With the start of a new semester comes a new election season. Florida State University (FSU) has a reasonably active Student Government Association (SGA), which makes election season a busy time to be on campus. On Feb. 22, individuals at FSU will begin seeing the numerous SGA members campaigning for their respective parties.
The two parties on campus are Surge and Forward.
Since its establishment in Aug. 2021, Forward has been the dominating party within SGA. Their three core values are intentionality, advancement and tradition. Some examples of their previous efforts on campus include more funding for certification-based programs for colleges across campus, advocating for Campus Recreation to be added to the SGA website, and advocating for 10 free prints per student per semester funded by SGA.
Surge was established in Jan. 2022 and has been increasingly growing since. Surge has many values with some being improving accessibility, securing student safety and expanding BIPOC representation. Some examples of their previous efforts on campus include increasing access to meals by seeking out sustainable and substantial funding for the food pantry, advocating for meaningful indigenous identity-based scholarships and establishing a student representative on the citizens’ police review board.
Two aspects of SGA that will be on the ballot are Student Senate and Union Board. The Student Senate is composed of 80 senators who each represent their respective colleges; for example, the College of Arts and Sciences or the College of Fine Arts. These senators meet on a weekly basis and their responsibilities include but are not limited to; drafting bills, holding confirmations and holding committee meetings. The Union Board provides all members of FSU, including guests, with activities, programs, and services offered through the Oglesby Union Complex.
Members meet once a month in addition to formal Union Board meetings and can serve on the budget committee, the policy committee, or the outreach committee. These different committees essentially do what the name suggests; the budget committee oversees the annual union budget, the policy committee reviews changes to all union board policies, bylaws, and rules, and the outreach committee acts as a liaison between the various departments of the Oglesby Union and the general student body. Along with Student Senate and Union Board, Senior Council and Student Body positions will also be on the ballot.
The timeline of this election is as follows; the official ballot will be released on Feb. 15 with election day following soon after on March 1. The official ballot will show all of the candidates available to vote for along with their respective parties. Election day is the only day that individuals can vote for their favored candidates, voting will officially be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The official election results should be released within a week of election day.
FSU is known for having historically low student turnout in elections and it is time to change that. By participating in elections, students can make their priorities heard and ensure that FSU is a school that they are proud to be a part of.
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