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On October 29th, students, faculty and others traveled to visit the oak-lined paths, red-brick halls, and campus Lyceum at the University of Mississippi to see Vice President JD Vance at a Turning Point USA event in honor of the organization’s co-founder, Charlie Kirk, alongside his widow, Erika Kirk.
TPUSA chapter president at Ole Miss, Lesley Lachman, remarked that the university is “the forefront of what Turning Point USA chapters look like across the country.
“This really is the point in history where people are motivated and want to get involved in politics and Gen Z is fired up and ready to go,” Lachman continued.
NEWLY LAUNCHED TPUSA CHAPTER CAUSES UPROAR AT MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE FIRST MEETING
“The chapter has grown so significantly that every time we hold the chapter meeting, we hit capacity and it’s a fire hazard, which has been an interesting, wonderful problem to have,” the college junior said.
Citing a “complete surge in numbers” in the Ole Miss TPUSA chapter, which she said started at 200 people during the beginning of her presidency, and which has since grown to 1,500 students.
The law student said that “people want to be involved, and they want to be conservative.”
MASSIVE CROWDS LINE UP IN THE RAIN AT OLE MISS FOR TURNING POINT USA EVENT WITH VP VANCE, ERIKA KIRK
“[Charlie Kirk’s] death has motivated people not only to get involved on social media, but also to get involved on campus,” she noted before mentioning the nonprofit’s newly minted CEO, Erika Kirk.
“Erika Kirk is a force. She’s a fighter. I think what she’s gone through is unbelievable,” Lachman shared.
“I think her motherly instincts really do give her the capability to be a wonderful leader, and I could see her growing this organization even bigger, especially with this big boom happening,” she mentioned.
TURNING POINT USA CHAPTER DENIED OFFICIAL STATUS BY LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS STUDENT GOVERNMENT
There have been various reports from chapter presidents at different schools describing the same uptick in student involvement for the organization following Kirk’s passing on September 10th.
Despite growing support for the nonprofit across the nation, reports of hatred and acts of violence from TPUSA student members continue.
“I think the work we’ve done on campus is really beautiful, but really the bigger message of this is the turning point and the work is going to continue,” Lachman said.