HIV on George Mason’s Campus and the University’s response

The HIV/AIDS crisis is known for having killed thousands of gay men across the United States from the first known case in 1981 through 1993. George Mason University, located south of Washington DC and the Federal Government was tasked with handling the HIV crisis and it’s affect on the students and faculty. Carol Studol, the Director of Student Health Services at the University was appointed to the College AIDS task force. On this task force, she helped to determine the best approach for the university. The stance that she and the university adopted was one of safe sex, that the best way to protect the students at the university was to promote having safe sex. Student Health Services began to sell condoms in order to confront the virus. The University also went about educating their students and faculty about what was known about the virus. That HIV cannot be transmitted through shaking hands or sharing a living space with someone who has HIV.

my name is Vincent Cervone and the topic of my 499 senior thesis and the topic of my presentation is HIV on George Mason’s campus and how the university responded to the crisis

before i explain George Mason response to the crisis i have to explain what is HIV

HIV or the human immunodeficiency virus interferes with the human’s body to fight off other infections the virus can be transmitted through contact with blood semen or other fluids

it was predominantly known as a gay disease in the united states

George Mason’s response to the virus was primarily aided by having the director of student services of student health services Carol J Studol on the College AIDS task force

on this task force Carol Sudol was one of the leading experts surrounding the virus for colleges this meant that when a new discovery was made about the virus she was able to then enact and change mason’s policies in order to best combat the virus the stance that she and George Mason took was the safe sex and education route

Mason response did not address the other means of transmission regarding the virus primarily because those means of transmission were not known or did not concern or need to be addressed by the administration of George Mason so George Mason and student health services began to sell condoms at the front desk of the student health services they also would hold classes and other information sessions to best equip the student body George Mason response was overwhelmingly positive but there was a few setbacks the biggest of these setbacks was the raptor rascal theme that was held on ladies night November 12th

the issue with this theme was that it downplayed the seriousness that was the HIV crisis because at this point thousands of young men and women but primarily men had died because they had contracted this virus and it was and it seemed to the students and to the LGBTQ community that the administration was downplaying the seriousness that was this virus