If the University were in Botswana, what proportion of the student body would be infected with HIV? Roughly 30%, equivalent to 2000 Princeton students.
This statistic inspired Adam Frankel '03 and Nida Parks '03 to create a public statement designed to make students stop and think. Co-organizers of the events marking World AIDS Week at the University, they planted 2,000 red flags in the 1879 courtyard yesterday, to launch this week's program.
"It's the task of our generation to turn the tide on the global AIDS pandemic," Frankel said, adding that the week was meant to encourage students to see the disease in its global context.
This year's AIDS week features more events than any other in recent history. It will include speakers, panel discussions, movies, and a job fair.
Frankel said the goal of the week is both to build awareness of the problem and to encourage activism. Frankel and Parks said that events were designed to inform students as well as empower them to get personally involved in the fight against AIDS.
Monday's events included a panel, "What Can Business Do About AIDS?" and a showing of the movie, "And the Band Played On." An AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display today and tomorrow. Wednesday features a panel of AIDS experts — including University anthropology professor Joao Biehl — who will offer an international perspective on the problem. The event is titled "Shapshots of the Global Epidemic of HIV/AIDS."
A showing of Tom Hanks' "Philadephia" on Thursday is designed to spark conversation about portrayals of AIDS in the media. Thursday night, during an arch sing in 1879 arch, organizers will sell beaded pins made by AIDS victims.
On Friday, the HIV/AIDS Job Fair will take place in Frist 100-level from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a symposium on health and development will be held in Dodds Auditorium. Free and confidental HIV testing will be available in McCosh from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Frankel said the job fair was the most "unique" addition to Princeton's AIDS week. He said the fair is designed to help Princeton students join the fight against the AIDS epidemic. "You can have knowledge, but if you don't act on it, then you aren't fulfilling the responsibility that comes with that knowledge," he said.
The job fair will include information about internships and jobs at United Nations organizations, Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, and the Drug Policy Alliance.
This week's events are sponsored by the Pace Center for Community Service, Frist Campus Center, Princeton University Health Services, the Woodrow Wilson School, Student Global AIDS Campaign, Global Issues Forum, LGBT Student Services, and Career Services.
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