Five student groups team up for World AIDS Day

There’s more to World AIDS Day than free condoms and OCC credit.

“We want to produce… There’s more to World AIDS Day than free condoms and OCC credit.

“We want to produce agents of social change here at Pitt,” Amanda Reed, vice president of the Black Action Society, said about the event’s objective. “We want this event to inspire students ¬¬— to help them realize there is more to AIDS activism than just getting tested.”

The event featured an information session given by the peer health education program PantherWELL and a screening of the award-winning documentary “To Touch the Soul.” Reed said both the information session and the documentary aimed to inspire student activism in the fight against one of the world’s deadliest STDs.

Black Action Society, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Hillel JUC, Campus Women’s Organization and Rainbow Alliance presented the two-part day of education, awareness and activism surrounding HIV/AIDS. Along with free condoms and OCC credit, those in attendance received information about the ways college students can help combat the global AIDS epidemic.

It was the first time that four student organizations joined Black Action Society in observance of World AIDS Day.

“To Touch the Soul” played on the sixth floor of the William Pitt Union at 8:30 p.m. and demonstrated how college students can get involved with AIDS activism.

The film follows California State University professor and activist Carlos Silveira as he explores the poverty and hardship of Cambodian children affected by HIV/AIDS. Silveira recruits 27 American university students to work as part of a pilot program that uses drawing and painting to help the impoverished children express their wishes and desires for the future.

“The movie is important because it shows students how they can impact the AIDS epidemic in creative and constructive ways,” Reed said. “It should also inspire students to protect themselves, to learn as much as they can and get tested.”

In the afternoon, about 25 students came to an information session on the fifth floor of the Union, displaying interest in AIDS trivia games, a sexual health-oriented debate and a table full of free paraphernalia. Organizers encouraged attendees to construct “safe sex packets,” which included condoms, candy and pamphlets with AIDS information and statistics.

Keiara Williams, a senior nursing student and member of Chi Eta Phi, recognized the lower-than-expected attendance.

“Less people turned out than we expected, but I think we really got our message across to those people who did show up. They seemed really engaged.”

The event took place one day after the official World AIDS Day, because of scheduling problems among the organizers.