The Black Student Alliance contacted the National Association for Black Journalists and Men and Women of Color to have a table in the Atrium with condoms, information and papers where students could write how they are #FacingAIDS.
Robert Miles, vice president of BSA, said the purpose of the event is to try to get rid of the stigma and put a face toward the normally tense topic of AIDS.
“People speak about this infection or disease negatively, so we’re trying to put a face to it to promote it positively,” Miles said. “We are really interested in showing everyone that HIV and AIDS affects more than just the African American community. It affects everyone.”
This is the first year BSA has promoted the national campaign to go along with World AIDS Day.
On Dec. 1, or World AIDS Day, BSA will host a guest speaker to talk about HIV and AIDS at 5 p.m. in Teachers College Room 121. Free HIV testing will also be available from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. in the Health Center Room 201 and from 6 to 9 p.m. in Park Hall Room 174 by appointment. Any student can call 765-285-3775 to make an appointment. They will only be asked for their first name on the call.
Miles said he thinks people are aware of the disease, but it has a negativity surrounding it. He wants to flip that around. He also said STDs are underreported because people are not having conversations about them.
Jheri Wills, a junior social work major and member of Men and Women of Color, said raising awareness is important because of the negative connotation attached.
“It shouldn’t have to affect so many people’s lives since it’s such a deadly disease. There are definitely ways to prevent it,” Wills said. “Hopefully by raising awareness, especially here on the college campus where sex may be very common, we can help those people out so they won't have to face the detrimental effects of AIDS and HIV.”
Junior telecommunications news major Anthony Fletcher is a member of NABJ and said his organization participated to show it has concern for HIV and AIDS and to raise awareness about how they affects people’s lives.
“HIV and AIDS in general is one of the few diseases that’s becoming more common, especially in the black community,” Fletcher said. “It’s basically information [at the table] that using a condom is very beneficial because you don’t know who has [HIV].”
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