Thursday, April 9, 2015
The Topknot
Qualities of a Champ
Generation Y’s latest mistake
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Exhibit Showcases Locals with HIV, AIDS Students photograph and form close bonds with Bay Area residents battling the disease Nicholas Sonnenburg The Santa Clara
Senior Holly McKenna wasn’t quite sure what she was getting herself into when she signed up for Professor Takeshi Moro’s digital photography class in the spring of 2013. A public health and psychobiology double major with an interest in photography, McKenna wanted to hone her photography skills with the intent of using them for a career in public health. Little did she know that Moro’s class would give her the chance to create meaningful relationships with people living with HIV and AIDS. During the 10-week quarter, students in Moro’s class captured images of Bay Area locals who have HIV and AIDS. Through pictures and stories, the students aimed to put a vital and meaningful face to those who suffer from the widely stigmatized disease. The project is now on display in the office of Santa Clara’s Public Health Department. McKenna worked on two separate portraits during her time in the class. She remembers her experiences fondly, citing the class as an experience of growth as a photographer. “When I learned about this project, I was nervous,” said McKenna. “It seemed like a challenge, but I was also really excited about it. I’m a public health major, but I like to use photography as a tool for public health. This wonderful surprise was a great opportunity.” She befriended a couple living in San Francisco’s Castro District and a young man living with HIV in San Jose. In order to learn their stories, McKenna picnicked with the couple in Dolores Park and spent time with the San Jose native at San Pedro Square. After developing relationships with them, she took their portraits. “I really wanted to spend time getting to know them before taking the picture,” she said. “I didn’t want to exploit them. I wanted to capture their uniqueness.” The idea for the project came about in 2013, when Stanford University Professor Abraham Verghese came to Santa Clara to speak about HIV and AIDS at the annual Gerald and Sally DeNardo Lecture on health sciences. Present at the roundtable discussion were Sally Lehrman, a senior fellow in journalism ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and Manuel Monzon, a member of the Santa Clara County Public Health
MALU VELTZE — THE SANTA CLARA
department, himself HIV-positive. Inspired by Monzon’s desire to put a face on people affected by HIV and AIDS, Lehrman, who was working on what she called “community and intercultural based reporting,” partnered with Monzon and reached out to Santa Clara’s Department of Art and Art History. They wanted to create a meaningful photography project by profiling HIV and AIDS-positive Bay Area residents. “Because I’m a science and medical writer, I thought this was a great opportunity to bring the community together and talk about HIV (and) AIDS in the Santa Clara County,” Lehrman said. “It’s a huge concern, yet no one talks about it. No one has any idea of how serious of a problem it is here.” Moro accepted the undertaking and, together, the three endeavored to create a project for students to humanize those with the disease. Working with The Health Trust, a Santa Clara based organization that promotes healthy living, the trio found See HUMANIZING, Page 3
WHITNEY REYNIER
Though he lives with HIV, Kermit Conley (top) helps conduct research for the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University Medical Center. Manuel Monzon (bottom) tested positive in 1993 and has participated in the California AIDS bike ride, AIDS/Life Cycle, a total of 10 times.
Student Figure Skater to Represent USA Junior to perform in international competiton Krista Clawson
The Santa Clara In a group of over 20 performers adorned in elaborate costumes, junior Tiffany Iskandar glides across the ice rink, spinning in loops and leaping through the air. Iskandar, who has performed Theatre on Ice for six years, has
qualified to compete at the Nations Cup Ballet on Ice 2015 competition in France on April 25 and 26. Theatre On Ice, a form of competitive figure skating, is commonly known as Ballet on Ice in Europe. U.S. Figure Skating judges evaluate the performances based on technical merit, originality, costuming, artistry and musicality. “You can think of it as Disney on Ice, but we compete,” she said Last June, her figure skating team won the national title for the second consecutive year, securing their place to represent Team USA at the Nations Cup. “Our team has 26 skaters and we
have a tight bond,” Iskandar said. “Given that we have been through many challenging moments, it has truly reinforced our bonds with one another. In Theatre on Ice, we need to trust one another, especially when performing difficult maneuvers.” Iskandar began skating when she was just seven years old. “I grew up watching Michelle Kwan on TV, and I would dream about representing Team USA,” she said. The sport and its corresponding time commitment are extremely demanding — she wakes up well before the crack of dawn every weekend to practice — but Iskandar’s passion
Records Made in San Francisco Runners set school bests SPORTS, PAGE 7
for figure skating drives her to rise to the challenge. “One of my best pieces of advice came from my mom,” Iskandar said. “It’s important to stay focused to your dreams and goals. I recall her saying, ‘When you have hope, you have fears.’ But what pushes you to overcome your fears is the true test of perseverance and determination.” Iskandar has had many amazing skating experiences, but counts performing in her team’s tribal program during Nationals in 2013 as one of the best. “Being a founding member of (San Francisco Ice Theatre) and seeing how much we’ve grown each
season, I can’t wait for the world to watch us perform,” Iskander said. “Over these past six seasons, I’ve worked extremely hard and made many sacrifices, and to see it all come together is a surreal feeling.” Iskandar wants to continue her involvement with the sport by eventually becoming a figure skating judge. “I really want to cultivate our next generation and to further establish this growing field in Theatre on Ice,” she said. Contact Krista Clawson at kclawson@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852. WHAT’S INSIDE
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