Democratic leaders and presidential hopefuls called on students to vote at the annual College Democrats of America convention at the Capitol Hill Hyatt this weekend at a forum connecting student leaders with party elders.

“You are the future of this party,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe in his speech Friday to the CDA delegates. “I will put in whatever resources it takes to get young people into politics … I encourage every one of you to work on a presidential campaign. Pick a president and get involved.”

The goal of the weekend was to mobilize young adults in the 18-23 age bracket, whose turnout was only nine percent in the 2002 elections, McAuliffe said.

“If only 538 more Floridians had voted, Gore would be in office today,” McAuliffe said. He stressed that because elections in America are so close, mobilizing the young vote is incredibly important.

McAuliffe was hopeful about the DNC’s future.

He said the organization is debt-free, with an updated voter database with information on every registered voter, and is preparing to move into a new state-of-the-art headquarters next year.

Presidential hopeful Gov. Howard Dean from Vermont drew parallels between today’s college-age students and the activists of the Vietnam War era in his Friday address.

“Your generation is an extraordinary generation,” Dean said. “There is a sense of fairness and justice in your generation as in mine.”

Dean stated three goals including uniting the Democratic Party, “turn(ing) the presidency around” and moving into the White House.

He criticized President George W. Bush for being “reckless in foreign and domestic affairs.” Dean also promised “a balanced budget and health insurance for every single American.”

He also talked about his commitment to gay and lesbian rights. As governor of Vermont, he became a pioneer in the legal acceptance of same-sex marriages. He promised to keep that commitment to the gay and lesbian community in the White House.

“This country will never realize its true greatness until every single one of us is included,” Dean said.

Dean also discussed affirmative action. He said he disapproved of Bush’s use of the word “quota” when discussing affirmative action.

“You don’t need a quota for affirmative action,” Dean said. “You need a pool of people who looks like the rest of America. Affirmative action is including everyone in, celebrating our differences and not being afraid of them.”

Although there were students from a variety of regions, ethnicities, and political intensities, the each politician received a standing ovation.

“These speeches have inspired me to get more involved with the CDs,” said freshman Audrey Ehrhorn. “It made me realize what a difference our votes make and it also gave me an appreciation for what the College Dems actually do. I myself want to get involved in voter registration.”

“The object of the events is to reinvigorate people and get them excited about 2004 and taking back the White House,” sophomore J. David Grossman said. “It’s made me decide to take the semester off in fall 2004 to work for a candidate.”

“These candidates want to work with you. The youth needs to take the initiative,” said senior James Regan, national legislative affairs director of the CDA, in his closing remarks to the convention. “If we are not willing to give the time, then we can’t complain about the results. I want the delegates to realize that there is a nationwide network of students that are willing to work together.”