Finding its way back onto the Ruben S. Ayala High School campus, the political club Turning Point USA held its most recent meeting on April 1. While this club allows students to freely express their political views on campus, it raises the question of whether or not political clubs should be allowed in a public school environment.
Background of Turning Point
Charlie Kirk, a radical conservative activist, author, and media personality, and Bill Montgomery, an American businessman and activist, founded the conservative political organization, Turning Point USA in 2012.
By founding this nonprofit organization, Kirk and Montogmery advocated for conservative politics in high schools, colleges, and university campuses. According to the organization’s mission statement, their mission is to “Identify, educate, [and] empower” the youth, and involve them in “the fight for free markets and limited governments.”
As of this year, Turning Point USA has made its way onto over 3,500 campuses in America, one being Ayala.
Ayala’s Own Club
“Turning Point’s purpose is to discuss national issues,” Eva Alcantara (11), UCC Representative of Turning Point said. “Students learn about American history and what history brings to the current day.”
Since Turning Point USA is open to all students who desire to learn about “American history” and “national issues,” students who attended their most recent meeting have shared their experiences and observations.
“Turning Point’s club meeting consisted of a presentation about the supposed merits of capitalism,” Jeremiah Park (12) said. “The presentation [was] unaccompanied by sources or works cited.”
While the presentation itself left some attendees questioning the credibility of the information that was presented, the club held a game called “Capitalism is a Right,” parodying a game show called “The Price is Right.” This game challenged participants, testing their knowledge of consumer goods, along with their market values.
“A common household item was shown on screen,” Park said. “Members had to accurately guess the price of the item.”
The club does not advertise itself to hold a specific political stance, and is supposedly open to all students. But while the game itself was lighthearted, the rewards provided by the club for those who answered correctly raises some concerns about the true motive and intentions of the club itself.
“A free handout mandated by the club governors included pins with political messages” Lucas Liu (10) said. The pins had “messages like ‘Big Gov Sus,’ ‘Socialism Sucks,’ and ‘My Pronouns are Patriot.'”
For some students, these handouts reinforced the perception that this club, even though already formed from a conservative origin, also leaned towards a particular ideological stance, despite its claims of being a neutral space for student discussion. Others, however, saw these pins as a harmless expression of political identity and free speech.
However, in addition to the pin, the slogan, “Socialism sucks,” was printed on sheets of papers for the members, which was a direct play on Bernie Sanders campaign logo by copying its exact font and design, which further questions the supposedly neutral stance of the club. Regardless of whether or not this is seen as a parody, it still hints towards a political stance.
Should political clubs be allowed on campus?
While there are a variety of views about this club itself, most people can agree that having political clubs on campus is beneficial for all students because it offers new perspectives.
On the other hand, students like Liu believes that the true intentions and motive of a political club must be in the good nature of benefiting students, rather than trying to gain support for a certain side.
“We are very impressionable and easily influenced teenagers,” Liu said. “Which sort of allows us to be taken advantage of, which is why motives are important.”
