AIDS Quilt Displayed at UC San Diego
Nov. 30 in Recognition of World AIDS Day
November 27, 2007
By Pat JaCoby
World AIDS Day will be recognized by the University of California, San Diego with a public viewing of portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the Price Center Ballroom from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30. The event is free and open to the public.
The UCSD display will showcase three sections of the Quilt that have emerged from San Diego organizations and individuals as they have responded to the AIDS crisis, from the early years of the epidemic through the present day. The AIDS Memorial Quilt was created in 1987, and throughout its 20 year history, it has been a poignant memorial, a powerful tool for use in preventing new HIV infections, and the largest ongoing community arts project in the world. For more information about the quilt, visit http://www.aidsquilt.org. For a map and directions to the Price Center Ballroom, visit http://maps.ucsd.edu.
Along with the AIDS Quilt, UCSD will sponsor a number of other events in recognition of World AIDS Day. A morning candlelight vigil will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Price Center Ballroom for anyone to privately reflect and remember. More specific visual arts and multi-media presentations will be ongoing throughout the day at the Quilt display in the Ballroom.
Red ribbons and condom “roses” will be handed out at UCSD’s Library Walk throughout the day, in addition to prevention information and other educational materials. Participants in UC San Diego’s Chancellor’s 5K Challenge Nov. 30 will wear red ribbons in remembrance as well.
The San Diego County Office of Public Health will provide free, anonymous rapid HIV testing on Library Walk to UCSD staff, faculty and students between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The rapid HIV test detects HIV via oral swab; no blood sample is needed. Counseling services and further testing will be available for those with preliminary positive results. Appointments last 20-30 minutes. Most appointments for the rapid HIV tests on World AIDS Day at UCSD will be on a first-come, first-served basis. However, a limited number of reservations for appointment times are available by going to http://studenthealth.ucsd.edu/content/pages/hivsignup.aspx.
At 10 a.m. in the Price Center Ballroom B, a group of people living with HIV from UCSD’s Mother, Child and Adolescent HIV program will share their stories. This powerful presentation will draw on lived experiences of women, youth and those newly infected with HIV.
The 12 minute film "It's Your Life, Live It Safe", presented in association with the San Diego American Indian Health Center and the Media Arts Center San Diego, will be screened at the Price Center Ballroom at 3 p.m., to be immediately followed by a discussion with the youth involved. “It's Your Life, Live It Safe” is a Teen Producers Project designed to educate and inform people about HIV/AIDS in the Native American community. San Diego teens aged 13-18 researched, produced, and edited this short documentary about HIV/AIDS in the Native American community, and will share their experiences regarding the process.
The Cross-Cultural Center will display a mini-AIDS quilt, which was first created in 2001 by members of the community. Similar to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, this one pays tribute to friends and family who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Stop by the Center between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Nov. 30 to create your own patch and add on to the quilt. Materials will be provided.
The UCSD Libraries have produced a World AIDS Day display in the lower level of Geisel Library. In addition, the UCSD Libraries have produced a joint list of current materials addressing HIV and AIDS that are available for check-out and browsing in the library. Interactive self-learning stations will be in the Price Center Ballroom, with online access to resources and information regarding HIV/AIDS. Additionally, there will be a number of maps displayed that graphically show the geographical impact of HIV/AIDS.
A Wall of Remembrance within the Price Center Ballroom will be available for members of the community to personally reflect on the effects of HIV/AIDS on their own lives and those close to them. Similar to others walls, if participants bring pictures and artifacts to place on or near the Wall of Remembrance, they will not be returned. A photography exhibit highlighting the lives of diverse members of the community affected by HIV/AIDS will also be on display throughout the day.
Warren College Student Council's Events Board plans an event called "Wear to Care" to commemorate World AIDS Day. They will have tables on Warren Mall on Nov. 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. where students can decorate AIDS awareness t-shirts and learn about the disease.
These events are co-sponsored by a number of organizations and departments at UC San Diego, including the LGBT Resource Center, the Student Health Center, Student Health Advocates, Associated Students (AS), the Librarians Association of the University of California - SD Diversity Committee, the LGBT Staff & Faculty Association, the HIV Neurobehavrioral Research Center (HNRC), the Anti Viral Research Center (AVRC), ARUSHA Project, the Mother, Child & Adolescent HIV Program, the Owen Clinic, Environmental Health and Safety, University Centers, Housing*Dining*Hospitality, Psychological and Counseling Services, Equal Opportunity/Staff Affirmative Action, the UCSD Libraries, the Women’s Center, the Cross-Cultural Center and many committed individuals throughout the University community. For more information on this event, please go to http://lgbt.ucsd.edu.
Media Contacts:
Shaun Travers, UCSD LGBT Resource Center, 858-822-3493
Pat JaCoby, 858-534-7404