The start of the new millennium marks a milestone for humankind. While the inhabitants of developed nations are living longer and better, and the health sciences are exploding with new advances crowning decades of research, there is one development which has been less publicized. In spite of all the accomplishments of the past two decades, we will be remembered for our feats and failures. The AIDS epidemic has the potential to be one such failure.

Yale Aids Watch (YAW) is an organization which is established with the sincere hope that through a mixture of political activism, lobbying, awareness campaigns, and fundraising, students at Yale University can channel their drive into a concerted effort so that the AIDS legacy is one of treatment and responsible care. Something can be done, and YAW hopes that through its efforts with the student body and other partnerships, a serious contribution can be made. We therefore hope students will see YAW as an opportunity to make a genuine difference in a fight which, although it has already claimed millions of lives, can still be won.