About Hrishikesh Deshpande

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby "The story of a man who could only count to #1” Will Ferrell, et al. Sony Pictures, Inc. Run time: 126 min List price: $20.00 Rating:PG13

Ratatouille He’s dying to become a chef. Brad Bird, et. al Pixar Animation Studios Run Time: 110 minutes In theaters Rating: G

The film follows the life of an extraordinary man with a below average IQ. The lack of "true intelligence" doesn't stop Forrest. From his days as a college football player, to his service in the Army, to his time as a shrimper, Forrest proves that he has what it takes to succeed in life. With his simple innocence and his good-as-gold heart, Forrest charms everyone he meets in this heartwarming film.

Shaw High School senior Jonathan Lykes is not your typical high schooler. As a matter of fact, he was called an “overachiever” by The Columbus Dispatch. You see, for the past year, Jonathan has been helping to lead the Ohio Youth Agenda, a group of high school students throughout the state who gather yearly to promote issues that matter most to Ohio’s youth.

Youth today often have unlimited access to multiple forms of communication and have been called the most connected generation. It is not uncommon, for example, for a kid to spend several hours each night instant messaging friends, creating and posting videos on YouTube or inputting information on Facebook or MySpace for (almost) all the world to see. These communications venues are also playing a key role in the 2008 election. As the conventions near, presidential candidates are trying to get all the votes and funding that they can, and the Internet has become a gold mine for generating support, particularly from youth.

When Adam Lussier realized that he was nearing voting age, he decided to do some research on the presidential candidates. Like most teens, he headed straight to the Web, where he "stumbled upon" Ron Paul's Web site and liked what he read. A registered Democrat, Adam switched parties to vote for Paul in Connecticut's Super Tuesday primary.

Considering how important young people have been to this election cycle, it's not surprising that their journalistic peers have the same enthusiasm for covering it.