Student Government Association approves club after initial denial and pressure from a club member’s parent.
By Emily Ely, for the Community News Service
With the death of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA chapters have increased across the country, including at VTSU Castleton. This surge has sparked debate, but despite a turbulent start, and the threat of legal action, the TPUSA chapter at Castleton is now officially approved.
Michael Kennedy, a part time student at VTSU, first pushed for the chapter. He said he wanted the club “to provide a voice for conservatives/politically right students on this campus.”
At first, Kennedy considered himself club president, but soon realized he couldn’t hold that title becuase student government rules mandate that club leaders be fully matriculated.
“Well, I originally considered myself to be president but then I realized I am not a full-time student. I’m only here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, I’m just a member but I was the one that came up with the idea after the tragedy,” he said.
His acknowledgment of that limitation led to someone close to him reaching out to early college student Ava Mojica-Clark, who then stepped up as president.
“Our previous president, Michael, he did a great job with starting it, but we found out that he wasn’t a full-time student, and I felt ready to take on more leadership responsibility,” Mojica-Clark said.
To become a recognized club on campus, new organizations at Castleton must navigate the Student Government Association process.
In this case, things got rocky.
An SGA member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that on Nov. 5, the SGA went into executive session to debate TPUSA. Concerns were raised about student and faculty safety, and the session resulted in a vote against recognizing the group.
But that wasn’t the end. According to the anonymous source, that initial “no” prompted a threat of legal action by a parent of one of the chapter members, who is also VTSU Castleton employee.
SGA President Aurelia Leerkes reflected on the pressure.
“That’s not something that this school would be able to handle financially. However, we are also not the first school that has been threatened to be sued by this organization,” she said.
Leerkes then scheduled an emergency meeting with the Director of Student Activities, Matthew Patry, on Nov. 6—and vetoed the prior motion.
“My choice to use my veto was not solely based on this (the legal threat),” Leerkes explained. “It definitely scared me … but also the main focus of my decision was following the SGA constitution.”
Her concern was procedural as much as financial, and shortly after, a re-vote proved critical.
SGA Senator Kayla Livingston pointed out that clubs could not be decided upon in executive session in line with Robert’s Rules, so the initial vote was invalidated.
When the matter was revisited properly, the TPUSA chapter met all the constitutional requirements: a president, a treasurer, a faculty advisor, and attendance at the SGA meeting.
“They followed everything we had asked them to do. So besides personal opinion, there is no reason that they shouldn’t be a club,” Leerkes said.
She emphasized that impartiality was essential.
“As president you do have to be very objective. As I said in the meeting, this club does not follow my personal beliefs … But just as SGA president, they did everything we asked them to do. … No one else have we ever not approved just because we didn’t like what they stood for.”
And with her veto standing, TPUSA officially became a recognized club.
VTSU President David Bergh praised the SGA’s handling in an email.
“I am proud of the Castleton SGA representatives for their courage, empathy, and thoughtful leadership during an incredibly complex and divisive decision-making process last week. Their prioritization of inclusivity and ultimate adherence to constitutional processes—despite personal feelings—will not only support their future success in our beautiful and complicated pluralistic society but also provide an example we can all learn from.”
Still, student reactions are mixed.
Adrian Clement, a junior studying athletic training voiced serious concerns.
“As the first openly trans athlete on campus, I know this is going to be a huge issue. What would this do to suicide rates because of bullying? Don’t you think this would contribute to bullying? What would this do to our campus if we had this club? Would it be silencing us or including them?” he said.
Clement pointed to past incidents including anti-trans comments on YikYak and efforts to remove the rainbow flag and the Black Lives Matter flag at VTSU last year, as signs that this organization will not create an inclusive environment in a place where inclusivity is already shaky.
On the other hand, Rich Clark, a political science professor and the club’s advisor, said that conservative students often refrain from speaking up at liberal arts schools.
“Conservative students remain quiet in class, they make the assumption that the faculty are going to disagree with them or at least discount their view,” he said.
Clark clarified that he’s not politically affiliated with TPUSA.
“I am not a member of Turning Point, nor do I align myself with any political party. … I’m not a Democrat, I’m not a Republican,” he said.
Rather, Clark said he believes that campuses currently lack ideological diversity and sees the TPUSA chapter as a way to encourage academic debate.
“Nobody goes to the gym and just moves the bar without putting weight on it. You need resistance to grow muscles. It’s the same as intellectual growth,” he said.
Mojica-Clark echoed this.
“I feel like there’s a lot of people out there whose voices aren’t being heard. I just want people to know that their voices are heard and that their opinions do matter. Everyone’s opinion matters,” she said.
Paul Yoon, chief Culture and Compliance officer for Vermont State University, acknowledged student discomfort.
“I understand the fear, especially given some of the speakers that Turning Point USA has invited to some of their campus events across the nation. There’s lots of material in terms of what he (Charlie Kirk, TPUSA founder) said about people of color, women, trans people,” he said, referring to the controversial content associated with high-profile TPUSA events.
Yoon was quick to state that discrimination will not be tolerated at Castleton
“If somebody were to come to campus and say something that violates the university code of conduct, that’s not something that we would tolerate,” he said.
Leerkes reinforced that message.
“We do not tolerate any sort of hate speech from any clubs. If there was a speaker that was being blatantly disrespectful, that would be a conversation with my advisors to see what we can do,” she said.
Livingston added that any guest speaker must follow university policy.
“I believe that if someone external were to be brought and if the individual were to say something that violates the university code of conduct, that person in the moment is temporarily an extension of the club that brought them in,” she said.
Kennedy, though no longer the group’s president, remained optimistic.
“There are several people in this campus that I believe would probably politically disagree with me, but I have had fun working with them and they have fun working with me. I believe that in order to be a truly welcoming campus, we have to welcome people of all ethnicities, gender identities, sexualities, and of course political beliefs.”
Via Community News Service and The Castleton Spartan student newspaper at VTSU Castleton