AIDS quilt coming to university
Chris McCartyNow, it’s coming to CMU. The university will feature a portion of the world-famous AIDS quilt Monday through Thursday.
“We are bringing the quilt here to foster healing, heighten awareness and inspire action in the struggle against HIV and AIDS,” said Grand Blanc senior Jamie Picken.
With the assistance of University Health Services, Picken, president of Eta Sigma Gamma, helped to bring the quilt to CMU.
Volunteers still are needed to help set up the quilt, which people can see from noon to 11 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday in Finch Fieldhouse.
People interested showing the quilt can sign up at the Volunteer Center, located in the lower level of the Bovee University Center. Potential volunteers are encouraged to apply on the Web site, osl.stulife.cmich.edu/vcentral/index.asp.
Sidney Sowle & Son Moving & Storage Inc., 515 Industrial Ave., a moving company in Mount Pleasant, drove to Atlanta to pick up the quilt.
“It’s a very powerful experience to see it,” said Sarah Campbell, University Health Services director. “I would encourage students to take the time and not go in with any preconceived notions — just go in with an open mind.”
The quilt began in the early 1990s to bring remembrance to AIDS victims. The quilt has been grown larger every year, and Picken said any people who want to make a quilt may drop it off at Finch. The quilt then will be inducted and sent to Atlanta, where the most of the quilt is kept.
“It is important for people to be aware that HIV infection and AIDS are still very real problems in the world,” Campbell said. “The quilt is made up of remembrances of so many real people that succumbed to AIDS and hopefully it will increase awareness that anyone can acquire the infection.”
Each small quilt is sown into a panel, which goes into a larger 12-by-12 foot block. There are six panels per block, and, 120 of these blocks, or 720 panels, will come to CMU. The entire quilt has a total of 144,000 panels, a number which grows daily.
The “showcase” panels of the quilt belong to Freddie Mercury, the former singer of the band Queen, and Ryan White, who died of AIDS in 1990. His mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, will speak at 7 p.m. Monday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.
The event is free, but Isabella AIDS Council is accepting donations.
Fore more information, visit www.aidsquilt.org.
