Many officials miss campus AIDS test

Miscommunication and disorganization led to the noticeable absence of University officials at last week's free anonymous HIV testing program sponsored by the Christian Association. Last Thursday, over 130 students came to the CA for free and anonymous HIV testing, but few of the 29 University notables who were invited attended. The event, which was part of HIV/AIDS Awareness Week, was intended to remove the fear and stigma associated with AIDS testing and to show support for the establishment of a free anonymous HIV testing program on campus. The CA's Executive Director, Reverend Beverly Dale, said the administrators had been invited to join with clergy members to send a message that HIV testing is responsible behavior, and not because they are in high risk catagories. "The reason we did this was not for administrators but for Penn students," said Dale. The event planners invited University notables on the basis of those who knew the CA staff or were known to regularly make stands on issues at the University, said Dale. "It was totally random and haphazard," Dale said. The program's planner, Derick Wilson, a ministerial intern at the Christian association, said that the intention of the University administrator's invitation was to request that they come to the CA for testing, but that if they did not want to be tested, he would appreciate their presence for the support it would give to students. However, many administrators said they were not aware that they could attend the event without being tested. Additionally, they said the written invitation that was sent out through intramural mail and the phone calls they received made no mention of this. Elsa Ramsden, associate professor of physical therapy and board chairperson of the CA, said she stopped by the CA but was unable to be tested because of the large number of students already waiting. She said she supports the establishment of a free and anonymous HIV testing program on campus. "I was absolutely delighted to see the CA mobbed by young people who were concerned enough to learn and be tested whether or not they are at risk," Ramsden said. Director of Student Life Programs Terri White said that she had not been given enough advance notification to make room in her schedule to attend the event, but added that she supports the entire series of programs sponsored for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week. "Usually [University Life administrators] don't get to attend programs during the day and it doesn't have anything to do with our commitment," said White. Many campus figures who were on the invitation list said that they received neither a written invitation nor a phone message, limiting even further the number of administrators who were actually notified about the event beforehand. Nursing School Dean Norma Lang, whom The Daily Pennsylvanian incorrectly printed was invited, did not appear on the invitation list. While Wilson said last week that President Sheldon Hackney's secretary had declined the invitation for him, in a phone interview last night, the University president said that his assistant, Nicholas Constan, had returned a phone call to Dale on the issue, but had not received a call back. However, Dale said that she and Constan had been in contact but that there was some confusion because of the many programs that the CA was sponsoring. The president said that he did support the anonymous testing program. "I would have been glad to show up," Hackney said. "I thought it was a good effort." In similar future programs Dale said that the CA would concentrate mostly on fulfilling student needs. "Administrators [should] not be the focus," said Dale. "The only reason for them to be in attendance is for them to see the need for free and anonymous testing, not to participate but to observe." According to Hackney, the University has been considering an anonymous testing program of its own. "We're moving toward it," said Hackney. The University has confidential testing, which means that the results of the HIV test are put on a student's health record but would only be released upon official request. In anonymous testing, only the person tested has access to the results, which are identified by a number.

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