Turning Point USA’s booth at this year’s Club Rush on Sept. 12 served not only as a recruitment point for the club, but as a memorial to its founder, Charlie Kirk – who was assassinated only days before.

Club president Greyson Pedranti affirmed his passion for politics by taking on the role of Turning Point USA club president. His table at the event immediately garnered attention, evidence of a rapid spike in interest in Turning Point USA because of the killing.

“A lot of people know Charlie Kirk. So just saying ‘the Charlie Kirk Club’ got me a lot of members. But, you know, it’s surprising. A lot of students actually want to speak out, but they don’t have that opportunity. So when you tell them, ‘hey, this is something you can really get involved in, and it’s so much more than just a club,’ I think that really connects to some students,” said Pedranti.

The club purpose statement explains that “a Turning Point USA students chapter is an activism club of freedom loving people who work together to educate their peers about the importance of freedom, free markets, and limited government. A TPUSA Students chapter also works to identify, empower, and organize other activists so that our movement consistently grows.”

After Kirk’s assasination students across the nation pledged their commitment to Turning Point USA in honor of the late founder Charlie Kirk. According to tpusa.com, over 3,500 schools are confirmed to run a chapter with nearly 1,000 of those being high school campuses.

Conservative activists form the foundation of TPUSA, but it is ultimately open to any student interested in using their voice freely as permitted in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 

However, the First Amendment is not absolute and all clubs must abide by certain rules in order to operate on campus.

The Capistrano Unified School District requires all club leaders to sign a nondiscriminatory agreement, a policy that bars discrimination “based on the student’s actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.”

Clubs within the oversight of CUSD are subject to guidelines that include remaining strictly student-initiated and voluntary for all members. TPUSA held its first meeting last Thursday with Trustees Davis and Zollinger in attendance.

Former club president Stella Ernest passed the torch to Pedranti when he was a sophomore. Pedranti takes an active interest in politics and anticipates his presidency to be the first step in the career path of a successful politician. 

“My biggest motivator is probably my dad. He really encourages me to step out into the world and to fight for what’s right,” said Pedranti. 

Pedranti honored Charlie Kirk’s passing by displaying a large portrait of the conservative activist. The death of Charlie Kirk stirred controversy at several levels including the media, local businesses, and student body populations. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show was cancelled and then reinstated for comments he made that were perceived as insensitive. 

“There were certain groups of people that were heavily against what we were doing, but that only made me want to do it so much more. And for the people that were for it, the amount of support and kindness they were showing was exceptional really,” said Pedranti. 

Charlie Kirk’s organization established a new generation of strong-willed youth that intend to carry his legacy on. TPUSA stands for free speech, a right that Kirk expressed during his tours. 

“I would ask people who aren’t sure about the club or even if they aren’t supporting it…to join it and kind of come up with their own ideas and not let other people tell them what it is and what it isn’t,” said TPUSA member Hope Khalili (11).