A panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt is currently on display at UNC’s Student Union.

UNC Sophomore Elizabeth Trefney and her family organized to bring the panel, which features her uncle Jeremy who died of AIDS, to UNC.

Trefney hopes bringing the panel to UNC will help continue to raise awareness for the disease.

“I hope that the quilt really sparks discussion about AIDS and HIV and shows the human side, outside of just a statistic or a number,” says Trefney.

Director of the UNC HIV Cure Center Dr. David Margolis, who has been a big part of making UNC a leader in HIV and AIDS research, also recognizes the importance of bringing part of the quilt to campus.

“I think, to some extent, events like seeing a piece of the AIDS quilt is an important thing to remind people of HIV and that it’s still there, and that it’s not a simple thing,” said Margolis. “We can’t just ignore it.”

Margolis says that in order to continue striving for a cure, young people like Trefney will have to continue to step in.

“We need young people, and young minds and young hearts to put their energy into this problem just like so many other problems the world has,” said Margolis. “That’s another wonderful thing about being at UNC and seeing young people grab on to something that’s important to them and meaningful to them and try to do something about it.”

Last year, the University’s Collaboratory of AIDS Researchers for Eradication received an additional $23 million in grants to extend studies.

The panel will be on display through the end of the month.

Photo via Blake Hodge

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