Speakers discuss living and dealing with HIV

Two speakers tried to send a valuable message Monday night in the Rooftop Lounge of High Rise North. The panelists were in good spirits and their discussion was very informative. The two are also HIV-positive. Last night eight students gathered to listen to the two representatives from Positive Voices, an organization affiliated with We The People, to discuss what it is like to be living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. One of the representatives, Rhonda Dennis, has been infected with the virus for eight years. She warned students that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome can effect anyone. "If you want to know what an [infected] person looks like, just look in the mirror at yourself because it could just as well be you," she told the group. The other representative, Sammy Hill, has been HIV-positive for the last thirteen years. Like Rhonda, he contracted the virus through unprotected sex. Both Dennis and Hill have extremely positive attitudes, which they said have helped keep them strong. They said they do not let the virus get to them. "I think our attitudes have a lot to do with our health," said Dennis. "If I dwelled on how I would look next year because of this virus, I would kill myself." They said they are both concerned about teenagers neglecting to use condoms during sex. "The virus is spreading so fast among teenagers and college students because they don't realize the need for condoms," Hill said. "In 1994 teenagers feel they're indestructible," added Dennis. To prove their points, the two panelists told students about a Red Cross blood drive in two high schools in West Philadelphia. They said one-third of the students were HIV-positive. They added that many of the students tested do not even know they have the virus, and some may be spreading it through unprotected sex. Dennis and Hill, along with the other people in the Positive Voices organization, have dedicated their time to visiting high schools and colleges in order to educate students about the AIDS epidemic. Both speakers said they hope that by shocking college and high school students, they might be able to scare the teenagers into being more careful. Both said they are always willing to come and talk to any group in order to spread their message. Several of the students in the audience said they think the organization is a great idea. "I think the best way to educate people is first-hand," said College senior and co-organizer Jody Sheimbaum. "I think this program was especially appropriate during AIDS Awareness Month and release of [the movie] Philadelphia." "It was very powerful to see how real it is," stated Wharton senior Juliana Herde, the other co-organizer. "Telling teenagers what it is like and shocking them might be the only way to get the message across."

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