On Wednesday, December 1, the Indian Mountain School community recognized World AIDS Day. Many students and faculty raised money and awareness for AIDS research by purchasing and wearing red ribbons and bracelets and wearing red clothing.

The Diversity Committee shared some information about AIDS with students to help increase our understanding of the disease. These latest statistics of the global HIV and AIDS epidemic were published by UNAIDS in November 2009, and refer to the end of 2008.

  • People living with HIV/AIDS in 2008 33.4 million
  • Adults living with HIV/AIDS in 2008 31.3 million
  • Women living with HIV/AIDS in 2008 15.7 million
  • Children living with HIV/AIDS in 2008 2.1 million
  • People newly infected with HIV in 2008 2.7 million
  • Children newly infected with HIV in 2008 .43 million
  • AIDS deaths in 2008 2.0 million
  • Child AIDS deaths in 2008 .28 million

Last year, a group of students also travelled to the University of Hartford to view panels of the national AIDS Quilt. IMS contributed a panel for the quilt that tours around the country.

Thanks to the Diversity Committee Members for helping to coordinate the effort on the Upper Campus: Finya Swai, Alice Tang. Rachel Yerks, John Parrino, Maggie Markgraf, Talia Bush, Janessa Cheung, Cormac Bell, Jinny Choe, Maggie Frankenbach, Tess Depress, Frankie Luria, Jenna Rubin, Joe Kim, Lexi Merison, Helena Seo, Fuko Chiba, Yu Jin Hwang, Sami Depass, Ms. Fontaine, Mrs. Frankenbach

For more information on HIV, AIDS, and the Quilt go to www.cdc.gov and www.aidsquilt.org.