Plattsburgh State students plan local World AIDS Day conference

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October 17, 2011

JEFF MEYERS Press-Republican The Press Republican Mon Oct 17, 2011, 09:18 AM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — Several Plattsburgh State students from the school's Cardinal Public Relations Club are developing a local commemoration for World AIDS Day in December.

The students are working closely with the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York to create a program that will provide students and the Plattsburgh community with an update on AIDS across the globe.

"What we have in mind is a focus on diversity," said student Sharisse DaSilva, who first approached AIDS Council Executive Director Diana Aguglia with an idea for an internship through the council that would focus on a public event.

"We want to offer an overall conversation about STDs (sexually-transmitted diseases), homosexual and heterosexual relationships and socio-economic issues that impact AIDS. We want people to relate to this topic in different ways."

STILL AN ISSUE

Although the group is continuing to work on solidifying a schedule for the event — which may be one or two days in length — DaSilva and her co-organizers envision holding activities for the entire community.

"We're hoping to get everybody involved: high-school and college students as well as members of the general public," said Kirsten Halfon. "We'll have a panel that will include a question-and-answer session for people to get involved in."

"There will also be different booths with games and prizes," said Emily Aubertine. "We'll also have a children's corner with information about health in general."

World AIDS Day is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1. The group of Public Relations students, which also includes Carissa Franks, plan to begin an aggressive media project announcing the event on what they are calling "AIDS Day Coming Out Week," starting Oct. 24.

Their efforts will help promote AIDS awareness, which they feel has weakened throughout the general population.

"People just don't think about it the way they used to," Aubertine said. "They think more about STDs and don't consider AIDS an issue anymore. It will be interesting to hear community leaders talk about strategies in dealing with HIV and AIDS."

"It definitely is still an issue," Aguglia added. "STD rates are pretty high in the 15-to-24 age group, and when STDs are present, you are more at risk for HIV."

TALKING ABOUT IT

Much of the neutral attitude toward AIDS is based on people's inability to talk about negative issues, DaSilva noted.

"We want the overall message (from World AIDS Day) to focus on discussion," she said. "It's not a bad thing to talk about; it's important that we are aware of the issue."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 37,151 new AIDS cases were reported in 2008, the most recent year for complete statistics. Nearly 11,300 people died from AIDS-related illness in 2008.

An estimated 33-million people are living with AIDS worldwide, according to Averting AIDS and HIV, an international charity for AIDS research. That number is up from 8 million in 1990, though the occurrence has stabilized over the past several years.

The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York has worked with Plattsburgh State students on several projects over the years. Aguglia will continue the effort over the next few weeks to finalize the local event with this year's group.

"They're dedicated to providing a thorough program for the community," she said. "It will be interesting to see what the final agenda looks like."

Email Jeff Meyers at

jmeyers@pressrepublican.com