, and keep the spirit of solidarity alive. Seeing this goal find meaning with your presence both made us proud and hopeful. Let's not forget that kindness is contagious.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cem Tutar: “We need to be side by side”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cem Tutar, Head of the Cartoon and Animation Department, stated: “In areas where the state mechanism cannot reach in the social sphere, people need to come together in the public sphere within a culture of solidarity. LÖSEV is one of the best institutions in this regard. They have been serving in this field for years with a transparent, accountable, and sharing approach. We are living in a hyper-individualized life within urban living. We need much more mutual support and to be side by side. I say, let this be an occasion for that.”
Şeyda Doğu: “Too many people are now contracting cancer”
Şeyda Doğu, LÖSEV Benefit Project Coordinator, pointed out the increase in cancer cases worldwide: “In a study conducted in 2022, we see 20 million cancer cases. Globally, numerically, too many people are now contracting cancer. Unfortunately, almost half of them lose their lives due to cancer. When we look at it, the rate is very high because we are referring to the global population. The reason for cancer becoming so widespread and seeing it more around us is, of course, our nutrition and environmental factors. There are many factors, and it is also related to how people now live their lives. In this sense, we see lung cancer as the most common cancer case, and unfortunately, we also see the highest mortality rate in lung cancer.”
“Early diagnosis saves lives”
Şeyda Doğu, mentioning the widespread fear of going to the doctor, stated that actions should be taken considering one's entire life. Doğu said: “Early diagnosis truly saves lives. Because we achieve a recovery rate of up to eighty percent. With late diagnosis, recovery rates drop to twenty percent, and even lower in some cancer types. The biggest issue in our country is the fear of going to the doctor. Especially among adults; the idea of 'Nothing will happen to me, it will pass, let me use simple painkillers and it will pass' is actually very common in our country. This is not correct. If there is a symptom, we should monitor it and seek medical attention in the ongoing process. Because those small symptoms can actually be important indicators for us. We are not just living for today; we need to act with our entire life in mind.”
Using tobacco products increases the risk of getting cancer!
Doğu underlined the conditions that cause cancer and certain things to pay attention to: “The way a person continues their life shows a difference in the likelihood of getting cancer. The thing I want to draw the most attention to here is tobacco products. Tobacco products are the most easily accessible substances and cause the most harm. As we use tobacco products, we cause harmful substances to accumulate in our lungs. Research proves that tobacco products cause at least 20 types of cancer. That's why using tobacco products actually increases our chances of getting cancer. Tobacco products are really important for us in terms of contracting cancer. We kindly ask you to prefer to stay away from using tobacco products and environments where they are used. Regarding alcohol, excessive dosage and continuous use are important. Because with continuous use, damage occurs in the body. As a result of the damage to the liver, there is also an increase in the likelihood of getting cancer. Artificial sweeteners and processed foods are also similar; nowadays, all of us consume packaged foods. Many substances are added to the foods we use to extend their shelf life or many emulsifying agents are added to reduce their price. These accumulate in the body and cause us to get cancer. Because the content of the products we consume is now very complex. Therefore, looking at the content of the products we consume is very valuable for us.”
“We want to raise awareness with young people”
Doğu, speaking about the purpose of the LÖSEV Benefit Project, said: “The benefit project is actually a project we carry out at the university level. It is a project we created to be with young people, invite them to a healthy life, and raise awareness. Our institutional ambassadorship, on the other hand, is a bond we establish with our volunteers who continue their professional lives. We want to be completely with our university students and raise awareness with them.”
The event concluded after a group photo session.