Claire Yan

The University of Maryland health center has been collaborating with students, various nonprofit organizations and county departments of health to raise awareness about HIV, a persistently severe epidemic in the Washington metropolitan area.
 
According to a 2009 report by the district's Department of Health, the HIV rate in Washington is higher than the national average at 3.2 percent, with black males as the most affected population at 7.1 percent.  Jenna Beckwith, the university's sexual health program coordinator, said the district not only has a nationally high rate, but that “we have the highest rate of HIV in the entire world.”
 
The district's rates can be compared to those of West African countries, according to a report by Public Radio International, which also dubbed the district as “America's AIDS capital.”  To put these rates in better perspective, PRI stated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization perceive a 1 percent infection rate as the beginning of a serious epidemic.  
 
Dedra Spears-Johnson, the executive director of a nonprofit organization in Prince George's County called Heart to Hand Inc., said the county receives a “substantial spillover” of the district's HIV-infected population due to its close proximity.
 
“The numbers are highest within the Beltway along the district's border,” Spears-Johnson said.  “Prince George's County as a whole has about 5500 people living with HIV.”
 
A website specializing in AIDS and HIV information called AVERT.org attributed the area's high infection rates to poverty.
 
A quarter of African-American families in the district are living in poverty and have less resources in general,” said Beckwith.  “Something like poverty, homelessness, and not having access to health care or proper nutrition can impact someone's well-being and their general ability to maintain the virus.”

For those of you who have experienced many inebriated weekends at the notoriously lenient Thirsty Turtle bar and restaurant, a previous staple of College Park nightlife, the “Turtle Survivor” jersey is the perfect memorabilia.

Many students at the University of Maryland can be seen wearing the red jersey emblazoned with the words “Turtle Survivor”, which was designed by Janna Skinner, a junior marketing major, along with her friend Ali von Paris, a senior finance and supply chain management major and former Thirsty Turtle employee.

Skinner and von Paris initially created the shirt for their own friends and Turtle staff members in November 2010 after the bar was closed down, but imagine their surprise when more demands for the shirt came pouring in.

Von Paris began to help Skinner with taking pre-orders for the jersey and appointing sales representatives from various fraternities and sororities. Soon, many students outside of Greek life also began to demand shirts, so they created a Facebook event for shirt orders.

A total of 4,000 to 5,000 people subscribed to the event and sent order requests through e-mail, and it didn't take long before the “Turtle Survivor” jersey laid the foundation for von Paris’ idea to start her own online clothing company, Route One Apparel.

Although Maryland weather is unpredictable, there's no doubt that the weather has progressively been getting warmer over the past few weeks.  It's finally starting to feel like spring and the dirt-stained snow is gone at last!  The down jackets and fleece-lined North Faces are giving way to lighter layers, shorter lengths and brighter colors, so it's time to get rid of all the drab browns and blacks that have become a part of your regular winter wardrobe and try on some of the new and hot spring color trends!

Honeysuckle Pink:

I've always loved the color pink and try to wear it year round.  This season, the girly color is more fashionable than ever.  The Pantone Color Institute, the company largely responsible for setting the color standards in the fashion industry, listed honeysuckle pink as the top trending color for spring 2011.  This reddish-pink hue is a bit similar to coral, and was showcased in the dresses, hats and blouses from the Badgley Mischka spring 2011 collection.  Most college students can't afford the prices of such luxury designers, but here are some cheaper options to help you add a pop of pink to your outfit, whether it's with a quick swipe of lip gloss or a belted trench coat to wear in cooler temperatures.

Dress, $33, Lulu's

Trench coat, £32, Debenhams