AIDS quilt to be displayed on campus

June 26, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida will display parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, starting July 1, as part of the Common Reading Program, a campuswide reading initiative.

This year’s book is “A School for My Village: A Promise to the Orphans of Nyaka” by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri. This is an extraordinary story that follows a man who pursued his dream to build a school for AIDS orphans in his village in Uganda.

Five quilts will be displayed at the Harn Museum of Art through Sept. 8 and one at the Reitz Student Union through Sept. 15.

“We are honored to have been selected as a host site for the AIDS Memorial Quilt as the university community comes together to discuss this year’s Common Reading Program book,” said Jarrod Cruz, director of intercultural engagement.

Because one of the signature themes of the book is about AIDS/HIV, there are several other events and discussions happening on campus during Summer B and throughout the academic year.

All incoming new students receive a copy of book at Preview orientation and are expected to read it by the start of their first semester at UF. Each year a book is chosen by a committee composed of faculty, staff and students. It must be interdisciplinary, global, recently published and relatable to both first-year students and the UF community.

During Summer B, the Harn Museum will host a Museum Nights on Aug. 8 with a film viewing and discussions. New Student and Family Programs will host the book’s author at New Student Convocation at 9 a.m. Aug. 19 in the O’Connell Center. In addition, Regan Hofmann, an internationally recognized authority on AIDS/HIV, will speak at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 in Reitz Student Union Ballroom, sponsored by Pride Student Union and New Student and Family Programs.

The AIDS Memorial Quilts at the Harn will be on display from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The display in the Reitz Student Union is open during regular hours, typically 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Checkhttp://union.ufl.edu for complete hours of operation.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt and events are free and open to the public. More information about Common Reading Program events can be found online through New Student and Family Programs athttp://www.dso.ufl.edu/nsfp/.

Information about the AIDS Memorial Quilt and updated listing of events happening on campus can be found online through the Intercultural Engagement website at http://iengage.multicultural.ufl.edu.

Individual quilts can be seen online here.