Maine college gets Turning Point USA chapter 

Southern Maine Community College has become the latest college in Maine to host a Turning Point USA chapter. 

Both the school’s administration and the national organization recognized the chapter earlier this month.

Peter Bernaiche, a computer science major, led the effort to start the club. 

“Charlie Kirk’s passing turned on a lot of feelings in America,” he told the Maine Wire. “I felt I had to come to the movement. For me, it’s important to carry on his message, to fight for the truth and to do it right even when it’s hard.” 

Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and became one of the most prominent conservative voices on college campuses, was assassinated Sept. 10 during a public event in Utah. The killing sparked national outrage and a surge of new student chapters across the country. 

Since Kirk’s assassination, Turning Point USA has received over 37,000 chapter applications from high school and college students, NBC reports. Turning Point operates about 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters nationwide, Fox News reports. 

Some students opposed bringing Turning Point USA to Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, arguing it could bring division to the campus. 

“I’m so angry,” student Eimilie Robinson told reporters. “I’m a person that is directly harmed by that kind of stuff, and I’ve had people look at me and call me slurs and things like that, but they’re allowed to do that because it’s freedom of speech.” 

Bernaiche disagreed. 

“Our mission statement is clear. We welcome anyone and everyone from all backgrounds,” he said. “Conservatism, as Charlie would say, is about crunching the numbers. We don’t care about your ethnicity or background.” 

After a procedural review, the administration approved the chapter. The school’s dean of student affairs oversaw the process and confirmed the group’s compliance with campus bylaws. 

The new chapter plans to host its first public event Oct. 15 in the campus center. It will feature open-mic live table debates modeled after events hosted by Kirk before his death. The group also intends to meet twice a month and offer outdoor tabling events. 

Turning Point USA says it promotes free markets, limited government and individual liberty. 

Bernaiche hopes the new chapter can make a positive mark. 

“We’re trying to break the cycle and normalize conservative values again,” he said. “This is about giving students a voice.” 

Image Credit: Turning Point USA – San Diego State Chapter (Facebook)