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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1987)
AIDS Continued from Page 1 AIDS is a virus that strikes the immune system. The deadly disease is spread most often through sexual contact and through the sharing of con taminated hypodermic needles or syringes by drug abusers. Watching someone die of AIDS is "one of the most helpless feelings in the world.” said Scott Seibert. Mid-VAC chairman and a counselor for the terminally ill. But Seibert, who has worked with four of the seven AIDS pa tients in lane County who have died, said he also has seen some of the most inspiring things he’s ever experienced while working with AIDS patients. "Every day means something to them,” he said. “They say. Isn’t this a refreshing little rain we're having?’ and I'm think ing, it’s cold, and it’s wet. and I forgot my umbrella.’ ” Seibert also has watched AIDS patients fight discrimina tion and rejection as they strug gle with the degenerative disease. "It's obscene to me that that would be a time your fami ly would run from you. You can’t make up for that slur.” Mid-VAC provides a range a! services to those with the AIDS virus, including anonymous AIDS testing, counseling for those who test positive for the AIDS virus and clothing ex changes to provide clothes for people who have lost weight because of the disease. Shanti in Oregon, an AIDS support group based in Eugene, also provides emotional support to people with AIDS and to their families and friends. The Rev. Ken Storer, ex ecutive director of the group, became involved with Shanti in San Francisco, where the group originally was founded in the late 1970s. “lust too many of my friends had died of AIDS, and I wanted to do something." he said While attending Clay Pride Week in San Francisco, Storer saw a booth staffed by Shanti volunteers He had just lost a close friend to AIDS and broke down when he started talking to one of the volunteers "because 1 had never dealt with his death," Storer established Shanti. which means inner peace in Sanskrit, in Oregon in 1985 and has seen a steady increase in the number of clients since then. About two dozen volunteers donate six to eight hours each per week and are matched one on-one with an AIDS patient. "We ask the volunteers to get involved to the point where it can hurt," Storer said. Shanti also has a support group for anyone close to the person dying of AIDS. "The biological family has to deal with finding out about AIDS and then finding out that the person is gay all at once. The person is facing death, and so are the people close to them.” Scott Seibert Storer admits that it is sometimes disheartening to work with a disease that is 100 percent fatal. Hut he adds quick ly that giving some comfort to those with the disease makes the effort worthwhile. ‘‘I want my brothers and sisters to be cared for with dignity. We can't change the outcome of the disease, but we can make a difference.” Volunteers, counselors needed The Mfd-VaUey Action Committee, a local AIDS awareness group, la looking foe counselors for their private anonymous AIDS testing program. The program starts Feb. 3. All people interested in serving as pre- or post-test counselors are required to take a short training session. For more infor mation, call 667-0226. Shanti in Oregon, an AIDS support group, also is looking for volunteers to work with AIDS patients. Call 342-5088 for more information, Mid-VAC also has a support group for those who test positive for the AIDS virus. The group meets weekly at a private residence For more Information, call Ken at 344-5367. _ ■ Businesses Continued from Page 1 shops gain new customers as well. [.aurie Brooks-Headley. manager of Kugene's Flower Home, believes that businesses in this area need to diversify. “In June when the students leave, it can be really slow. There is a drastic reduction in foot traffic. During those months, there are no students to depend on. We do a lot of business with Sacred Heart General Hospital.” she said. Greene and Leppmann agree that one reason why some businesses do well in this area is the fact that students appreciate the personalized ser vice, good quality and competitive prices offered. Fifteen of these area businesses, as well as Sacred Heart General Hospital, have joined together to form the University Small Business Association, an organization set up to provide members a place to discuss problems that affect the entire University business community. Problems don't seem to stem from the students or other customers. Greene said. In the past two years, the major issues facing the USHA have been the lack of parking, street alcoholics and panhandlers harassing customers and the prevention of shoplifting. “Shoplifting is not a major problem here." Greene said. “We usually deal with prevention rather than punitive action. We show businesses how to prevent shoplifting from occuring rather than stress the importance of punishment " Cray Continued from Page 7 discuss (..ray playing on (agger's new solo album, and Cray ex pects to record with (agger in February or March. “1 enjoy playing more than anything else," Cray says “There's something about holding that guitar, something about getting up on stage to tell that story. When I’m up there, that's all that matters," he says. It's taken Cray and his band 13 years of determination to get to their present status. For other local Northwest bands. Cray says don't give up hope and keep playing. "If you enjoy playing the music that you do, no matter what it is, stick with it. The thing is. it sometimes takes a while to get exactly where you want to be, but the most impor tant thing is you have to like what you are doing. When peo ple see that you enjoy what you are doing, then tor one tning. you will lie doing it a lot better, and people can see that and will react to that.” he says. The Robert Cray Hand will be performing Sunday night at 8 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom. Tickets are $7.50 for students and $8.50 for the general public. a certain wrinkle The best selection of cotton khaki pants in town, for men and women From $16 95 to $28 00 Many styles - many shades gg 1217 Alder St. — Semesters Continued from Page t "early" semester system, which the staff is now recommending for the entire stale. The early semester calendar typically has two 15-week regular terms followed by a summer session. The first semester begins *bout tabor Day (fall quarter usually begins three weeks later), and the se cond semester ends about the middle of May. Glum said he supports the semester system for "purely academic reasons. It lakes more time to explore a subject in depth. "In the semester system, things can go wrong . such as an illness. . and you have time to adjust." Glum said The staff says faculty members and students are divided on the issue, but in discussions with the President's Council, the Academic Council. and community c o 11 e g t> presidents, "there is relatively little opposition to the early semester calendar: most of the concerns center on problems of conversion." The staff has recommended that the major responsibility for the conversion to an early semester calendar should be delegated to each campus. Each campus should establish a Campus Conversion Commit tee. the chairperson of which should bo a member of an In terinstitutional Committee on Semester Conversion. Representatives of public schools and community col leges should tie asked to meet with the committee when issues involving those groups are discussed. "Campuses should Ini given considerable discretion in bow they organize their curricula," said the recommendation. "We probably need to agree on beginning and ending dales of each term and have some general understanding about course numbers and general education requirements." An expected staff report on alternatives for funding inter collegiate athletics at the University and OSU is not on the agenda for the |an 16 State Hoard meeting. Hut Hunt Holsapplo, ticket manager for the University Athletic Ilepart inent. said a move to the semester system would definite ly help athletics. "We usually have anywhere from one to three home football games before school is in session, before the students are on cam pus. we can sell maybe l.(HH) tickets. When they’re hack, we can sell between :t,(KM) and ti.(MM) depending on the game." Winter Woes Because You Have | No Dough? 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