The Towerlight, November 19, 1998

tl19981119_008 "World AIDS day to. bring awareness to TU Dec. 3 event will feature Towson Gospel Choir, speakers who are living with AIDS Angela Edman The Tower-light People in nations across the world will gather to observe World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 to increase awareness of the dis-ease and provide information about preventing it. A summit of health ministers started the event 10 years ago to promote a global effort of toler-ance and education about HIV and AIDS. The observance of World AIDS Day at Towson was start-ed five years ago by Betty Hollingsworth, an eddcator at Dowell Health Center. � This year's event will take place Dec. 1 and 2 on the third floor of the University Union. The Names Quilt, which com-memorates those who have died from the disease, will be on dis-play in the Chesapeake Rooms. Speakers will discuss what it is like to live with the HIV infec-tion, and videos about the dis-ease will be shown. The Towson Gospel Choir, the Goucher Choir and the Carver State Theater Group will also perform. To honor the lives of those Who have died from AIDS, a candlelight vigil will be held on Dec. 1 in front of Stephens Hall. Hollingsworth said that edu-cation is the key to preventing further spread of the disease. She said students need to be aware that young people are moving into positions of impor-tance in the community and have a responsibility to educate, especially those who are less fortunate, about the risks of AIDS. ""As the generation of tomor-row, you have an important job,"" Hollingsworth said. She urged Towson students to volunteer their services and educate others on how the virus is spread and how it can be pre-vented. The' AIDS- -epidemic affects more young adults today then ever before. According to public health officials, 18,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 have been diagnosed with AIDS, most of whom were infected with HIV during their teenage years. Studies show up to 80,000 people in the U.S. are infected each year. The number of people infect-ed worldwide is an alarming 24.1 million. There are several different ways to contract the virus. Having sex with an infected partner, receiving infected blood from a transfusion and sharing needles to inject drugs can all spread the virus. The University provides HIV More than 18,000 people between 20 and 29 now have AIDS. testing and counseling year train new counselors. round. Besides testing and counseling services, the pro-gram also provides an HIV/AIDS education class, an HIV hotline and a program to If you think you may have been exposed to the virus, call the Dowell Health Center at 830-2466 for a free anonymous test. Dr. Ben Carson brings his message to Towson Ryan C. Jones The Towerlight World renowned neurosur-geon and author Dr. Benjamin Carson spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of students and faculty on Nov. 11 in Stephens Hall about the importance of self confidence and proper role models to succeed in life. Carson was responsible for a team of surgeons who success-fully separated Siamese twins in South Africa who were joined at the back of the head. ""I was more than a little scared because of the working conditions there. That's when I looked up to God, and said 'Lord, you're gonna' have to do this one for me,"" he said. Carson spoke �highly of his Mother, who guided him through a disadvantaged child-hood by making he and his brother read two or three books a week to further their educa-tion. ""She never felt sorry for us,"" Carson said. ""Before you knew it, I was climbing up the ladder, and I made it to the top of the class. Then I realized something; when I thought I was dumb, I acted dumb. I told myself that I couldn't do things, not because I didn't have the ability to, but because doubt and fear entered the equation."" Terry Jones, the mother of one of Carson's patients said she believed that because of what Carson went through as a child, he believed that anyone could conquer adver-sity. Her hus-band, Jeff agreed. ""The way Ben approaches the kids in the hospital is the same way he approached the audience tonight,"" he said. ""His main purpose, no matter what he is doing, is to educate whoever he is around."" The 44-year-old Carson is the director of pediatric neuro-surgery at Johns Hopkins Hos-pital. He is the author of an autobi-ography titled ""Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story"" as well as another book detailing his personal philosophies called, ""Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence."" Carson and his wife have recently started a scholarship foundation to give underpriv-ileged children in the Baltimore area a chance to attend college. ""The pro-gram in Balti-more is for aca-demic stan-dards,"" Carson ""How many of you could name at least five Nobel Prize winners? They are the ones who work hard to better all of our lifestyles."" Dr. Benjamin Carson Director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins said. receive ""To the scholarship, you must be at the top of your school academically and meet several other qualifica-tions."" Carson stressed how little emphasis was placed on acade-mics in society and the need for that to change. ""How many of you could name at least five Nobel Prize winners? They are the ones who work hard to better all of our lifestyles. If you walk into the hallways of our high schools, you see these big trophies, awards for athletes. Where are the awards for the scholars?"" he said. He encouraged students to ""Think Big"" and spelled out his components for success. ""T is for talent. H is for hon-esty. I is for inside listening. N is for being nice to people. K is for knowledge. B is for books. I is for in-depth learning. And G is for God,"" Carson said. Freshman Josh Lewis said he was a little surprised by Car-son's message. ""To hear somebody like Ben Carson talk about the same things that my parents talk about is kind of weird. You seem to take it a little more serious when a celebrity says it,"" he said. Junior Brian Spohn agreed. ""He made you look at things that you ordinarily wouldn't notice or be concerned with. When you think about what he was saying, it really makes a lot of sense,"" Spohn said. November 19: Career Day '98 will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Potomac Lounge of the University Union. Participants are encouraged to bring their resumes. Information: 410- 830-2234. November 23: Heather Villalba, Miss Deaf Maryland, with be speaking from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Smith 326 as part of the Sign Language Guest Speaker series. Information: 410-830-4153. November 24: The physics department is sponsoring a seminar by Dr. Peter Stockman from the Space Telescope Sci-ence Institute titled, ""The Next Generation Space Telescope: The New Hubble."" The event will take place at 3:30 p.m. in Smith Hall Room 356. December 4: Dr. Norman Dean will present ""What was the Christmas Star?"" at 8:00 p.m. in the Watson-King Planetarium in Smith Hall Room 521. Every-one is invited. December 8: The Towson Busi-ness Association and Baltimore County are holding their annu-al tree lighting ceremony at 6:00 p.m. at the Towson Courthouse Plaza. "