If the name Alex Lee sounds familiar, it’s because it’s been written on chalkboards all over campus. For the past three weeks, Alex had been campaigning for ASUCD senate and was just recently elected. This isn’t his first leadership position on campus. He is also the founder and president of Davis Filmmaking society. Although it’s difficult juggling so many responsibilities, Alex doesn’t prioritize. He’s one hundred percent committed to ASUCD and DFS. In his spare time, he finds ways to help other student organizations.
Name: Alex Lee
Major: Political Science, Class of 2017
Hometown: San Jose, California
How did you become interested in politics?
During my college applications, the 2012 Presidential Election was happening. I’ve always had an interest in history and government, but the election season really primed me to think about having a career in politics. So that’s when I chose political science as a major and got on this path.
What were some of the difficulties you faced while campaigning?
The campaign was 3 grueling weeks, but it feels like I’ve been campaigning for months. A great challenge was getting sleep. I didn’t sleep enough, nor did I eat enough. I wanted to visit as many clubs as possible but in 3 weeks I just couldn’t. The single hardest part was getting people to vote in the last week. I had a great campaign team that helped me mobilize over 700 voters.
What do you hope to accomplish as Senator?
I want to quickly finish my platforms:
1. Boba in the CoHo (it’s done but I want to make improvements)
2) Testing material vending machines (especially in the Silo)
3) More Club Finance Council [CFC] funding to give out grants, so clubs can do what they do best: build communities.
What I really want to do is leave ASUCD with some sort of formal infrastructure to represent and serve student organizations. As a club president myself, I know we could really use our student government’s help.
Why boba?
I actually really like boba milk tea and I wanted to see it served on campus. Someone else ran for ASUCD Senate a few years ago on the platform and never got it implemented, so I decided to do it for my intern project for current ASUCD Senator Gareth Smythe. I had to start from scratch, but it was worth it.
What advice do you have for future candidates?
Start planning early. You cannot underestimate a good campaign team. Also use your strengths. Hone in on what you’re good at and master that. If you’re good at public speaking or approaching strangers, do that. Don’t waste time with things you’re not good at. Time is of the essence.
Where does your passion for filmmaking come from?
Back in high school I made a lot of crappy movies, like most people. It was great fun and I originally thought of studying film in college but then changed to politics. It’s been my hobby for a long time and I love visual story telling.
What are your responsibilities as president of Davis Filmmaking Society?
It’s like being the CEO of a new startup business. I manage all of the officers. I’m responsible for the direction of the club. Recently we started a marketing department. We’re also making bigger productions on top of smaller productions. Every club officer including me holds the beating heart of DFS, and if we squeeze too hard or let go, the club dies. We have immense responsibility to nurture the club.
What are the challenges and rewards of being a part of DFS and ASUCD?
Being in both DFS and ASUCD gives me a greater overview of how organizations can operate together. I like to live by the saying “never miss a chance for synergy.” I always try to work together with other entities all the time. Of course it gets pretty challenging to manage both. I have a lot of things on my two plates but I have to figure out how to finish them both without totally vomiting.
How do you manage your time?
The bad answer would be not sleeping. Work ethic is key though. I have to try to build a routine so I know what to do and when to do it. There’s a lot of planning, so I try to plan early.
What is your intended career path?
Definitely not filmmaking, but understanding visual media is especially important for elections. I want to work in a legislative office right out of college and hopefully in a few years after that become an elected official myself. I want start small and work my way up. Although, I’m not opposed to starting big if can start big.