Students dressed in black and presented various forms of artistic expression Wednesday in order to educate the community about the diverse impact of HIV/AIDS on a local and global scale.
The event was put on by world arts and cultures Professor David Gere and his students in the Make Art/Stop AIDS class, and was co-sponsored by the UCLA Globalization Research Center-Africa.
Make Art/Stop AIDS is an upper-division WAC class that combines lecture with volunteering in the community and making art.
“I liked the idea of sharing what happens in our classrooms to the general public,” Gere said.
The presenters in the class, who dressed in black as part of the performance, were split up into five groups to highlight the diverse locations where HIV/AIDS is prevalent.
The locations included South Africa, Peru, Brazil, Senegal, and South Los Angeles.
Edith Omwani, a professor in the graduate school of education, said the diversity of the locations showed how widespread HIV/AIDS is.
“Observers will see that (HIV/AIDS) is not only prevalent in Africa ““ it’s in our own backyard,” Omwani said.
The students collaborated using different methods of artistic expression to present facts about HIV/AIDS.
One group produced a video showing snapshots of South Los Angeles and its residents, and dispersed facts about HIV/AIDS between the images.
Another group acted the part of South African government officials who displayed varying attitudes toward HIV/AIDS.
“Having the students produce the event allowed them to engage deeper into the subject,” said Emma Nesper, a graduate student in African studies who assisted the presenters.
Some students performed skits and created posters to show to the public.
One skit instructed viewers on how to properly put on a condom, and featured students acting out a date. One student also dressed up as a condom.
Other students created posters with information aiming to reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS and condom use.
“It’s important for us to take what we’ve discussed in the classroom and put it out into the world,” said Sara Stranovsky, a graduate student in world arts and cultures.
A presentation accompanying the event featured student photographs and written profiles of 12 Los Angeles residents living with HIV/AIDS.
The residents were of various ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations, and each of them described their reflections on living with HIV/AIDS.
Whitney Pierce, a third-year art history student who worked on the gallery, said she felt lucky to have participated in the event.
“(The stories) inspire me every day to make a change,” Pierce said.
Gere said he hoped the attendees would leave knowing the prevalence of student activism at UCLA concerning HIV/AIDS.
“The fact that so many students from different disciplines are coming together makes us more likely to succeed in our mission,” Gere added.