Student-planned AIDS Awareness Week kicks off with film screening

Not everyone in the 50-plus member audience knew what they came for when they sat down in the Michigan League Underground last night at 8 p.m. Many came to see the University a cappella groups Amazin' Blue and The Gentleman - performers for the evening.

But as the LSA senior Riya Saha welcomed the audience to the kickoff of the "first ever student-run AIDS Awareness Week," they realized that there was more to the night than just music.

We Can Help: Michigan AIDS Project and University Activities Committee Special Events planned yesterday evening's activities as a way to introduce the audience to AIDS Awareness Week.

JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily Members of the a cappella group The Gentlemen perform last night at the Michigan League Underground for the opening event of AIDS Awareness Week.

"I think it would be best to start with something enjoyable and fun," Saha said. The hour-long concert was followed by a screening of the Academy Award-winning film "Philadelphia."

The entire evening was sponsored by the Michigan League Programming Board and the movie was co-sponsored by the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Affairs.

Saha said the purpose of devoting a full week on campus to AIDS awareness is "to get rid of the 'it can't happen to me' mentality that college students seem to have - especially here."

LSA sophomore and The Gentlemen member Rob Humbracht said he hoped his group's participation would "draw as many people here as possible for a cause." He added, "If adding our name to the venue helps in any way, then we've accomplished our mission."

LSA and Music senior Anna Gleichauf came to sing as a member of Amazin' Blue. "If (AIDS) is not spoken of, it's easy to become complacent," she said. "The more we can engage ourselves, the more progress we'll be making towards solving it."

Gentlemen member and LSA first-year student Dave Zohrob said he felt the importance of AIDS awareness on campus. "AIDS has become almost passé. There's no humanity involved in discussions. It's not important because X number of people die, it's because one of them could be your best friend."

The Gentlemen began the evening with a half-hour set of songs. "We hope you enjoy the events (of AIDS Awareness Week) and encourage you to go to them," Humbracht said before he introduced Amazin' Blue, who also performed for a half hour.

"This shows the variety of things you can come to for AIDS Awareness," said LSA sophomore Bethany Killian from her seat in the audience.

The variety of activities can be found posted across campus as well as online by accessing www.umich.edu/~uac/aidsawareness. The week's activities include visits from Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Mohammed Bilal, a cast member from MTV's "The Real World: San Francisco." The culmination of the week will take place in the form of a charity ball on Saturday in the Union Ballroom. Tickets will be sold for $10.

Money collected throughout the week will be donated to Camp Heartland, a Minnesota refuge for children infected by HIV and AIDS. Saha said they picked Camp Heartland because it goes along with the World AIDS Day theme of "Children and Young People" and because "it's not something for the future, but (we can see the effects) right now."

AIDS Awareness Week continues today when We Can Help will be collecting non-perishable food items in the Diag to donate to AIDS patients.

11-30-99