Education key part of World AIDS Day

Today marks the 20th annual World AIDS Day, a day when individuals and organizations around the world gather and bring greater awareness to the global AIDS epidemic.

Scott Dotterer, coordinator of Office of Health Promotion, said events to raise AIDS awareness will be going on throughout the week at Kent State.

Diane Kerr is giving a presentation at 7 p.m. in the Kiva, titled “The 20th Anniversary of World AIDS.” The presentation will define what society can do globally, nationally and locally to stop the epidemic.

The presentation has been adopted into the Student Success Series, a list of presentations that all Kent State freshmen choose from to attend. As a result, almost 270 freshmen signed up to attend the program as of the middle of November with the number expected to rise as the event grows closer, Dotterer said.

Face Aids Kent chapter coordinator Alexandra Hill said the organization will be setting up informational tables and offering additional HIV awareness programs.

“We are partnering up with AMSA (American Medical Student Association), Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Student Center to hand out safer-sex packets, host sex-educational games and hand out an assortment of different informational pamphlets about AIDS,” Hill said. Flyers for a free and confidential AIDS testing via University Health Services will also be handed out.

Face AIDS will also be hosting an informational HIV film Thursday at 7 p.m. in Room 319 of the Student Center.

“We’re also trying to get a doctor to talk there in an open forum about HIV/AIDS,” Hill said.

Hill said World AIDS Day is important because it is recognized globally and allows the whole world to understand the importance of the issue.

Contact student health reporter Caleb Jenkins at [email protected].