AIDS Quilt Reflection

The long awaited finale to our three part series on the AIDS Quilt is finally here! Hilary Mislan, one the event's student organizers, shares her thoughts:

AIDS Service Network worked with 8th Dimension, the Women's Center, and many interested students in brining 100 squares of the AIDS Quilt to Haverford for World AIDS Day. The display was the largest in the Philadelphia area in 10 years, and it was certainly very beautiful. It was a lot of hard work, and it was great that so many Haverford students were able to enjoy this beautiful memorial. To go along with the AIDS Quilt, ASN members also facilitated a "Conversations du Jour" with the CPGC, answering people's questions about AIDS and raising issues for discussion.

This display at Haverford was very different from the other, much smaller ones that I have been a part of in the past. The publicity committee did a tremendous job advertising the Quilt on campus, and it was great to see so many Haverford students come out to see it. I think a lot of the students were very moved by it- I know I always am. For some people, especially
those who don't know very much about AIDS or who haven't viewed the Quilt before, it can be a troubling or overwhelming experience to see the Quilt and think about all the lives that have been lost. I think the Quilt is a really beautiful memorial to those we have lost from AIDS. While another big display like this one won't be happening at Haverford for a while because of all the time, energy, and money involved in bringing it, I was proud to be a part of this display and I think it was a great success.