So JD beat me to it. Thank you so much for your heartfelt letter (:

I actually have a letter of my own, to thank everyone who has joined the movement.

“There are no words to describe what we’ve been through these past three weeks. We have led one of the most engaging and compelling political campaigns at UCI; we have traveled to all corners of campus, spoke to hundres of students, and rallied countless more to our platform.

And now, it is hard to believe that our campaign trail has finally come to and end.

Today, I simply want to thank all of the people that made the Movement possible. All the volunteers, the campaign managers and the friends who have deeply and profoundly inspired me. It was your courage and commitment that has pushed us through, your passion and energy that fueled our work, your love that has made it all possible.

And whatever the outcome of this election, know that I have been humbled and honored to have worked with all of you.  

I want to thank my partner in this long journey, a women as beautiful as she is passionate about our school, who has inspired countless students throughout her years at UCI, my running-mate Charlyn Arellano. Thank you for sticking it out for three long weeks, for touring countless classrooms and lecture halls with me, and for letting me eat all of your food.

The unyielding rock of my life, the one who inspires me every single darn day, and whom I’ve love so deeply, my best friend and Volunteer Coordinator Traci Ishigo. 

I want to thank the heart and brain of this campaign, the one who made it all possible, my Lead Graphic Designer and Chief Strategist Jonathan Dhauw. You have sacrificed much on this campaign, and I will never be able to repay you for the extraordinary commitment and dedication you have shown. 

To the one I’ve kept up late at night to make posters, and who has woken me up in return (or tried) to post them up at dawn, my Campus Marketing Manager Noelle Evangelista. Thank you for motivating me, for yelling at me, and for inspiring me, especially during the difficult moments.

I want to thank my Financial Analyst and Ressource Manager, Andrew Micaraset, who went beyond his way to get us materials last minute. I have tried your patience and energy over and over again, but you have remained an unwavering force in this campaign trail.

Many thanks to my Campaign Manager Anthony Ng, whose constant insults and burns kept me on my toes. Thank you for rallying entire communities to our platform, for pushing our ideas forward, and for advising me in the most difficult of times.

To Jesse Cheng, for picking up the phone in time of crises.

Eternal gratitude to the Graphics Team, the ones who have made the Movement a visually beautiful one. Diane Jong and Elaine Won, thank you so much for your blessed talents, time, and extraordinary skills.

Thank you Sydney Torres and Jaqcueline Seto. For your support, your never-ending encouragement, and for being good booth neighbors. You ran an incredible campaign, and have shown that coral is a f***ing amazing color.

An enormous thanks to the people at the Cross-Cultural Center, who have shown me generosity and kindness throughout this campaign. Oscar Montiel, Anthony “X-Ray” Pham and Christine Hsieh in particular, for going out of your way to help me with the booth, for forgiving me to be exhausted during my work hours.

To the Edge Community, one that I am proud to come back to after an extended absence. You have provided me with emotional and spiritual support. You have brought me closer to my faith in difficult times. And I am forever in debt. Thank you Rebekah Lee, Josh Yu, Thomas Wong The Second.

To my High-School Outreach Volunteer Coordinator, Annie Chen. I still owe you food. It’s coming, I promise.

I want to thank my home, Otero, and all of those who have supported me and helped volunteer during this long race. Pamela Tsai, Monica Kem, Dianne Balesteros, Irene Wu, Chantelle Truong, it is truly an honor to live with you all.

And my second homes, Isla and Nubes. Athena Nguyen, Dana Hill, Jordanna Monteiro, Julie Vue, Charles Carpio and Horacio Cortes; you all have made this journey an exciting one.

I also want to express my gratitude to the Asian Pacific Student Association, for endorsing us and helping us in this long race. 

I could never forget Kababayan at UCI. My home away from home, my second family. Thank you for all of your love, for your endorsement, for giving me the most amazing PACN experience. 

