2024 READERS' CHOICE

Pink ribbons are synonymous with breast cancer awareness, particularly in October when the month is dedicated to the cause. Athletes and celebrities have helped raise visibility beyond the ribbon by incorporating the color pink into their wardrobe and hair color choices, but for the more than 310,000 women and men diagnosed in the U.S. this year, it’s nothing more than a reminder that every day of every month is consumed by the disease. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, advances in early detection and treatment methods have significantly increased breast cancer survival rates in recent years. When caught in its earliest, localized stages, the five-year relative survival rate is 99 percent.  Early Detection Women as young as 18 should learn how…

We’ve all heard the stories from various men’s sports teams vying for championships about superstitions they held onto during their title runs. Whether it involved ditching razors in favor of long rugged beards, wearing a lucky piece of clothing or jewelry, or bleaching their hair, there’s no denying these rituals have helped create a sense of unity and shared identity in locker rooms for decades. In fact, one of the most well-known stories about building team spirit and camaraderie happened during the 1998 World Cup when the Romanian national soccer team bleached their hair after winning their first two matches. It was supposed to be representative of team spirit, a grand gesture to keep the luck going throughout the rest…