On April 8 Ashland University’s Turning Point USA chapter held their first meeting after receiving its provisional charter. The group met in the Dwight Schar College of Education at 8:30 p.m.
President of the chapter, John Keim, began the meeting by speaking about TPUSA’s founder, Charlie Kirk.
“I remember watching [him] in high school and being in high school; he influenced some of my opinions and some ways to look at politics today,” said Keim.
The vice president of the chapter, Cameron Carr, stood beside Keim at the front of the room and explained his first thoughts when coming across the organization years ago.
“The first thing I saw was a little snippet of him [Kirk] talking about the covenant of marriage and how important that is and just kind of the biblical perspective on marriage,” said Carr. “It was really formative for me because it helped me kind of process through what I believe by hearing him talk to so many different people, so many different opinions.”
Keim and Carr presented a slide show to attendees that included multiple videos of the TPUSA founder. One of the clips showed Kirk having a discussion with a student about topics such as the country’s division, a possible civil war and immigration, while circus music played loudly in the background.
According to TPUSA, the organization is, “committed to identifying, educating, training and organizing students to promote freedom.”
Keim and Carr continued their introduction of what TPUSA is. Keim explained the organization’s three prominent beliefs are, “always love America,” “make America healthy” and “socialism sucks.”
“Right to free governance is one of my big standing points in Turning Point USA — you are your own person,” said Keim.
TPUSA also supports the Second Amendment, which protects the right of people to keep and bear arms. Ashland University also has a Second Amendment club on campus.
Northern Ohio College Field Representative, Jonathan Shanks, mentioned different tabling events that are often held by TPUSA chapters to spread this message: “There’s so many topics: free speech, second amendment, faith, make America healthy, Second Amendment, taxes, socialism. I mean, I tabled this morning on abortion at one school.”
Following the end of the slide show presentation, Keim and Carr looked for questions from attendees and gave them the opportunity to share why they are interested in the organization and what it means to them to be a part of it.
“The reason I am involved with this and interested in it is, I think we’re at a very provocative time in our country’s history, and I think people are very, very confused,” said Seth Northup, an AU student. “Especially young people are very confused about what to believe, where to go and what direction to be.”
He continued, “I think Turning Point USA has done a glorious, fantastic job of helping young people understand some of these facts and some logics to politics.”
In January, AU President Jon Peede and the Board of Trustees approved a provisional charter for TPUSA, despite Student Senate voting against it in November 2025. A provisional charter allows a student organization to hold events on campus. It is granted as a trial period for a club to prove itself before it can become eligible for a full charter and receive funding from the university’s Activities, Budgets and Charter Committee, or ABCC.
