Student representatives from Penn State, University of Pittsburgh, Bryn Mawr College, Swarthmore College and Gettysburg College gathered last weekend to discuss lobbying strategies that would increase funding for AIDS research in the first statewide Student Global AIDS Campaign conference.

By rallying support from students across the state, the Student Global AIDS Campaign hopes to put pressure on state and national government representatives.

"We have a tremendous capacity to make things change," said Christine MacAulay, Penn State Global AIDS Initiative president.

MacAulay said students in Pennsylvania have the power to shape policy because it is a state of high interest for politicians.

She said the campaign is trying to get U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., to commit to giving $5.4 billion to fight AIDS. The money will be used for "treatment, prevention and care," MacAulay said.

On the national level, the group wants the next president to commit to a $30 billion allocation by 2008.

Beth Hardy (sophomore-economics) said representatives have a responsibility to students' demands.

Hardy said one of the group's goals is to make AIDS an issue in the upcoming presidential election.

"There's thousands of people dying every day from AIDS, and we have to hold someone accountable," Hardy said. "These are our representatives. They have to answer to us."

Healy Thompson, Student Global AIDS Campaign national organizer, said working together to accomplish the goals of the campaign is crucial.

"We can create a unified voice, have more power and support one another," Thompson said.

Thompson said many students don't know the severity of the AIDS epidemic, and most do not believe their efforts could change existing policy. She said conferences like this give students the ability to bind together to fight for a common cause.

"This conference is saying, 'You do have power,' " she said.

Swarthmore College Representative Jean Schneider said AIDS is an urgent issue and students should be concerned.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania has the seventh highest cumulative number of AIDS cases in the country.

Presently, one in 500 college students is infected with HIV, MacAulay said. She said students don't realize that "the worst of the crisis is yet to come."

MacAulay said it is important to continue to lobby for support until the epidemic is defeated.

"AIDS will always be under funded," she said. "The fight for the money needed to fight AIDS is not going to stop until AIDS is eradicated."