Amidst all the buzz for the upcoming Student Government Association (SGA) elections at Florida State, it’s easy to forget that there are party members outside the candidates running for office that are working behind the scenes to keep campaigns running smoothly. I got to sit down with Manasseh White, who is a Computer Engineering major from Jacksonville, Florida. While he isn’t running for a seat in this upcoming SGA election, he is a part of ForwardFSU as a blazer. To understand more about what blazers do, and how non-candidates keep the election season smooth and sailing, follow along in our interview below.
Her Campus (HC): What is a blazer and what responsibilities do you have?
Manasseh White (MW): A blazer is almost like a general party member that helps out with elections, and they also show up to events and give support to our SGA candidates.
HC: How do general party members assist with the SGA campaign process?
MW: We let people know about who’s running for certain positions in SGA, about different events that ForwardFSU is hosting around campus for students, and we also promote anything we can about Forward. Not only that, but we also encourage all students to vote on Election Day.
HC: How did you hear about ForwardFSU, and why did you ultimately choose Forward?
MW: One of my friends in Forward reached out to me and invited me to a Forward event on campus last year. It was the Spring 2022 Family BBQ. At the event, I observed how the different members of ForwardFSU were treating the students there, and as a freshman at the time, it meant quite a lot to me to see how down-to-earth the members were. The more that I looked into ForwardFSU, the more I saw how the entire party treated each other like family and also tried to promote a family-like aspect into student life on campus. And I decided I wanted to be a part of that.
HC: What other student organizations are you involved with?
MW: I’m involved in the Big Brother Little Brother Mentorship Program, Blacks in Computing, the Black Student Union and I am the Public Relations Chair of Florida State University’s African Student Association.
HC: Do you aspire to be an SGA candidate in the future?
MW: I feel as if that’s the next step in this part of my student career here at FSU. I want to be able to use this platform to make the university a better place for every student here and truly make them feel at home.
HC: How has your background and experience in being a part of ForwardFSU shaped you as a leader?
MW: As I’ve become involved with ForwardFSU, I’ve learned about different types of leadership skills and decision-making skills from Executive Board Members and Candidates; mainly the ability to communicate, network and articulate efficiently.
HC: How do you balance multiple extracurriculars with your academic course load?
MW: Usually I make a calendar and make sure I know what I have to get done for each day. Then I use my friends to help keep me accountable and focused when it comes to doing schoolwork. Most importantly the library is my best friend.
HC: Which library on campus is your favorite, and why?
MW: I like Strozier the best because of how much room there is, the vibe and the abundance of study rooms.
Election day will take place on March 1. You can find Manasseh White on Instagram @manassehgw.
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