In commemoration of World AIDS Day tomorrow, Harvard is hosting a wide range of activities this week to increase AIDS awareness.
The AIDS Institute and a number of other Harvard groups that participated in the Harvard-Radcliffe Arts Committee on AIDS have planned such events as art exhibits, films and forums.
"It was a coordinated University-wide effort so the events should be a lot stronger, more visible, and more well-attended," said Jafi A. Lipson '95, co-director of the Harvard-Radcliffe AIDS Education and Outreach.
The schedule began last night with a screening of the movie "And the Band Played On."
The Harvard AIDS Institute will host an "AIDS in Asia" forum this afternoon, addressing the rapid growth of HIV in countries such as India and Thailand, said Dr. Richard Marlink, executive director of the AIDS Institute.
"The focus of the forum follows the evolution of the epidemic as the groups that are disproportionately affected change," he said.
The AIDS Institute will present the second annual AIDS Leadership Award today to Cleve Jones, creator of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.
The award, given last year to tennis star Arthur Ashe, rewards a person who has "shown leadership and courage above and beyond the call of duty," Marlink said.
Each panel in the quilt Jones created is dedicated to a person who died from complications from AIDS. Many panels contain personal messages andsymbols of the person's favorite activities. Seven of the quilt's 25,000 detached panels arecurrently on display at the Fogg Art Museum. Theexhibit marks the first time Harvard has publiclyhosted the quilt. "The quilt brings home very powerfully howtragic the epidemic is," said Baird Professor ofScience Dudley R. Herschbach. "We can only hope that when people see thequilt the message will sink in to protectthemselves," said Herschbach, a Nobel laureate inchemistry. While many people said they were saddened bythe quilt, which was nominated for the Nobel PeacePrize in 1989 and 1990, others said they foundhope in it. "There is a spirit to the panels," said PeterS. Cahn '96. "Many of the people close to thevictims wish them good luck and are trying to findhappiness in their loss." Agitprop is sponsoring a work of art called"Boxed In" at the Sackler Museum. The pieceincludes a wire cage, on which students will begiven the opportunity to attach ribbons or anyother mementos for AIDS victims. An AIDS Oratorio, performed by Harvardstudents, and a Gospelfest will be held tomorrow."The Wizard of Aids," a musical parody, will beperformed Thursday. A healing service at Christ Church on Sundaywill conclude the week. "I've received a high response from the Harvardcommunity," Marlink said.
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