Shaleni McBain
LIFE REPORTER
Today is Worlds AIDS Day, an opportunity for people to raise awareness and unite in the fight against HIV.
Third-year nursing students and nursing intructor Colin MacRae are hosting events today around North campus to raise awareness about AIDS.
“There is an estimated 65,000 people living in Canada who are known to be HIV positive,” said MacRae. “Half of these cases are in Ontario, and half of [the Ontario cases] are in Toronto.”
At tonight’s LinX pub night, MacRae and his students are planning to set up different games, booths and performances.
The group has choreographed a dance, and will perform at the pub.
“We’re bringing Glee to LinX pub,” said Christine Strack, third-year nursing student. “Colin will even be joining us on stage.”
The group said they’ve carefully selected a playlist for the night with songs based around sex.
“Without sex, you can’t talk about AIDS, so let’s talk more about sex,” said Kenneth Prosper, a third-year nursing student.
Among the events at LinX will be demonstrations to teach students how to properly apply and remove condoms.
The group will have free condoms on hand, as well as packages that include a condom, lubricant, proper application instructions and a lollipop.
The group will be offering condom manufacturer Durex’s new game, which offers a digital sexual experience.
“It is an interactive experience that involves having online sex with your hand. You get to choose your partner and you get to have sex with your brain and your hand by touching the screen,” said MacRae.
The participant is instructed to put their fingers on the outlines which appear on the screen.The longer the partcipant holds their hands on the screen, the more “intense” the cyber sex becomes.
Displayed on the screen are monitors for heart rate and pleasure.
You can experience “risk free sex”, said Durex’s website.
The group is also giving away shirts, glasses and a manicure from the Humber Spa.
They will also be screening the films from the AIDS Jaago series tonight at 7:30 p.m. in front of the North campus lecture hall E135.
They are Bollywood-style films that follow people infected with HIV/AIDS and tells their stories. The films were shown at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.