By Joe Sanchez-Castro
Contributing Writer
The film, “How to Survive a Plague,” highlighted two groups, ACT UP and TAG, that decided to raise awareness of the AIDS virus and ultimately saved 16 million lives.
ACT UP is an advocacy group that aims to promote change and awareness to those living with AIDS.
Tuesday evening, approximately 30 people showed up to the screening of the documentary presented by Kaplan Harris, Ph.D., and Rachel Walsh, Ph.D., in the Walsh Amphitheater.
Harris, associate professor of English, said the pair showed the film because the history shown isn’t often taught, but it’s important for students to know.
“We especially need to be attentive to these histories of activism right now,” said Walsh, visiting assistant professor of English.
The documentary showed the history of AIDS and how much of it was neglected for many years. According to the documentary, AIDS had been ignored by public officials, religious leaders and essentially the whole nation.
In the movie, there emerges a small group of determined men and women who decided to fight to raise awareness and ignite change. The movie shows how the groups educate themselves and hold meetings about the changes that had to happen.
AIDS is now a more manageable virus to deal with, partially due to the group’s collaborative effort.
The organizations now serve as role models for protesters of the future because of their accomplishments with AIDS awareness and medical treatment.
“ACT UP provides us with a model to emulate,” Walsh said.
Jordan Golden-Arabaty, a freshman strategic communications major, said that the movie was inspiring, exemplified that success comes with hard work and encouraged following what you believe in.
“The film I saw today showed me to never give up and that success comes with hard work and dedication. Coming into the film, I didn’t know much about this issue, but now that I have watched it, my knowledge about it has increased,” said Golden-Arabaty.
Nicholas Flamini, a freshman strategic communications major, said that the message behind the movie was using freedom of speech and using it to bring about change.
“The message of the movie was looking at injustices that the government had done to these people who had AIDS,” said Flamini. “It was, essentially, about a group of people coming together and fighting against a system they didn’t like.”
Harris added that the movie could inspire our society to understand that nothing is impossible as long as you work hard and are determined.
“It was also just broader possibilities of what students may do with their own political beliefs and commitments in the future by seeing what was (made) possible so recently,” said Harris. “I think it’s relevant to show how a grassroots community can affect change on international political field.”
sanchejd16@bonaventure.edu