To all of the volunteers and anyone else I didn’t mention but helped in someway or another. Thank you. You have created a purple power force on Ring Road. You have stuck with me, you have believed in me. And I am eternally grateful for it. This could never have happened without your help. Thank you Giovanna Miranda, Elizabeth Jimenez, Mansi Varna, Richard Kyo, Alden Ambrocio, Shadi Jafari, Angela Paredes, Annie  Kim, Scott Cashin, Michael Finney, Teresa Lou and the others. You have been the pillars of this campaign.

And finally, a big thanks to my family. To my parents, for supporting me every step of the way financially and emotionally; to my older sisters Anne and Caroline, whom I haven’t seen in years but never ceased to love unconditionally.

Thank you all so much (:

- Patrick”

Well this is it!  The end of elections week.  Polls close tomorrow at 4 and I think its safe to say that everyone involved with ASUCI elections are hungry and exhausted.  I can’t wait to relax.

I should probably introduce myself… My name is Jonathan and I’m the marketing and PR campaign manager for the Join the Movement campaign.  You might have seen me on Ring Road playing the odd air piano thingy.  Hi. 

I just wanted to say that this campaign was one of the most tiring, life-consuming, and best experiences of my life.  No joke.  

Patrick has been a good friend of mine for a little over a year now.  But never have I ever seen this side of him before.  He put his heart and soul into this campaign-  He stayed up late at night, missed classes, and even lost 7 pounds due to lack of food.  But more importantly I saw an energy and passion that I never saw in anyone else before.  When he spoke to you about his ideas his eyes lit up.  When he talked he had a certain excitement in his voice.  And whenever he talked about the Movement, he made it clear and apparent that this was about the students… not about him.  

And boy did we have fun.  All the volunteers and campaign managers who worked at the booth these past three weeks were filled with excitement and energy; we danced, laughed, played music, joked, and truly truly enjoyed each others’ company.  We all wanted to be there.  We all believed wholeheartedly in the campaign and what was possible for the future.  We dedicated our time and skills to what we knew would be something amazing.  

We met lots of different people on Ring Road.  Each had a story.  Each had a passion.  Each dedicated their time to something they truly believed in.  And it was one of the most amazing and inspiring things I’ve ever seen.  It made me really doubt the stereotype that Anteaters don’t have spirit.  

Patrick has shown nothing but integrity throughout this campaign.  Respect for his opponents, making an effort to follow elections codes to the book, keeping a clean campaign, dedicating his soul to the students… It takes a certain person to keep it all together like that.  And I’m more than proud to serve him this year and hopefully next year.  Whether we win or lose, I encourage you to meet Patrick, speak with him about anything and you will know that this guy is nothing short of remarkable.  

So thank you to my fellow campaign team.  Thank you to the voters who support us.  And thank you Patrick for making this one heck of a ride.  You deserve to win this.

Join the movement my friends,

Jonathan Dhauw

Marketing & PR Campaign Manager

“There is not a single doubt that UCI will remember the campaign trails we have led these past few weeks. We went beyond all expectations - boothing, fliering, speeches, endorsements - and our campus should be proud to have some of the best, most qualified, and most driven candidates ever to run for the position of Vice-President.

In just a few hours, the polls will open and the student body will begin voting. It’s a defining moment, for all of us, as we worked tirelessly on our campaigns and believe so firmly in our respective platforms.

But before it begins, I want to thank the men and women who took the journey with me as fellow EVP candidates. I want to thank Nick - whom I’ve met at the Student Lobby Conference this year - a brilliant lobbyist that has done so much for the Greek community. I want to thank Aurora, who has been a dedicated intern for the EVP office, and has pushed College Democrats at UCI to what it is today.

And most importantly, I want to thank Rachel, your current EVP Campaign Manager, and one of the most passionate student leaders I have ever met. She has carried and pushed the students’ cause forward, and truly touched me with her honesty, drive, and never-ending commitment to students.

