Your Election 2004 section is an incredible tool for young people to inform themselves about the upcoming election. The article by Jessica Mendoza must be commended for its sensitivity to the motivation behind this growing youth vote movement. Despite what the mainstream media will have you believe, young voters are being driven by more than just MTV ads, they are compelled by their political and social concerns for the future.I am the Associate Director for Youth04. We are a voter engagement organization. Perhaps you have heard of us, in the past week we have been featured in articles at Penn State, Florida State, Northwest Missouri State, and Hi Magazine. Youth04 seeks to go further than just registering voters, we want to engage them. Ultimately we hope that students at campuses across the country will attract the attention of local and national politicans. The youth vote can no longer be taken for granted. In this next election, youth must demand that their voices be heard and that their concerns be factored into the designing of party platforms. Youth can no longer be alienated from national discussions of policy.We understand that one of the best ways for us to reach young voters is through their campus publications. We would love for the Villanovan to cover our efforts and consequently spark the interest of students at Villanova. Please check out our website at www.youth04.org or call me at 516 639 6504.I hope to hear from you soon.Amanda HouleAssociate Director, [email protected]@columbia.edu