The pending Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter on Baldwin Wallace University’s campus has ignited debate and conversation among the campus community.
Grace Pruchnicki, senior arts management major with minors in marketing and theater, is the upcoming president of the chapter and leading the efforts to bring the organization to BW. She says the chapter’s primary goal is to provide a space for students to have open dialogue and understand other people’s points of view.
“I think it’s really important for us to get the word out about what Turning Point is really about and what their mission is, because there’s a lot of misconstrued information… about what Turning Point really is,” Pruchnicki said.
The effort gained momentum following the passing of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10. Kirk founded TPUSA in 2012.
“Unfortunately, Charlie Kirk passed away… that just gave me the motivation to get this up and going,” Pruchnicki said. “And I found people that were as ambitious as I am, and we all came together and decided to make this happen.”
Pruchnicki said the organization attracted 50 interested students in less than a week. The chapter is currently pending its approval and planned its first event for Oct. 14 in the Union Lobby – on Charlie Kirk’s birthday.
However, opposition emerged soon after TPUSA’s BW chapter announced itself on Instagram. Carly Voltz, a piano performance major and president of Students for Justice in Palestine, created an online petition, “Petition to Keep Turning Point USA off of Baldwin Wallace’s Campus”. The petition has received 191 responses, with around 130 signatures verified as Baldwin Wallace students, based on email addresses.
“The main point of the petition was that when I do share concerns… I spoke at Student Senate about my concerns … I [can] have a number behind that,” Voltz said. “So I can say this isn’t just my concern. Other students also share that concern.”
Voltz’ opposition to TPUSA stems from its track record at other universities, including supposed efforts to shut down inclusivity centers and hosting what Voltz described as inflammatory events.
“I think overall, the big idea is that instead of seeking to unite students, it has a goal of making people really opposed to one another, and furthering the political divide that we already have,” Voltz said.
Additionally, Voltz raised concerns about TPUSA’s Professor Watchlist, a website where students report professors for alleged anti-conservative bias. Voltz said professors featured on the site have received death threats.
Pruchnicki acknowledged the petition and respects everyone’s rights to share their views. “I understand that people have very strong feelings, and we live in a country of free speech, and we live in country with freedom of speech, and that is a big thing we are representing in our group, so I respect that they have the right to do that,” Pruchnicki said.
Pruchnicki also emphasized that the chapter would focus on open dialogue and respectful conversations. She also included that the organization is nonpartisan, though it does promote conservative values.
The meetings are set to be member-driven, with students voting on discussion topics through a weekly newsletter.
“I really want to open the floor to our members and ask them what they want to see from us and what they would like for us to bring to campus,” Pruchnicki said.
Both students referenced a Sept. 11 email from President Lee Fisher about maintaining civil discourse on campus following Kirk’s death.
Voltz said the email “rubbed [them] the wrong way” because they felt it downplayed harm caused by Kirk’s rhetoric while pressuring students to grieve uniformly.
Pruchnicki noted that TPUSA at Baldwin Wallace is still pending approval from Baldwin Wallace University.
