Skaters digest fun, Roll-AIDS message

By George Fujii

Daily Bruin Staff

For three hours Tuesday night, students could roller-skate in
Ackerman without fear of reprisals.

The sixth annual Roll-AIDS turned Ackerman Grand Ballroom into a
skating rink for a fun way to raise awareness of AIDS.

This year, Roll-AIDS, though originally started by the Student
Welfare Commission, was sponsored by various groups including the
UCLA Mortar Board, Delta Phi Beta, Bruin Belles Service Association
and SWC.

“It’s just a fun event to get people together for
the awareness of AIDS,” said Julie Ryu, SWC chief of staff
and a co-coordinator of Roll-AIDS. “We’re not trying to
raise money, but we do collect donations.”

In addition to distributing pamphlets about AIDS, sponsors
distributed free condoms provided by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Resource Center and Pilipinos for Community Health.

Ronni Sanlo, director of the LGBT Resource Center, was also a
speaker at the event.

In addition to playing roller-skating games such as
“Hokey-Pokey” and “Red Light, Green Light,”
students could eat free food and win prizes in a raffle.

Any profits from roller-skate rentals will go to Project Angel
Food, which delivers meals to homebound AIDS patients, said Gauree
Gupta, a community service chair for UCLA Mortar Board and
Roll-AIDS coordinator.

“(Roll-AIDS is) just to raise awareness of AIDS and how
it’s impacting our lives,” she said.

In previous years, Roll-AIDS has been held during fall quarter
to coincide with World AIDS Day, which is on Dec. 1. Last year,
Roll-AIDS was held twice, once in fall quarter and once later in
the year.

This year, Roll-AIDS did not happen until much later in the year
for a variety of reasons.

“Roll-AIDS wasn’t going to be put on this year by
SWC,” said Gupta, who led the planning for this year’s
Roll-AIDS along with SWC members. “This was just something I
really wanted to do.”

Gupta, a competitive, artistic roller-skater, said she went to
last year’s Roll-AIDS and was concerned when it did not
happen in December. This is the first year UCLA Mortar Board has
helped with Roll-AIDS.

“The first time I found they had roller-skating on campus,
I just got super excited,” Gupta said. “Mortar Board
gave it a lot of financial support and publicity.”

Gupta was unsure whether Mortar Board will sponsor Roll-AIDS
again next year, since Mortar Board members serve for only a
year.

Sponsors hoped for at least 200 people to attend, and they were
happy with the turnout.

“I think we’re far exceeding that,” Gupta
said. “It was a big collaboration that was
successful.”

Chelsea Schieder, a first-year undeclared student, said she
first heard about Roll-AIDS on a campus visit several years ago.
She said the timing of Roll-AIDS could be better in the future.

“I think it’s a great cause and a lot of fun,”
Schieder said. “Too bad it’s eighth week when people
have midterms and finals to study for.”

Ryu said the date for next year’s Roll-AIDS has not been
set yet and will depend on when SWC holds its other programs.