Photo by Elisabeth Seidel for The Lafayette

Turning Point USA was one of seven clubs that presented to Student Government last Thursday.

Turning Point USA Chapter President Noah Hajdu ’26 has heard the criticism of his organization.

“I know many of you believe that we have certain values, but there are chapters across the nation that invite everybody and anybody to come into the meetings and express their values and beliefs,” said Hajdu at the April 9 Student Government meeting.

His goal at the club proposal meeting, which drew above-average attendance, was to convince Student Government to grant the chapter official student organization status. The designation would allow the club to use the Lafayette College name more freely, table on campus and gain access to a piece of the ever-shrinking club budget pie.

Students whispered as he spoke. One small group, who said they attended specifically to watch the Turning Point USA presentation, passed around a phone with a shared list of questions to ask Hajdu.

Turning Point USA — which has seen a recent swell in popularity on college campuses — is a national conservative political organization founded by activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September.

The organization seeks to “defend and promote conservative values” by “challenging the narrative and stopping the brainwashing through open dialogue,” according to the organization’s website. Critics say the brand promotes discrimination and hostility, such as by placing professors on “watch lists.”

Student Government allowed the public to ask questions of Turning Point and other clubs during the meeting.

“What would be your response to queer or trans students on this campus who would be concerned by your organization being here?” asked attendee Persephone Klein ‘28, referencing Kirk’s history of transphobic comments.

“That’s a leading question, but I’ll answer it anyway,” Hajdu said. “At the end of the day, God says, ‘I will love oneself as thy neighbor.’ And I still love you, but just because I disagree with you doesn’t mean I hate you.”

Hajdu also spoke against online harassment and emphasized faith as the chapter’s core.

“We have already gone through the trials and tribulations of having this as an open group on campus,” he said. “We get a lot of hate for what we do.”

Student Government’s decision on the chapter, along with its decision on roughly 16 other organizations vying for club status, is scheduled to be announced April 23, according to Student Government President Allie Waxman ‘28.

Attendee William Blair ‘26 compared the consideration of the Turning Point USA chapter to the 2023 rejection of a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.

Before the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter could be debated by Student Government, Student Life staff denied the organization’s application on the grounds that some of the club’s proposed activities seemed disruptive or “intimidating.”

“Does this club not target students in the exact same way?” Blair asked Waxman. Blair later told The Lafayette he was not involved with Students for Justice in Palestine.

Waxman emphasized that there was a rubric for club approvals and that the Turning Point USA chapter had been greenlit by the Office of Student Life. She did not address Students for Justice in Palestine specifically.

“Obviously, people are going to have personal opinions, and that’s completely fair,” Waxman said. “But for us, we do have to try to remove that bias and go with what the process outlines.”

Blair attempted to rephrase the question, but was interrupted by Student Government advisor Ally Williams, who said the topic was “not up for debate here.”

“That is something that was vetted prior to this meeting, and that’s not something that is going to be discussed this evening,” said Williams, adding that she would be happy to discuss the topic in her office at a later time.

Six other clubs pitched to obtain club status during the meeting.

• Students Demand Action, a gun violence prevention and advocacy organization.
• Women in Economics and Business, a group that seeks to build supportive communities, increase representation and provide guidance for women in economics.
• Lafayette Applied Forecasting Community, a group hoping to provide education and training on prediction markets.
• First Generation at Lafayette, a group focused on offering support and resources for first-generation students at Lafayette.
• Club Swim, which applied for club recognition last year but was denied.
• BridgeEaston, a group that aspires to decrease political polarization. The group applied last year as “BridgeLafayette” but were denied.

After club presentations were complete, the organization entered executive session for over an hour, deliberating club approvals and budget allocations in secret. Student Government deems the practice a fairness measure, though it only took off within the past half-decade.

Ten more clubs were slated to present on Thursday, including a pre-law fraternity and an Italian club.