November 29, 2004

Contact:
Mara L. Kiffin, Assistant Director
Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5350; 954-224-4642

 

NSU Observes World AIDS Day 2004

FT. LAUDERDALE , FL. – The Nova Southeastern University community will observe “A Light of Hope” on World AIDS Day - Wednesday, December 1 - by participating in a series of special events on the main campus designed to remember those who have died or who are living with HIV/AIDS

• 9:00 a.m. - The Office of Student Affairs is sponsoring a kick-off ceremony at 9:00 a.m. in the atrium of the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center. The keynote speaker will be Cody W. Smith, 31 years old, who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS when he was 16. Smith, who has been in a long-term relationship with an HIV-negative man for more than 10 years, has been an NSU employee since 1997 at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is working on his B.A. in humanities, with a minor in gender studies, and regularly speaks to NSU classes about HIV/AIDS from a patient’s point of view. Smith is a member of GenderPAC, AmFAR, and the Human Rights Campaign, and since he was 20 has advocated for AIDS research, people with AIDS, and the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities.
  
  
• 9:30-7:00 p.m. - During the day, a section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in the library, along with displays from student organizations. In an effort to increase awareness and understanding about the disease, students, faculty and staff may view movies about HIV/AIDS from 9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m., in the Rosenthal Student Center and Leo Goodwin Sr. Residence Hall.
  
  
• 7:00 p.m. – A candlelight ceremony will be held at 7:00 p.m. with keynote speaker Maria Maniscalco, Pharm.D., from the Health Professions Division’s College of Pharmacy. The candlelight ceremony will be held outside of Leo Goodwin Sr. Residence Hall, and will feature an open microphone for people to share stories or to remember and honor friends and loved ones who died from the disease.

Nova Southeastern University is located at 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. For more information, about World AIDS Day activities, call (954) 262-7280.