While we had our disagreements and scuffles on the campaign trails, I want to let you know that nothing I have experienced at UCI - absolutely nothing- makes me more proud than to have competed against you.

Because I know that the campaigns we ran were never about us. They were about the students. They were about fighting for affordability and accessibility in higher-education; diversity on our campuses and classrooms; they were about making education a right and not a privilege in a time of crisis.

The polls will open soon, and I want to wish you good luck. All of you have strong supporters - people who believe deeply and firmly in you and the cause you represent. And I think they do with really good reasons. 

Starting today, all four of us will make history, charting the new direction that UCI is taking. And to make that history alongside you is truly an honor.

Good Luck!

- Patrick Le”

Patrick Le began his career at UC Irvine the summer before his Freshmen year. Indeed, he debuted in the Summer Multicultural Leadership Institute, a Cross-Cultural Center program focusing leadership and diversity. It was there that Patrick began his long-standing relationship with the Cross-Cultural Center and UCI clubs and organizations.

His Freshmen year, Patrick lived in the Leadership hall in Mesa Court, already serving his community as a Mesa Court Council Ambassador and a Government of Undergraduate Student Housing Representative. He worked on advocacy issues concerning housing, and led several community service efforts involving his hall.

As an International Studies major, he was deeply interested in international affairs, and began to be involved with the UCI Model United Nations program. As a trained public speaker and debater, it was not long before he was recruited into the UCI MUN Travel Team, representing UCI throughout the world.

At the end of his Freshmen year, Patrick was awarded the Diplomacy Award by Harvard University during the World MUN conference hosted in the Netherlands for his outstanding performance in public speaking and conflict resolution.

His second year, in light of the severe budget cuts in higher education, Patrick joined the ASUCI Office of the Vice-President. First as an intern, he soon became a campaign manager. That year, he helped lead the fight to save the Cal Grants and fight the 32% tuition fee increase. The effort and dedication was rewarded as the University of California Student Association awarded UCI with Campus of the Year.

His third year, Patrick decided to focus on on-campus issues; joining the Office of the President as a Campus Liaison and as a Multi-Cultural Affairs Liaison. Patrick worked tirelessly to bring several changes in issues of Dining and Parking, such as increasing the number of guest swipes in Dining Commons, or granting full day Parking passes for lower prices. He acted as a Liaison between ASUCI and the Cross-Cultural Center, collaborating to address campus-climate issues.

He is also serving as the Cross-Cultural Center Campus Outreach, working with clubs and organizations on issues of diversity and multi-culturalism. He organized several campus-wide events such as Martin Luther King Symposium, Rainbow Fest and Deconstruction Week. 

All the while, Patrick continued his service in Housing as a Mesa Court Council Coordinator, doing advocacy and leadership development for First-Year Anteaters. He also moved up in Model United Nations, becoming the UCI Travel Team Director.

Patrick has spent his three years at UC Irvine in service of his community. From the Cross-Cultural Center to Mesa court, he is a passionate leader who has never ceased to fight for students and higher-education. His work with clubs and organizations, as well as his knowledge of student government makes him an excellent and qualified candidate for the ASUCI Office of the Vice-President.

Patrick Manh Le was born in France. Originally from the small city of Angers, he moved up north to live his younger years in the city of Lille. It was there that Patrick acquired unique skills, such as cooking escargot, rapping in French, and making really fantastic French toasts.

But at the age of six, his parents became international community organizers, taking Patrick’s life on an unexpected adventure around the world.

Leaving everything behind, Patrick’s next home was the African island of Madagascar, a place he called home for the next ten years. In 2002, when former Malagasy President Didier Ratsiraka refused to give up power after losing elections, a full blown political revolution ensued. Patrick lived through street killings, riots, food shortages and military coups for a year until order was restored in 2003. It was there that Patrick took his first step as a young activist, helping his parents organize small farming communities against food shortages and military violence.

