A bittersweet patchwork of vibrant snapshots, poems and artwork invigorated the lifeless walls of Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union Wednesday at a memorial service celebrating the lives and mourned the deaths of AIDS victims. The visiting AIDS Quilt and the memorial ceremony awakened IU students and members of the community to the cruel reality of the disease.\nAmong the squares was one from a child to a mother which stated "I miss my mommy. Love, Victor." Another commemorated the life of Ryan White, the AIDS patient who inspired the IU Dance Marathon. \nAnother square of the quilt, honoring Kent McGeachy, was made by David Granger, a graduate student in the School of Music. Granger made the quilt square for his deceased partner 14 years ago. McGeachy was a student at IU for one year. He died of AIDS in March of 1990.\n"We had a party where 30 people came and sewed patches on a month after his death," Granger said. "Making the quilt was a cathartic experience."\nMcGeachy's 6-by-3-foot square of the quilt includes photographs and a Christmas stocking added by his brother.
Granger said McGeachy was unaware he was HIV positive until the symptoms of AIDS set in, including dementia and other problems which required him to use a wheelchair. Since nursing homes would not take AIDS patients during that time, McGeachy was confined to his home. Toward the end of his life, McGeachy lost his short-term memory and would often watch the same movie repeatedly.\n"My partner died because there was no help. If people know, they can keep their health," Granger said. "Don't let apathy rule your life."\nMcGeachy died four years after the onset of the disease. Granger encourages everyone to view the quilt in order to increase awareness of AIDS. \n"When you get to my age, you don't care what people think anymore," Granger said. "You tell the story and let people think what they want."\nWhile people of all ages wandered around viewing the squares of the Quilt, names of AIDS victims were read, creating a somber mood.\nThe African American Dance Ensemble performed to a song called "Patchwork Quilt," which was written about the visiting quilt.\nShauna Steele, the Ensemble's choreographer, said she hoped the dance would remind the audience of the pain AIDS causes not only to victims, but to loved ones, as well.\n"I was trying to convey that it's a struggle, and it's painful, whether or not you're the one with AIDS," Steele said. "It's just as hard for the people around."\nSteele said the dance is also a tribute to the many dancers who have died of AIDS. She said viewing individual squares of the quilt personalizes the disease.\n"It's sort of a shock -- it's hard when you start reading them," Steele said. "You can't help crying and empathizing with what people went through."\nIn addition to the reading of the names, the display of the Quilt, and dance performance, groups such as Planned Parenthood, the IU Health Center and Positive Link provided information and free condoms to prevent unsafe sex.\nPositive Link, a local HIV-AIDS support network, provides free, anonymous AIDS testing. They will be providing free AIDS testing in the IMU Feb. 10. The organization will be testing with the Oraquick test, which yields results in 20 minutes.\nEach 6-by-3-foot section of the quilt represents the life of one person killed by AIDS and is made of materials ranging from Legos and love letters to cremation ashes, mink and wedding rings.\nThe AIDS Memorial quilt was created in November 1985 when San Francisco gay rights activist, Cleve Jones, organized an annual candlelight march commemorating the 1978 assassinations of gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. \nOver 15,200,000 people have viewed the quilt in places ranging from Spain to South Africa and the National Mall.\nAccording to the UN AIDS epidemic update, 5 million new people were infected with AIDS in 2003.
