October 31, 2010

by Sarah Steely '14

A biology class and eating house will lead the Davidson campus community in the recognition of World AIDS Day on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

Wessner's "Biology of HIV/AIDS" class meets often outdoors or in the Alvarez College Union.

Professor of Biology David Wessner's class in "Biology of HIV/AIDS" is partnering with Warner Hall eating house to present in the Lilly Gallery informational videos about AIDS and HIV created by class members. There will also be two speakers from the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network's (RAIN) Empowering Positive Youth program who will speak at 5 p.m.

The videos will build on the activities of Wessner's "Biology of HIV/AIDS" class last year. That group conducted an electronic survey of Davidson students' use of Internet media as the basis for determining the best means of educating young people about HIV/AIDS. The impetus for their study was the fact that about 34% of all new HIV/AIDS infections in the U.S. occur in people between the ages of 13 and 29. That statistic indicates that this young demographic is not hearing or heeding traditional prevention messages. The survey was intended to determine if use of new media to convey the message would have better effect.

An impressive 25% of Davidson students responded to the survey questions. They replied that they spend a significant amount of time using Facebook and YouTube. Of the 400 respondents, 64 % use Facebook daily, and 36.4% use YouTube often. Wessner's class concluded that most students would access HIV/AIDS information on YouTube or related sites rather than text, e-mail, Facebook, blogs or podcasts. However, the survey also showed that most students do not seek any source of information on HIV/AIDS.

To target information to young people, the class developed a multimedia Web site devoted to HIV/AIDS and popular culture. The class also maintained a blog with podcasts that is available at http://the-aids-pandemic.blogspot.com/.

They submitted their findings to the Web site AIDS.gov. Coincidentally, the executive editor of that government website, Paige Baker, lives in Davidson. Impressed with the students' work, she lectured on campus early this semester about the Web site and the role of new media in HIV/AIDS outreach and education.

Wessner believes the students' outreach efforts have the advantage of "freeing ourselves from the four walls of the classroom." He explained, "Interacting with the community, with other students, and on a global level adds a great deal to the educational experience for students."

Wessner presented a poster about results of the project at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria. Each student in the Fall 2009 class was officially listed as a co-author. The conference is the premier gathering for people working in the field of HIV/AIDS research, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic.

The campuswide recognition of World AIDS Day will continue on Saturday, December 4. On that evening Warner Hall eating house will conduct its annual Red and Black Ball. Proceeds will benefit the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network and the Mwandi (Zambia) Christian Mission Hospital. The event features a live band, a dessert bar, a raffle and silent auction. For more information, visit http://www.wix.com/warnerhall/redandblackball.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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