As groups and individuals across the world acknowledged World AIDS Day with seminars, vigils and red ribbons, groups at LSU put together a program to help raise awareness about AIDS and advocate participation from the student community.
Spectrum Alliance, along with the Women’s Center, the African American Cultural Center, the Wellness Center and the Lambda Group – a group for the queer community of Baton Rouge – held an informational program at the Greek Theatre on Monday evening.
“We know AIDS doesn’t only affect the queer community, so we wanted to get as many people as we could to come out and speak,” said Spectrum Secretary Rachel All.
A little after 6 p.m., under the dim lights of the Greek Theatre, one speaker after another stood up and talked to attendants about the risk of AIDS and why students should participate in spreading awareness.
“We want to positively influence the lives of students on this campus,” said Amy Cavender, an education coordinator at the LSU Wellness Center. “We hope people will be able to go forth and give back to the community with their new awareness.”
The Wellness Center currently offers peer education as well as sexual health advocates to assist students.
The center is going to try to spread information to more people about the risk of HIV infection, Cavender said.
Robbie Schleicher, a sociology senior, is a former board member and current active member of Spectrum.
“People need to realize, especially in Baton Rouge, about how big of an issue this is,” Schleicher said.
Louisiana was 13th in the country in 2002 in the number of AIDS victims. New Orleans has the highest number of cases, while Baton Rouge has the highest rate of infection in the state, according to Shad Duplessis of the Lambda Group.
Stephanie Murray, Lambda treasurer and board member, told of the group’s new empowerment program to be provided in January and gave some statistics on the widespread AIDS epidemic occurring across the globe.
“We’re trying to form a strong alliance with Spectrum, so this is a significant day that we are glad to participate in,” Murray said.
Anna Byars, a women’s and genders studies junior, is a member of Spectrum and introduced each speaker.
“It is such a big issue and it involves everyone, some of us especially, in a personal way,” Byars said. “We’re glad we are able to educate in different issues on this one big problem.”
Brandon Smith, president of the Black Student Union, said the knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS is vital to the collegiate community.
“It is important that we realize the importance of our commitment to awareness,” Smith said.
At the end of the program, four members of Spectrum, along with Amy Cavender, stood in front of the crowd to observe a minute of silence.
Each turned around, one at a time, to symbolize what they said was the death of five people every minute caused by AIDS.