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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2000)
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas Newsroom: (541)346-5511 Room 300, Erb Memorial Union P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu Wednesday May 24,2000 Volume 101, Issue 159 Effierald One out of every 500 college students in the United States is infected with HIV, so get tested and live your life being part of the solution, not the problem Spre t;nn JL. If the numbers are right, approximately 35 stu dents on the University campus are HIV posi tive. If common sense is right, condoms can stop that number from increasing. And if you want peace of mind, stop by the Uni versity Health Center and get tested. The fact is that all sexually active college stu dents — and those sharing needles — are at risk for HIV and other diseases. Statistics give us an ap proximation of how many potential partners may be HIV positive, but only testing every student would let us know for sure. If you can’t be sure that you aren’t at risk — if you can’t be abstinent — then think, when in a sexual situation, about the probability of contracting HIV from a one night stand or even a long-time partner. The HIV/AIDS crisis has not slowed in the Unit ed States or in the world, even though you might think the wonder drugs of the mid-1990s have “cured” HIV. Magic Johnson might still be alive, but that doesn’t mean that contracting HIV is no big deal anymore. College campuses and teenagers were big targets of HIV prevention campaigns only a few years ago, but we rarely hear about HIV on this campus today. We might get the idea from all the silence that we needn’t worry about the virus, but the fastest growing segment of HIV infections are among young females. HIV testing at the health center can confirm your status. This term the tests are free, but they will be $12 afterward. They can always be done anonymously. So far in spring term, 275 students have had themselves tested. While this figure is up from about 120 students tested all last year, that number should be even higher. With one out of every 500 university students in the United States being HIV positive and 16,000 people in the world contracting HIV every day, you might want to know where you fit in. Efforts are being stepped up all over the world to combat AIDS and even to prevent it through awareness programs. On June 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of People with AIDS are hosting an Giovanni Salimena Emerald annual National HIV Testing Day. The campaign wants to make people aware that HIV is still a leading killer among youths in the United States and among all people across the world. Joining the fight to attack AIDS and HIV are pharmaceutical companies, which just this month announced plans to cut the cost of A TPS drugs to developing countries. Americans should see this move as a positive step forward but also as a sign that HIV is an international concern. We are part of the bigger picture. Getting tested — and being aware — are also steps in seeing the bigger picture. One person CAN stop the spread of HIV, if he or she gets tested and uses the information appropriately. Knowl edge is power. Working together is powerful. If you are sexually active, you are at risk. We all are. This editorial represents the view of the Emerald editorial board. Responses may be sent to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu Letters to the editor Non-pets are abused, too I am really getting tired of the way the media and the public deal with animal abuse cases such as the sev ered dog’s paws found on the Fid dler’s Green Golf Course a few days ago (ODE, May 23.) Yes, it might be “gross” and even “horrifying” to find dog’s paws lying around, but the fact that a story like this is deemed impor tant shows the absolute silliness and narrow-minded morals of the way people think about animals. Let’s put it all in perspective: Millions of ani mals, living breathing beings which we have chosen to call “livestock” and “meat,” are killed each year for ,food. Animals are experimented on, abused for entertainment and kept in cages in zoos; yet because they are not the animals that we choose to care about and keep as pets or find cute enough for our liking, their well-being is not at all important. In the animal rights movement, this is called “speciesism,” or a kind of discrimina tion of our morals and compassion only toward those beings that we choose to care about. My point is, severed dog’s paws are indeed gross, but if anyone cares about one dog, then I think they must also care about the millions of other animals that really need everyone’s compassion. Just use a little common sense — if you are going to care about a paw, then put down that hamburger and care about all animals. Boris Dolin senior, linguistics Anti-racism race not covered The YWCA has had a long history of not only empowering women and girls but fostering racial justice and preventing violence. Here on our campus, the YWCA has done some extraordinary things in the last several years because of some remarkable staff and dedicated members. On May 14 the YWCA held a won derful event, 'The YWCA Race Against Racism.” The event will ben efit programs, events and education committed to enhancing diversity and the elimination of racism. There were more than 50 entries in cluding one representative from the Human Rights Commission. We were fortunate that two local television sta tions were present to cover it. In fact, our ASUO President-elect Jay Bres low was even the keynote speaker. Why did it not merit media coverage from the Emerald, especially after the YWCA executive director submitted press releases? The fact is, that racism exists at this University. I believe just as much in protesting as any other ac tivist to stand up against racism. How ever, a worthy event such as this should have been covered and sup ported by the Emerald. If two television stations thought this event was worthwhile coverage, I am curious as to what does it take to be worthy of an article for the Emer ald? You will be given another oppor tunity next year at our Second Annual YWCA Race Against Racism. Mercedez Cruz YWCA board president PPPM Quoted “We really want to seize the momen* turn here." — Michael J. Fox, the Spin City actor who has Parkin son’s disease, on leaving his show to promote his new cause. CNN.com, May 23. “All of Ray Lewis’ actions were ac tions to attempt to stop the fight, to attempt to break up the fight.” — NFL linebacker Ray Lewis’attor ney Ed Garland, in his opening argu ments in the NFL star’s murder trial. Lewis was arrested after the Super Bowl in February for his alleged role in stabbing two men outside a nightclub. CNNSf.com, May 23. “We need to recon sider our ideas about the begin nings of civiliza tion, pushing the time further back.” —McGuire Gibson, a professor at the Oriental In stitute and co-di rector of an expe dition last year that discovered a 6,000 year old city in Syria. Scientists had previously be lieved civilization began in Mesopotamia in 3,000-3,500 BX. The Associated Press, May 23. “Life expectancy in more than a dozen African countries ‘will soon be 17 years shorter be cause of AIDS— 47 years instead of 64. [AIDS] is quite literally robbing Africa of a quarter of our lives.’” —Callisto Madavo, the World Bank’s vice presi dent for Africa, on the AIDS crisis. The Village Voice, Nov. 3,1999. CORRECTION The story “Confer ence discusses pro choice” (ODE, May 22) should have read: Sunday’s wrap-up included a movie about a woman who died while havingan il legal abortion. The Emerald re grets this error.
