She is just like any other 22-year-old, straight out of college, talking about her first "real job" and making the rent on her apartment while sipping her Jimmy John's soda on a couch in the Alumni Memorial Union.

There was one difference: she was about to deliver a speech about her father's campaign for the vice presidency of the United States.

Cate Edwards, the daughter of Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), campaigned at Marquette Friday, two days after President Bush's daughters, Jenna and Barbara, visited campus. Edwards spoke about the importance of young people getting involved in politics and addressed questions about Iraq and domestic issues.

The Princeton University graduate said young people should think about the direction the country is heading and what they want from their leaders.

"There are 48 million young people in this country who can be a deciding factor in who the next president is," she said.

Edwards gave a short speech followed by a half-hour question and answer session during the event, which was open to the public.

Edwards outlined her father's and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's (Mass.) plan for America. She spoke about making college tuition more available, lowering health care premiums, bringing quality jobs to America and building a coalition in Iraq.

Edwards stressed the need for college students to get involved in the election.

"You do have a choice, and you have a voice. You have a vote, and it counts. And this time it will actually be counted as well," she said.

Edwards then addressed questions from the crowd, several of which regarded situations in the Middle East. She first emphasized the need to build a coalition of forces, to increase the quality and quantity of the forces in Iraq and to bring freedom to the Iraqi people.

A student wearing a Bush-Cheney sticker asked Edwards why her father and Kerry had voted against an $87 billion emergency appropriations bill for reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Edwards said her father and Kerry were concerned there was no plan for after the war and the money would not be used correctly for rebuilding Iraq.

"There are people over there (with) improper sewage, there's no education system, there's no training of security forces," Edwards said. "That money's not being spent properly."

Edwards said her father and Kerry believe America can win the war on terror by improving intelligence and following the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission report, as well as using preventative measures such as stopping terrorist recruitment programs.

"We need a real, effective, unpredictable way to weed out people who are a threat to our airlines," she said.

Edwards addressed domestic concerns as well. She said the assault weapons ban that expired last week should never have been allowed to expire. She also explained that Kerry's in-state tuition proposal applies to private institutions such as Marquette as well as public schools.

Over 160 people filled Ballroom D of the AMU to hear Edwards' speech.

"I thought she was a very good speaker," said Rose Selkie, a freshman in the College of Communication. "I was really impressed by how she mostly answered questions."

Emily Huls, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said she was an undecided voter and came to see what Edwards had to say.

"I think she was amazing," Huls said. "It definitely opened my eyes to a lot of issues that I wasn't thinking of and wasn't aware of."

Edwards' visit came at the end of a week that had seen several political personalities come to the area, including Bush's daughters' visit. Edwards said she has never met them, but she admires what they are doing.

"I have a lot of respect for them," she said. "It's not an easy position to be in."

Edwards discussed some of the difficulties of campaigning for her father and Kerry.

"The worst part (about campaigning) is probably living out of a suitcase and not being able to sleep and eating food that's probably bad for me," she said.

But Edwards said she feels like she's a part of something very big and very important.

"To see them in the White House, it's worth it," she said.