Meheret Melles is a 20 year old Ethiopian-American student at the University of Maryland. She is on the International Youth Leadership Council at Advocates for Youth and a member of the Student Global AIDS Campaign.

To ask where youth may be at a youth reception sounds a bit silly, but the answer to my question was right upstairs. Of course there was a variety of sexy shirts that say money, access, and listen with messages on the back, reading the following: ½ of all new HIV infections are among young people under 25. We need youth-friendly services, including prevention, treatment, voluntary counseling and testing, and access to harm reduction programs. There was even a table for The Condom Project, where youth could make pins out of condoms and decorative fabric.

However, when I heard that famous youth icons like Alicia Keys were speaking, I walked downstairs to discover that only "VIP" guests could attend. Little did I know that very few of these "VIP" guests were youth. So what did I do? Of course, I went back upstairs to make more condom pins, eat cheese cubes, and watch the speakers discuss the importance of youth being at a youth reception on a small-screen TV. In all truth, these speakers were actually standing in front of a significant majority of adults. Don't get me wrong-a lot of powerful words were expressed, and I can at least respect the fact that youth like Alicia Keys had the front stage to voice their opinion. It's just that I, among other youth, would have preferred to avoid labeling attendees as "VIP" when we are all here to celebrate each other's hard work in HIV prevention.

On the bright side, the youth reception was a trendy, creative, and fun way to celebrate the success of youth as a vital part of the global HIV/AIDS movement. Besides that, the reception was filled with vibrant sounds ranging from African gospel youth choirs to hip hop and neo-soul artists. The event also created a strong appeal for youth HIV/AIDS activists to come together in an event devoted to commending their own active participation in making a difference in their home countries. I personally felt like the global network of youth was stronger and tighter than ever before in the fight against HIV/AIDS. By the end of the night, I not only felt closer to my new friends in the Global South, but I also had a bunch of homemade condom pins to take back to the United States!