UC San Diego Recognizes World AIDS Day with Memorial Quilt Display and Other Events

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The University of California, San Diego will honor World AIDS Day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 1 with a variety of free, public events, including a viewing of portions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which is the largest ongoing community arts project in the world.

World AIDS Day is held on Dec. 1 each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died from HIV/AIDS.

“UC San Diego is committed to educating next generation leaders, conducting innovative research and providing advanced patient care that transforms lives,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “UC San Diego’s recognition of World AIDS Day enables us to raise awareness about this devastating disease and our efforts to prevent, treat and combat it.”

The 2014 events at UC San Diego reflect the “Getting to Zero” theme, which conveys the global community effort needed to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero stigma against those living with HIV/AIDS and zero AIDS-related deaths.

New this year, in conjunction with the theme, will be a presentation entitled “PrEP Talk” with Owen Kadakia, M.D., a physician from UC San Diego’s HIV specialty care clinic, the Owen Clinic. Kadakia will be talking about the new once-a-day pill to help prevent HIV infections, Truvada, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which may be the most effective way for people who do not have HIV to prevent HIV infection. The “PrEP Talk” will take place at 3 p.m. in UC San Diego’s Cross-Cultural Center, located at the Price Center East on the second floor.

Also new this year will be a series of talks presented by the Family Health Centers of San Diego which will focus on how specific communities and populations are impacted by HIV. The communities highlighted in each talk include:

• The Latino/a community, 10 a.m., the Raza Resource Centro (this session will be conducted in Spanish)
• HIV/AIDS and Women, 11 a.m., the Women’s Center
• Transgender Youth and HIV/AIDS, noon, the LGBT Resource Center
• HIV/AIDS in the Black Community, 1 p.m., Black Resource Center
• Asians/Pacific Islanders and HIV/AIDS, 2 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center
• HIV/AIDS among Southwest Asians and North Africans, 3 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center

Details on other events and activities include:

• AIDS Memorial Quilt on Display: UC San Diego will showcase three sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. These sections represent the impact the AIDS crisis has had on the San Diego community from the early years of the epidemic through the present day. The quilt will be on public display from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Price Center Ballroom East. Also on display with the Quilt will be artifacts from arcHIVe project, which represent the history of HIV/AIDS in San Diego. The arcHIVe project’s collection of artwork tells the stories of San Diego men and women who have been infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
• World AIDS Day Performances: Throughout the day in the Price Center East, musical performances will accompany the viewing of the Quilt. At 9 a.m., pianist Risa Rene will perform live piano and at 3 p.m., Scripps Institution of Oceanography graduate student Daniel Koestner will perform. In addition, at 6 p.m., there will be a classical performance by professor Milton Saier and his family. Finally, at 8 p.m., the Beat @ UCSD, UC San Diego’s co-ed a capella vocal ensemble, will close out the performances at the AIDS Memorial Quilt display. At the Triton Steps, beginning at 11:30 a.m., theatre and dance professor Eric Geiger will perform “I'M WITH YOU and something is happening,” a special dance program created to honor World AIDS Day. In addition, at 12:10 p.m., university carillonneur Scott Paulson will play original music that will be heard across campus, which was written specifically for UC San Diego’s honoring of World AIDS Day.

• Information and Resources on Library Walk: Red ribbons and condom “roses” will be distributed at UC San Diego’s Library Walk from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to prevention information and other educational materials from numerous UC San Diego and community groups and organizations. Also along Library Walk will be an area where the milestones related to HIV/AIDS will be available for participants to walk through, to reflect upon the pandemic’s impact. In addition, the Family Health Centers of San Diego will provide free, anonymous rapid HIV testing on Library Walk to UC San Diego staff, faculty and students from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The rapid HIV test detects HIV via an oral swab; no blood sample is needed.