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Friday night, roughly 40 students gathered on the front steps of Fogler Library in recognition of World AIDS Day. In brisk winds and rain, they held a vigil to remember those lost to AIDS, to recognize those suffering and to hope for a cure.
The candle-less candlelight vigil opened with a few words from Kyle Webster, the university’s coordinator of LGBT Services and a class of 2007 graduate student. He thanked those who came and encouraged the fight for the cure.
The number of participants doubled from last year, but Webster knows that it’s not about the numbers. “This day and this event are about spreading awareness, and remember those who we’ve lost,” Webster said.
Kenda Scheele, the senior associate dean of students, also shared a few words. She explained that AIDS has become a 25-year epidemic, and could become the worst epidemic in human history by the year 2220. An estimated 3 million people have AIDS; half a million of these are children. Many people see this as an LGBT community issue, but it’s more than that. “It’s everybody’s issue,” Scheele claims, “and sometimes that gets lost.”
Nicole Rozanski, a UMaine alumna from 2006 and a peer educator, closed the vigil with a moment of silence. Afterwards, participants headed to Memorial Union to view the National AIDS quilt panels, which are on loan to the university from the NAMES group to display last Friday.
The National AIDS quilt dates back to June, 1987, in San Francisco, California, and has grown to about 45,520 panels and 83,000 names. The three sections on display in the Union atrium were 12 feet by 12 feet, with 8 panels each.
It doesn’t cost any money to contribute a panel to the quilt, and there are more pieces collected every week. The panels were given to the university for World AIDS Day from the local chapter of the NAMES project, which uses the quilt in their ongoing fight to end AIDS.
Planning for this event began in September, but work has been done on the Know Yourself campaign since February of last year. “When people walk by and see this quilt, even just for a moment, it seems more real,” explained Webster. “Because you look at a panel, and say ‘Hey, this guy liked the same things I do.’”
Red ribbons were handed out, and the events were a huge success. “We’re so glad,” Webster said, “but it’s not just about today, awareness and remembrance needs to occur every day.”
Related Posts:- Peer Ed creates quilt for World AIDS Day (October 29, 2004)
- UMaine marks World AIDS Day with candlelight vigil at Fogler (December 2, 2004)
- World AIDS events planned for today (December 1, 2005)
- A brave new world (March 7, 2002)
- Spreading AIDS awareness (December 6, 2007)
