Vermont Business Magazine A group from Saint Michael’s College is calling on Vermont’s U.S. Senators to help “turn back time” on recent decisions by the federal government targeting funding for programs addressing global public health threats, including HIV/AIDS.
On Friday, Dec. 5, the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) at Saint Michael’s College will rally and visit the offices of U.S. Sen. Peter Welch and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in Burlington. The annual rally’s theme this year is “Turn Back Time,” an homage to the Cher hit that also highlights a timely message related to the recent federal government actions.
Students taking part in the rally plan to give each U.S. Senator a clock figurine to remind them of the “Turn Back Time” message. Demonstrators will also wear neon colors and play 80s music to match their slogan.
For more than a decade, SGAC has held an annual rally to highlight issues related to HIV/AIDS, most recently focusing on protecting access to treatment. Because of funding decisions earlier this year on programs such as USAID and PEPFAR, the group’s advocacy has become more urgent, organizers say.
“This year’s theme is in response to the destruction of government agencies and programs that were, until 2025, helping the United States and the world combat HIV/AIDS and other global health threats,” said Political Science and Public Health Professor Trish Siplon, SGAC’s faculty advisor and a longtime advocate for global action around HIV/AIDS. “These programs had been phenomenally successful in addressing HIV/AIDS as well as some of the structural issues that put people at risk. In the space of a few months, two decades of progress are being wiped out.”
The group’s message this year is also expanding beyond HIV/AIDS to include advocating for the protection and improvement of the U.S. healthcare system and foreign aid branches.
“Safe access to health care is non-negotiable,” said student organizer Jersey Miller ’28. “The unconstitutional gutting of federal agencies like USAID and recent rollbacks on programs like the Affordable Care Act and PEPFAR are unacceptable. Now is the time to get organized and hold our representatives accountable.”
Specifically, the group is asking Senators Welch and Sanders to:
- Restore cuts to Medicaid, which has been the largest source of support for people living with HIV in the U.S.
- Restore rural hospital funding, as many have closed or are at risk of closing despite millions of people relying on those resources.
- Return PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) to full operation.
Friday’s rally is the culmination of AIDS advocacy events happening at Saint Michael’s College throughout the week, marking World AIDS Day as well as the 30th anniversary of the national AIDS Memorial Quilt being displayed at Saint Michael’s College.
For members of the media: Rally organizers can be available for interviews upon request. Please contact Associate Director of Public Relations Liz Murray at [email protected] or SGAC faculty advisor Trish Siplon at [email protected].
About Saint Michael’s College
Saint Michael’s College, founded in 1904 on principles of social justice and leading lives of purpose and consequence, is a selective, Catholic college just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of the country’s best college towns. Located between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, our closely connected community guarantees housing for all four years and delivers an internationally respected liberal arts education, preparing students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to lead with empathy and professionalism, and to be responsible for themselves, each other, and their world.
12.4.2025. COLCHESTER, VT – www.smcvt.edu
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