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PAST ISSUES

AIDS Awareness: The Names Project

by Megan Kealy
Exchange Staff 

     Currently living with AIDS, Arne Grandell told his story to the Franklin Pierce community on Tuesday in Pierce Hall, with a showing of massive hand made quilts dedicated to others who struggled with AIDS.

     Residing in Rindge, Arne was diagnosed HIV positive in 1993. For the last seven years the virus has been so low that it's gone undetected in his system. He's shared his story with the Monadnock community since, educating the community about the threat that AIDS can have on college students.

     Sistuhs arranged a viewing of these quilts that were handmade by family members in dedication to their loved ones. The people that the quilts were dedicated to were from the local area. Sistuhs is a women's organization that brings health, gender and diversity awareness to the campus.

     December 1^st is National AIDS awareness day and Sistuhs, BSA, and GSA wanted to salute AIDS on campus. Christina Levesque, a junior and treasurer of Sistuhs, said, "Young people are more at risk than they think they are and college students need to be more aware. People don't realize how AIDS can easily affect them and their community."

     High maintenance security was required because the handmade quilts are sensitive. The quilts were part of The Names Project, a national organization. This year is the 20^th anniversary of the quilts that celebrate the lives of deceased AIDS patients. The quilts are so big now that they would take up to 29 football fields to view. Each quilt patch is 12 feet by 12 feet and each section is 3 feet by 6 feet, which is generally the size of a casket.

     Susan MacNeil  is the executive director for AIDS Organization in the Modnadnock region. She first brought the quilt to Franklin Pierce in 2004. It was MacNeil's idea to also have AIDS tests that evening. It was a simple swab of the mouth and a 20-minute wait. That year students opted to do the tests. This year there were only 36 tests and they ran out before the event even started.
    
     Nicole Kedaroe, a senior and president of the organization, said, "I was glad that they ran out of tests because it showed that students were concerned and interested in knowing about AIDS, but I was disappointed because there should have been more tests donated because we are a school of 1,600 and I feel all students should have been tested."

     Concluding his speech Arne said, "Be careful, protect yourself, because it's out there."