World AIDS Day to be celebrated at UCCS

Seven years ago when Carmen Abeyta was asked if a World AIDS day celebration could be hosted at UCCS, her answer was, "Absolutely!"

On Dec. 1, UCCS, along with the rest of the world will be celebrating World AIDS Day.

Abeyta, who is the assistant director of the MOSAIC office at UCCS, describes World AIDS day as "A day where people around the world are asked to commemorate this day in remembrance of people that have gone before us who have had AIDS and those living with AIDS."

The event is being jointly sponsored by a number of clubs and organizations such as MOSAIC, the Student Government Association, NAACP and the Student Diversity Council. The Student Health Center will host confidential AIDS testing from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The national World AIDS day theme this year is "Getting to Zero" highlighting the goal of getting to zero cases of AIDS.

The event begins at 5 p.m. in Berger Hall; there will be a reception and refreshments, provided by SGA, followed by a keynote speaker at 5:30. This keynote speaker is Dr. Watson, whom Abeyta described as being very knowledgeable thanks to her experience as a medical doctor.

"It's wonderful to have someone of her caliber here," said Abeyta.

There will also be students giving introductions and a recognition of community and campus VIPs that will attend the event. The night will conclude with a candle lighting ceremony in remembrance of those who have died from AIDS.

Abeyta said the main purpose of the festivities is to educate people. According to Abeyta, many people think there's only one way to contract AIDS. They may also see it as a disease that only happens to people in Africa, when really it can happen to anyone.

"I think there are a lot of myths about AIDS. I think educating people on the reality of AIDS, how you contract it, what are the treatments – education is key to prevention as well as hopefully eliminating it," she said.

Abeyta said there had previously been World AIDS day events at Colorado College and Pikes Peak Community College, but they've enjoyed having it at UCCS so much that it has continued going on here for the past seven years. "I think it's remarkable, keeping something going that long. The problem's not going away; hopefully there'll be a cure someday down the road," said Abeyta.