Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - March 2, 2009
Fred Tasker, ftasker@MiamiHerald.com
"They were shocked," she says. "They didn't realize South Florida had such high infection rates. I was shocked that four of the 17 students had lost an aunt or uncle or other relative to AIDS."
Allan Richards, FIU's interim associate dean of journalism, wasn't surprised. He had seen the far-worse reality of AIDS in South Africa on a student trip there two years ago.
But he was inspired by how students, teachers and the media in that country were fighting back, with dozens of media projects providing information and guidance. He's leading the multimedia project with MacMillin.
The FIU students -- print or electronic journalism majors -- were assigned to write for the project, shoot video for it and edit it.
From a previous class project, Richards knew a good subject for the project: Damaries Cruz, 38, who has been HIV-positive for 18 years and crusading against ignorance and stigma ever since she was diagnosed.
She agreed, and told her story in four webisodes for a series called The Stigma Stops With Me.
For three months the students shot video of the beach, at conferences, at home with Cruz and her supportive mother, Milagros Pagan.
MacMillin says Cruz was a "perfect" subject. '
"She has charisma. She's a person you care about," said MacMillin. 'She made the students more interested in the project."
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