Students Open Turning Point USA Chapter
Graphic courtesy of Turning Point USA.
Students are starting a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter on campus and expect to hold their first meeting around mid-November.
According to Cora Thornton, president of the newly formed TPUSA chapter, the purpose of TPUSA is “to inform the student body about what’s going on in the world” and show a Christian perspective on politics.
“We’re just going to talk things out,” Thornton said. “And that’s really what Turning Point is – you just talk about your opinion.”
Less than two weeks after conservative activist and TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, two students reached out separately to Emily DeYoung, field representative for TPUSA. Thornton was one of them.
Thornton had talked with her parents about starting a TPUSA chapter on campus before but never actually did it.
“And then with the death of Charlie Kirk,” Thornton said, “I was just like, yeah, so this needs to happen. And like his story needs told to college kids especially.”
TPUSA is a conservative political action group that seeks to educate and organize students to promote fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government. Founded in 2012, it is present on more than 3,500 college and high school campuses.
After Kirk was killed during a debate in September, BU chapter vice president Olivia Bailey said she “felt really called” to join TPUSA. She emphasized that TPUSA provides an open space for students to discuss and debate ideas without judgement.
“You’re free to have your own opinion, and I think that’s something that’s important to express,” Bailey said.
Rachel Hendrick is secretary for Bluefield University’s TPUSA chapter.
“We would love to have as much student cooperation as possible,” Hendrick said. “We are hoping to have fun activities to get people involved and to do some community service around Bluefield.”
Thornton, Bailey, and Hendrick are working to spread the word about TPUSA and find a place to meet. Flyers around campus contain information about joining the group.
“I think having something where a bunch of the younger generation can come together and state things that maybe not everyone believes in but still standing up for what we believe in as a whole, I think it’s a great mission and a great thing to do,” said junior Callie Dent.
“There’s an element of humility that is needed to accept that you may not know everything and other people are going to think a bit differently,” senior Blake Carter said.
He pointed out the importance of expressing “even your most heartfelt disagreements, and still at the end of the day loving that person as a neighbor.”
Thornton and Bailey invite students to attend a TPUSA meeting and see for themselves what it is like. Interested students can check BU’s TPUSA Instagram page for updates.