Dinner helps fund HIV testing

By: Khela Kupiec

Issue date: 4/20/06 Section: News
Do you know your status? Wilde Stein and Peer Educators collaborated to bring a unique event to the University of Maine Monday evening.

A benefit dinner was held in Stodder Commons as part of Wilde Stein's Pride Week to raise money for HIV and AIDS testing on campus for UMaine students. The event sent the message that it is time for people to get serious about the risks of AIDS and the responsibility of sexually active students to get tested.

All $500 of the proceeds were donated to Cutler Health Center, subsidizing half the cost of a current $50 HIV-AIDS test. For $25, testing will be available for students by appointment at Cutler next Wednesday, April 26.

The event drew a large crowd of more than 240 people, many admittedly drawn by the grand-finale promise of a performance by the UMaine Steiners in addition to support for the cause.

SING FOR YOUR SUPPER -Jamal Foreman sings at the Know Your Status benefit dinner Monday night.

Media Credit: laura giorgio

SING FOR YOUR SUPPER -Jamal Foreman sings at the Know Your Status benefit dinner Monday night.
"The turnout was amazing," said Andrew Johnson, Pride Week committee chair for Wilde Stein. "We are happy that we could have such a successful event, to be able to raise awareness amongst students, faculty and staff on campus as well as community members."

A catered dinner was provided for students free of charge, donations accepted, and faculty and community members were charged a minimal fee.

Keynote speaker, Jamie Cotenoir from the Eastern Maine AIDS Network spoke to the audience about the importance of HIV testing and gave a brief description of the actual testing experience.
Athletes for Sexual Responsibility, with their adviser Dr. Sandy Caron, performed skits, while Gustavo Burkett, assistant director of Campus Activities for Student Organizations and Greek Life, won a 50-50 raffle but donated his winnings of $53.60 back to the cause.

The entire event was made possible by the Deans of Students Programming Fund, according to Johnson, and because of the success, Johnson says his group will possibly make the benefit dinner an annual Pride Week event.

"Even though this particular event was focused on HIV, we want to stress the importance of getting tested for all Sexually Transmitted Diseases-Infections, or STD-Is," said Angela Fiandaca, Peer Education Program graduate assistant. "Several STD-Is can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and oral sex, so this is not just something those who engage in sexual intercourse need to be thinking about. We all have the responsibility to promote awareness about safer sex."

More information about testing is on Peer Ed's Web site at www.umaine.edu/peered under "fact sheets" and under "STDI testing."

According to Johnson, support for Pride week has been wonderful.

"The week itself is going very, very well," said Johnson, on Wednesday. "For the first two days we've already had an attendance of over 350 students with the walk [Walk With the Ones You Love], dinner and the comedian [Elvira Kurt]; and we still have three more days of events to come."

Today the UMaine Day of Silence is being held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Wilde Stein open house will be in the Multipurpose Room at 7 p.m. in Memorial Union. Friday will close the week with the Annual Drag Show and Dance 8 p.m.-midnight in York Commons. "Brokeback Mountain" will also be shown at 7:30 and 10 p.m. in the Bangor Room, Memorial Union.

Public Safety is also flying the six-color Gay Pride flag below its American Flag this week to show their support for a safe and diverse community. According to Public Safety, UMaine's Human Resources received complaints about the flag from faculty but that report is unconfirmed by Human Resources.

"No one on this campus should be bullied, intimidated or live in fear while they live, work and learn at the University of Maine," said Public Safety Chief Noel March, council member of GLBT Allies. "I hung that flag below the United States flag, not as a political statement but as a statement that people on our campus, men and women, will be safe and protected."