In 2006, obtaining his American Green Card, Patrick headed off to the United States. Starting as a Junior in Gabrielino High-School, he centered his involvement around community service, volunteering for Tree People, Key Club and Rotary. But for him, his true challenge was to defeat the language barrier and master English – leading him to focus on his school’s Speech and Debate team.

After a year in the US, Patrick eventually became the 2007 California State Champion in Speech and Debate.

Intensifying his studies, Patrick graduated from Gabrielino after attending only two years of high-school. He eventually made his way to the best school in world, becoming a full-fledge Anteater.

kabaatuci:

Kaba endorsements:

Kababayan endorses the following candidates. Kababayan Board 2010-2011 believes that these candidates are best qualified to represent the student body by promoting multiculturalism and advocating for student issues. 

Vikram Nayudu for  ASUCI PresidentPatrick Le for ASUCI Executive Vice PresidentCharlyn Arellano for ASUCI Vice President of Academic Affairs Genevieve Galman for ASUCI Vice President of Administrative Affairs Neil Bautista for ASUCI Humanities RepresentativeSesar Galvez for ASUCI Social Sciences Representative Andrea Gaspar for ASUCI At-Large Representative
Vote Week 3 Monday 9am to Friday 4pmVote at:www.elections.uci.edu

Kaba also endorses SOAR:

SOAR is a center created by students, FOR students. That also means that SOAR needs the support of students just like you!

For $1.99 You Get
- A Study Den
- A Food Pantry
- Cheap Printing

- Computers
- Textbook Exchange
- Past Test Depository 

- Center for High School Outreach
- Center for Retention
- Peer-to-peer advising

- YOUR One-Stop-Shop for campus information

Here at Campaign Headquarters, we realized we don’t know how to cook. It’s inherent in student activism: we’d rather go to meetings or attend a protest than feed our bodies that, annoyingly, always need food.

As we worked on the campaign this week, we gave awkward looks at the refrigerator. Not only was it empty, but even if it had food, we wouldn’t know what to do with it. But somehow, the Student Movement (and our bellies) had to be fed. We ran to Albertsons, bought things at random, and decided to cook “creatively”- creatively, meaning we actually didn’t know what we were doing in the kitchen. 

The result? We successfully survived off of Alfredo Ramen, sunny-side up egg sandwiches, and something we haven’t been able to name yet.

Otherwise, this week has been design-heavy. From posters, fliers, t-shirts, we finished all of the designs necessary for this campaign on computers, and then transferred it into the real world. We had some issues with the ordering process, but hopefully all of our stuff will get there in time for the big show!

Please give hugs to Graphic Design Manager JD, who has seen more than enough purple this past week.

Upcoming on the blog? In-depth platform of the campaign, pictures of the designs, bio of the staff here at movementuci, and maybe bio of that one guy running for EVP. Patrick was his name? We forgot.

Have a good end of Spring Break y’all!

- MovementUCI staff

How do you create a movement? By dancing on the beach, yo! Check out this funny, inspiring, and enlightening video from TED, in which Derek Sivers disclose the way to create a movement. 

It’s still being developed, but check it out now!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patrick-Le-for-EVP/147260648671412?sk=app_201143516562748

The Movement is underway and we’re getting ready for an exciting and challenging campaign!  Already volunteers and passionate students have pledged to support the Movement!  But what exactly is the Movement?

The Movement is a coalition of students who believe in the power of voice.  It is anyone and everyone who believes that a strong, unified front of passionate, dedicated individuals can move mountains and make impacting changes in their community!

It is a campaign to fight against the budget cuts, to unify ASUCI with student organizations, to embrace diversity and tolerance, and to give YOU, the students, a voice in making ASUCI a better community!

The Movement is anyone who supports Patrick Le in running for ASUCI Executive Vice President.  Patrick’s stance on student empowerment, the budget cuts, diversity, and commitment to assist student organizations is exactly what UCI needs to create a powerful and passionate student voice!

So take the first step in making an impact here at UCI and JOIN THE MOVEMENT!