I have been involved with Surge at FSU for two years. I began as a general member during my sophomore year, most recently served as Membership Committee Chair for fall 2024, and before recent events, was confirmed as spring 2025 Campaign Manager.
Recently, Surge at FSU deleted all their Instagram content and released a statement that they will not run a slate for the upcoming spring elections.
So, I spoke to the first full-term chair of Surge and the current chair to get more information about the Surge party and this change.
HOW DID SURGE BEGIN?
Founding member and first full-term Chair of Surge from spring 2022–2023, Erick Rivers, who was, at the time, a junior with majors in Art History and Creative Writing.
Her Campus at FSU (HC): How did Surge start?
Erick Rivers (ER): Surge was a party created and run by many members from a previous minority party at FSU called Progress. High-ranking individuals in Progress who thought the party was no longer serving the need were why Surge became a reality.
HC: What was your goal with Surge as Chair?
ER: I had been in the student Senate for over a year and noticed which colleges never had a voice and which people never came to the meetings. My goal was to make sure people had their needs represented by student government by creating a party for the people, by the people.
HC: What does the slogan “Bold, Progressive, and Grassoots” mean to you and the party?
ER: Surge is a political minority party with the best people to do this because they had the experience. Representatives were bold in their leadership, progressive in their approach, and supported a grassroots organizational style.
HC: I’ve heard before that Surge faced backlash over smear campaigns and “aggressive” social media posts used for campaigning. How do you feel about that?
ER: As chair, I don’t think we did smear campaigns. Surge never went into people’s personal lives, and those campaign ads always kept it to the basis of the party. Campaign ads are positive and boost you, while a smear campaign puts down your opponent, or they can be in the middle, putting down your opponent while showcasing why you are better.
When you see national elections, they utilize the middle strategy, but somehow, when it comes to college student government, that’s too much.
HC: As former Chair, what do you think about the Surge decision to stay out of elections this year?
ER: I’m beyond disappointed. From the standpoint of someone in that environment, I vehemently believe it is the wrong choice. I wished they had pushed through.
HC: What do you hope for Surge’s future? Do you have a larger message for anyone who reads this?
ER: For Surge, look internally. Realize that the values of Surge are something worth fighting for. The mission of Surge is still clear. Sometimes, you have a bad election cycle. For the broader message, just because you are a part of something in the minority does not mean you are supporting something with less value.
WHY SURGE STAYED OUT OF SPRING 2025 SGA ELECTIONS
I spoke to Megan McEnery, the current Chair of Surge, who campaigned and served as a Senator in spring 2023, became Membership Chair for Surge in August 2023, followed by serving as Campaign Manager. Megan began as Chair of Surge last April.
HC: What came before the decision to stay out of elections?
Megan McEnery (MM): The last two campaign seasons have been tough for Surge. The losses we faced in spring 2024 and fall 2024 devastated us as an organization; our morale was low, and the community was not engaging with us as much as it had in the past. We knew that we had to change something to be successful and better support FSU in the future.
HC: Why did Surge decide to stay out of elections?
MM: Ultimately, we wanted to step back and reconnect with the community. Election season is so quick, stressful, and very time-consuming. We decided it would be best to focus solely on our organization, what we need to improve, what has worked, and on the community, what the community needs from us, and how we can better support it.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SURGE
HC: How does this decision fit into Surge’s plan for the future?
MM: This gives Surge time to focus solely on improving. Most of the current executive board are graduating this semester and talking to the individuals who will make up the next administration. We wanted to give ourselves time to support the next E-board so they are ready to take on campaigning next fall.
Surge is not disbanding as a party; instead, it is regrouping to provide for the student body in the best way we can in the future.
HC: What can people look forward to in Surge?
MM: People can look forward to new opportunities and new ideas! Ideally, we want to come back better than ever, so the community has a newfound interest in us and is excited to see the change we do. We needed to take a break and let our members recover as well. I encourage everyone to stay informed on matters affecting SGA throughout their time at FSU; there are so many ways to get involved and make a change on campus.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, while Surge at FSU is a minority political party, nothing about the impact it leaves on its members and what it works to do for FSU is minor. I hope that students touched by Surge feel empowered to stand up for their beliefs, no matter how minor it may seem.
I wish the future of Surge luck! I believe that fighting for what you want to change in this world may not be easy, but that difficulty doesn’t mean that what good you want to bring to those around you is anything less than significant.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!