Get up, stand up -- for Kerry

An old reggae tune I'd never heard before kicked up the excitement of the 18- to 35-year-olds jammed into the Hynes Convention Center last weekend. The lyrics of Bob Marley, blaring across the hall, seemed to speak to the diverse crowd: ''Get up, stand up, stand up for your right; get up, stand up, don't give up the fight."

I was among the 1,000 attendees from across the nation at a two-day seminar sponsored by the Democratic Grassroots Action Institute & Network, or GAIN, which promotes campaigning as a profession. Planning their meetings to coincide with the DNC schedule, the organization was in town training members of such groups as Young Democrats of America, College Democrats of America, and people simply interested in the Democratic ticket.

Finally old enough to vote in the presidential election, I was there because I want to do more.

The words of columnist Arianna Huffington, a former Republican turned Democrat who spoke to the gathering, captivated me: ''How do you inspire and energize?" she asked the audience of potential foot soldiers in Senator John Kerry's campaign for president.

The weekend of workshops and speakers had a sense of vivacity even though it was populated with people who, like myself, probably got home from a night out only a few hours before the start of the 8:30 a.m. sessions. Who gets up that early during a summer weekend? Young adults eager to participate in campaigning for the election.

Random flashes caught my eye. People wearing patriotic-colored credentials around their neck were smiling for cameras to document the experience. Sitting in that room and seeing an array of races, ages, and places of origin proved to me that the Democratic Party thrives on diversity and various interests.

Regena Thomas, New Jersey secretary of state, was adamant about encouraging my generation to go out on the campaign trail. ''You cannot allow people to divide us on our differences," Thomas said, referring to the current Republican administration.

Nonvoters often use the excuse, ''My one vote won't make a difference." But those are 100 million potential voters for Kerry and Edwards. I came out of the weekend energized to get all my friends to register to vote. I want to get registration forms to my sorority and other student groups.

I may be too young to drink, but I'm old enough to vote.

I am going to use my first presidential vote wisely and vote Democrat.

Ann Chin can be reached at AChin@globe.com.