A brief explaination of all that's going on and how it happened

Hello friends and fellow Democrats!!

In less than 48 hours I will be in Denver to start my adventures at the College Democrats of America Convention. Here I will meet with hundreds of other young people from across the nation to exchange ideas on how to turn and keep our campuses blue. Also, I will be there when Katie Naranjo (a native of Lufkin and friend of mine from high school) accepts her new position as College Democrats of America President. (She's running unapposed) I think it's quite amazing two young women will be in Denver representing East Texas.

I began my adventures in local Democratic party on the living room floor of Joanne Arscott. That was the grassroots beginning of our local party coming back together. I was asked to recharter the Young Democrats on campus and at the end of last semester we were a dozen members strong. I think this is a great accomplishment considering none of us knew each other at the beginning of the year and no one knew how to run a student organization-- let alone a political one. We've worked hard to register voters and educate young people. I know we will turn out in record numbers this year at SFA to vote. The excitement is almost electric.

Our first big event, as you've seen on the newsletter if you receive it through the local party, is on campus in the Twilight Ballroom at 6pm on the 28th. Local candidates will speak and meet with us, voter registration will be available and all will watch Obama's acceptance speech (which happens to be the 55th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a dream speech"). Although this event is targeted at students on campus to energize more young people, it is open to the public. If you need more details, please email sarah.hannah1@gmail.com

Last November I flew up to New Hampshire for a Young Democrats of America conference and made many new friends eager to share ideas. While there I ran into Elizabeth Edwards on the elevator (she had been a key note speaker for us earlier in the day) and spoke with her for about 5 minutes on my mom's battle with cancer and remission (she's been healthy for almost 19 years now!!). The whole time I spoke with her I felt very comfortable and knew instantly I respected her. After that I decided to fly to Iowa and volunteer for her husband's campaign for 10 days.

I stayed in Council Bluffs, IA with a local woman and volunteered under a fellow Texan and Longhorn. I'm not sure how many thousands of phone calls I made or wonderful people I met, but it was an amazing experience to meet with both young and old people invigorated by politics. I celebrated my 24th birthday in that campaign office that shared a building with a bar and over looked old snow in the gutters.

After Edwards dropped out of the race, I met with my political mentor and we talked for quite some time about the qualities he had and issues he believed in and I felt Sen. Clinton more aligned with my views, so I began my support for her. Although late in the ball game, I still made phone calls out of state for her and hand painted yard signs with my dad. (Mom was happy after the election in Texas passed because she could once again park in the carport.) I had the honor of meeting President Clinton when he came to SFA and my dad came with me. I think that was the best birthday present I'll ever be able to get him.

From our precinct convention (I live in 41 and I like voting at the firestation) I was elected to go to the County Convention where I served as chair of the Resolutions Committee (which was interesting because my dad was also on the committee) and as a member of the Nominations committee. I was elected out of my grouping to be a delegate for Sen. Clinton to the State Convention. I decided at some point it was time to run for National Delegate.

I spent hours on the phone talking with Jim Wark, the chair of Angelina County who had been an alternate in Boston and who happens to be a delegate this year, about the process and what I could do. I wrote a letter asking all Clinton Delegates to support me and listed my involvement. (thanks Mom, Dad, and Eric for helping me address, stamp and seal these) I was amazed when I met people from our Senate District and the first thing they said was, "I know who you are, I have your letter with me. You have my support." Although Jim had the backing of Angelina County (with almost 40 delegates) I was elected first in our Senate District. Votes came in from almost if not every county in support of me and it really shows that although some delegations (counties) only had 4 or 5 votes, those votes added up quickly with other counties. One vote at a time is how to win an election. One vote at a time is how we will win this election. I felt so good having other members of the Nacogdoches delegation cheer for me even though they were Obama delegates and I was a Clinton delegate. I think that was the first time I really realized we were in this together.

I haven't even decided all the events I'll go to in Denver or what I'll do. I know I will definately go to the reception for Emily's list where Hillary, Nancy Pelosi and Michelle Obama will speak. I also know I will vote for Hillary the first round of voting during the roll call vote and then I will honor whatever she tells me to do. Now is the time for unity. The generation just behind mine barely knows an America not in a war. They need to know we are more than that.

Well, I have a million errands to do before I leave. If you haven't seen the article published in the Sentinel, please visit http://www.dailysentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/08/16/misc_Kulhavy081708.html?imw=Y

Also, I am still accepting donations to offset the cost of this trip. Please either email me at Arika.the.Democrat@gmail.com or call me at 512.689.2098 if you're interested in contributing. Every little bit helps and I sincerely mean that. Thank you so much to those that have already shown support-- both the financial and moral support. And if anyone has good ideas about how I can thank my parents, please email me.

Democratically Yours,

Arika Kulhavy, Texas Senate District 3 Delegate for Sen. Hillary Clinton