Practicing safe sex

Students passing the Commons desk in the Indiana Memorial Union have been greeted with more than the usual posters exhorting them to travel to exotic lands or attend call-out meetings for various groups. Since Monday, student groups have been promoting safe love in the name of AIDS awareness: Distributing condoms and literature about HIV/AIDS.\nGroups participating in this effort include: Health and Wellness Education, Eta Sigma Gamma, IUSA, Outreach Kenya, Student Global AIDS Campaign, Kinsey Institute, KISISS, Allys, Women's Student Association, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, Positive-Link and Community AIDS Action Group.\nSenior Jill Buckles, member of Eta Sigma Gamma, said the campaign is going extremely well.\n"We've been running out of leaflets," she said. "We've had to print more so we can continue to distribute them."\nBuckles said the groups have been distributing literature, condoms and red ribbons. She adds that students have been hearing the message.\n"So far the students seem to really be listening," she said. "I see lots of people with ribbons on their bags or coats. Hopefully the people who pick information up will read it and learn something."\nBuckles added that the distribution of literature and condoms is not the only event marking AIDS Awareness Week. \n"There are events occurring all this week and next benefiting different AIDS organizations," she said. "There are benefit concerts at the bars, conferences and performances of 'The Vagina Monologues'."\nAlso aiding the distribution of information was junior Natalia Galvan. While not a member of any groups participating in the campaign, she felt a need to help spread the word on AIDS.\n"I wanted to help spread the word by distributing the ribbons," she said. "AIDS prevention and education is the most important thing that's going on today. It's absolutely necessary."\nStudent Global AIDS Campaign is one group supporting the distribution efforts and using the platform to promote other AIDS awareness events.\n"We are operating this distribution with Outreach Kenya Development Volunteers to spread the message on both World AIDS Day and AIDS Awareness Week," said SGAC president Dan O'Neill. "We are also using this opportunity to inform students about the Midwest Regional Conference hosted at IU by our organization."\nThe conference, being held from Feb. 22-24, is a workshop for students from all over the Midwest. Speakers at the conference include River Huston, an HIV-positive writer, poet and activist. \n"We are working to fight the AIDS crisis," said O'Neill. "Though we are a new group to campus we have over 200 members who feel strongly about the issues that we are facing."\nO'Neill adds that all are welcome to attend the conference, which is free for all students. \nDistribution will continue in the IMU today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.