Students bring beauty and unity to World AIDS Day

Suzie Harrison

Laguna Beach High School students and the Laguna Beach HIV advisory

committee came together with locals to remember loved ones and spread

awareness for World AIDS Day on Monday.

HIV Advisory Committee chairperson Kim de St. Paer contacted

Laguna Beach High School teacher Kerry Pellow to see if her desktop

publishing and digital media classes would like to participate.

“Kim called and said we know you’ve done the World AIDS Day

posters in the past -- we would love if you could do them again,”

Pellow said. “About 60 kids participated.”

Pellow said the students were asked to create a positive message

that represented World AIDS Day.

“Usually the kids find any image to appeal to world AIDS -- images

of enlightenment. The images vary immensely,” Pellow said.

Amanda Kerrigan, 15, thinks people should help those with AIDS

instead of thinking they are different or having a negative attitude.

“For me because I am 15 and World AIDS Day started when I was born

-- the timeline has come together,” Amanda said. “People are starting

to embrace and help each other instead of condemning it like when

they first had it, like in the early ‘80s.”

Amantha Writer, 17, said she created a poster with different hands

clinging together showing the world how people unite.

“I think the premise of World AIDS Day is just coming together and

showing everyone how we love them no matter what they have, we

appreciate them and care,” Amantha said.

De St. Paer said that students have been creating the posters for

three years now, and feels it is so meaningful to the whole HIV

community for the youth to be carrying the torch and giving the

message.

“It’s especially important that the message is done through great

art, beauty and sensitivity,” de St. Paer said. “We’re grateful for

their gift to us -- and it is a gift.”

The HIV Advisory Committee put red ribbons and cards in the trees

by the clinic with names of loved ones in Laguna Beach who have lost

their lives to AIDS.

“Monday night we had a candlelight vigil by the beach and

mentioned quietly the names of lives who have been lost to HIV,” de

St. Paer said. “It was a beautiful turn out.”

She said the advisory committee was excited that the youth

participated by doing the posters and appreciated that merchants put

up the posters in town.

“I think it’s pretty much a day when everyone comes together,” Amy

Briano, 14, said.