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mmed Bilal is a composer, member of an award-winning
and, and poet. One of the seven cast members of MTV's
id show, The Real World, Mohammed Bilal shared his life
.5 million people every week. Viewers developed a deep
ir Pedro Zemora, his HIV+ housemate who passed away
e season ended. In remembrance, Mohammed has added
AIDS activist to the many hats he wears.
'"I
Demetri Moshoyann is the founder of
Youth Positive, an AIDS serve program aimed at engaging youth living with
or directly affected by AIDS/HIV in peer support and peer education. HIV+
himself, 24, and gay, Demetri began his service career with the Corporation
for National Service, helping to initiate Americorps.
Ben McFadyen is executive director of Triad Health Project (THP), a
localHlV/AIDS service organization. With a staff of 19 full-time and four
nployees and over3oo active volunteers, the agency serves 435 persons with HIV/AIDS,
work at THP, Ben /eveloped high-tech interactive products for Fortune 100 companies. He
iteer work at THP n 1991 to honor friends he had lost to the disease and joined the staff one
; Hackett is vice 'resident of the Bonner Foundation and director of the Bonner Program.
Program provides,cholarship support for 1,600 students active in community service at 2
I universities. Heias also served as managing director of Campus Outreach Opportunities
IOL), a national ietwork and platform for young people active in community service.
February 9, 1996
.. ... J
SUSAN ALLEN
features editor
Passion —that's what service
work is all about. For ADDS about
AIDS co-coordinator Amanda
Sabin, sometimes there is only
passion urging forward when pa
tience, energy and endurance have
vanished.
Three years ago, three Guil
ford students: Jack Register, Mark
Ferguson and Amanda Sabin en
visioned a conference to take place
on campus to raise AIDS aware
ness. Three years ago, no one was
certain if it was possible.
Passion about the issues sur
rounding AIDS made it possible.
It is that same burning passion that
has caused AIDS about AIDS to
grow from a small local confer
ence into a national conference that
now invites students from across
the country to attend.
For Amanda, the AIDS issue
became more personal and more
passionate nearly four years ago
when she lost a close friend to the
disease. Watching that pain
spurred her to action.
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AMANDA SABIN
The action she envisioned
at that time might not have been
as large as AIDS about AIDS has
become, but Amanda is glad to
have been involved, though she
claims she never expected to get
in so deep when Jack and Mark
approached her with the concept.
As AIDS about AIDS has
grown and burgeoned over the
past three years it has become
Come Learn Serve
The Guilfordian
It may sound
cheesy, but if our
efforts cause one
person to think about
using a condom or a
clean needle or asking
questions of his or her
partner, we have
made a positive
change.
more organized and businesslike,
but the passion has not diminished
about the importance of the mes
sage the conference hopes to con
vey.
Having it on a college cam
pus is also very important to
Amanda, who sees a great need to
increase awareness in the 18-24 age
bracket—where AIDS is spreading
the fastest. Having the conference
BEN FORD
guest writer
The life of a residential ad
visor is filled with requests to un
lock doors, to fix the heat, and to
solve problems.
These are all important re
quests, but why doesn't anyone ask
for condoms? Most RAs do have
condoms for their residents to use.
Some people know this, but many
seem to be left unaware and un
protected.
Well, here's the grand an
nouncement. If you need a
condom, go to your RA. If they do
not have any in their immediate
possession, they will be able to
help you find some.
Tragically, there are some
people who know that RAs have
condoms and have refused to take
them. They believe they don't need
this protection. Besides, it takes
time to put it on. In their minds, it
at a college targets this group very
directly.
Having the conference on
Guilford's campus has been an as
set as well. The small size and sup
portive nature of the campus has
made it possible to pull together
many of the resources available.
GLBA, HOME, Intervarsity, and
the Sexual Assault Task Force will
all be involved in AIDS about
AIDS this year.
More of Guilford is involved
now, but Amanda admits that she
has been disappointed by the num
ber of students registering to par
ticipate in the conference. Com
munity Senate agreed to subsidize
the cost of attending, but few have
taken advantage of this offer.
The organization would like
to express its thanks to all who
have volunteered or indicated in
terest. Amanda hopes to see the
conference continue for years to
come and gain greater recognition
at Guilford and nationally.
She is thankful for the op
portunity AIDS about AIDS has
presented for her to put passion
and leadership into service work.
is more of a problem than a prob
lem solver.
In addition to this group,
there are those who are just too shy
to ask. Sure they will wake me up
at 6:30 in the morning to unlock
their door, but they are afraid to
come to me for a condom.
For those who are too em
barrassed to ask for one, maybe we
need to devise a special code. Try
going to an RA and saying, "The
red spotted dog jumps on Tues
day." This would alleviate the us
age of that embarrassing word,
condom.
The next time you and your
special someone find that you are
missing something, go to the clos
est RA or convenient store to get
what you need. Those of you who
are a little embarrassed, use the
code. "The red spotted dog jumps
on Tuesday."
It is better to be embarrassed
than pregnant or dead.
7