AIDS quilt display begins tonight

IU students will have an opportunity tonight, Thursday and Friday to view 30 panels of the AIDS quilt, which has increased awareness of the disease worldwide in places ranging from the National Mall to Taiwan and has helped raise $3.25 million to support people with AIDS.\nThe IU chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign organized the AIDS quilt visit and a ceremony to be held at 7 p.m. tonight in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union. Specific panels requested by 10 local individuals will be on display among the 30 total panels in Alumni Hall.\nThe ceremony will feature the African-American Dance Ensemble, local singer-songwriters, IU music performers and dance groups from the Health and Physical Education and Recreation Dance Department. \nOther activities at the event include free AIDS testing and information provided by POSITIVE-LINK, a local HIV/AIDS support network.\nKathryn Brown, a health educator at the IU Health Center, said students may be infected with HIV and remain unaware for years.\n"A person who is HIV positive rarely has any symptoms," Brown said. "A person usually remains asymptomatic for many years depending on choices made regarding diet, physical activity, substance abuse habits, stress and being sick with other illnesses."\nBrown said students can take precautions to avoid the disease.\n"Students who are sexually active need to take precautions that will protect them from contracting an STD, including HIV," Brown said. "This means using condoms or latex barriers, being monogamous with an uninfected partner, getting tested regularly, not mixing alcohol or drugs with sex since one's judgement and communication skills are impaired."\nThe AIDS Memorial Quilt honors the lives of AIDS victims and reminds viewers the virus kills people of all ages, genders and religions worldwide. Each 6-by-3-foot section of the quilt represents the life of one person killed by AIDS and is made of materials ranging from Barbie dolls and bubble wrap to cremation ashes, mink and wedding rings.\nThe quilt reminds people of the pain and devastation caused by the disease while honoring the individuals' lives. \nIncreasing awareness of AIDS through the AIDS quilt came at no small price. Dan O'Neill, a board member of the IU SGAC, said the 30 panels of the quilt cost $2,600 to rent, in addition to several hundred more in shipping. IU SGAC acquired financial support by writing a Commitment to Assist Student Initiatives grant to have the project funded through the IU Student Association. In addition, a number of organizations, including the Boards of Governors from every dorm except Eigenmann Hall and Willkie Quad, contributed to the fund.\nO'Neill said students can gain a lot from viewing the quilt.\n"Aside from gaining awareness of how AIDS affects people at a personal level, we are hoping to educate people more about the crisis at an international level and about what people can do to help the situation and inform people of where and how to get tested for HIV and about new testing options," O'Neill said\nSue Myllykangas, a doctoral candidate studying AIDS in older women, was inspired to volunteer at tonight's event after experiencing firsthand the pain associated with the death of loved ones killed by AIDS.\n"Growing up in Colorado during the height of the epidemic, I lived through the rapid spread of the disease around my hometown," Myllykangas said. "I have personally known people who have died because of AIDS."\nMyllykangas said the quilt symbolizes many seemingly contradictory ideas.\n"Students at IU need to be aware that there may be treatments for HIV/AIDS but there are no cures," Myllykangas said. "The quilt celebrates lives…but the fact is that AIDS kills."\nO'Neill said he hopes the AIDS quilt will increase awareness of the disease on campus and in the Bloomington community.\n"I hope more people in the campus and community will learn their HIV status and educate themselves so as to contribute to the overall health and morale of our community, open up avenues for dialogue about difficult issues of sexuality and reduce stigma and discrimination with regard to this disease and in general."\n-- Contact senior writer Alli Stolper at astolper@indiana.edu.