The AIDS Memorial Quilt Conference was held at The Ohio Union, which I attended as a volunteer on April 12. My position was as a quilt monitor in one room on the third floor. My assigned spot consisted of being near the quilt and checking that viewers did not enter the room with food or drinks, as well as not to disturb the quilt hanging up. This event was hosted by the Students for Diversity in Education through Service (SDES). It is an event to honor those who passed after living with aids.The Lantern mentions that this was the first time the AIDS Memorial Quilt Conference was held for two decades (Pafford, 2019). Also included in The Lantern article on this event was a statement made by Hannah Messer who said, “We’re going to have five quilt panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, some speakers to talk about their experiences with HIV/AIDS, free condoms, a documentary showing and archive material from the 1980s epidemic” (Pafford, 2019). AIDS is a disease that affects people globally and about 36.9 million people were reported to be living with HIV/AIDS in 2017 (“Global Statistics”, 2018). This is most definitely an International Affair as it is an increasing public health challenge. There are efforts being made, globally to stop new HIV infections and that those with HIV have access to treatments (“Global Statistics”, 2018).
The people who organized the event were extremely nice and informative. I did not experience the event to its whole extent because I was volunteering for a shorter amount of time and stayed in one room. Personally, it was touching to look at the quilt panels and notice how much love and work went into creating something beautiful to honor their loved one. I did not know such an event existed, but I think bringing awareness to AIDS and giving respect to those who have passed and had AIDS is important. It was a respectful and beautiful event that was put together.
I am taking Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, which we have lightly touched on the topic of AIDS. We looked at statistics and data over the years and how the prevalence differs in ethnic groups and regions.
There are actually quite a few questions that I have after attending the event because those who organized the event were busy and I was there for a shorter period of time. I would ask about the stories of the people on the quilts, if they knew any and how they came to receive them for the conference. I was also wondering how much time was given to make this happen, and how they started to organize it. I wish I was able to attend some of the presentations and speakers to gain more insight into the condition.