TPUSA at Willamette faces third rejection, struggles to find a path forward
- Sirena Coulter-Kress, Staff Writer
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Whether it’s the Constitutional Heritage Club (CHC) or Turning Point USA (TPUSA), it’s unclear how Willamette’s prospective conservative club will move forward.
This is the lingering question after Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) senators voted — for the third time — to refuse affiliation to the group earlier this month.
When Lexi Thorsett’s (ʼ26) club was denied affiliation in February, they dubbed themselves the CHC, having been rejected under the TPUSA name in November. This time, for their third try, they filed under the name “TPUSA at Willamette.” On April 2, ASWU unanimously denied their application.
The debate over the club’s status has centered around its affiliation with the national TPUSA organization. Some senators have said that while they would support the creation of a conservative club on campus, they don’t support Turning Point’s presence.
The February rejection
Thorsett’s vision for her club was intended to be as harmonious as possible with Willamette’s campus culture, she said ahead of a Feb. 26 ASWU meeting, in which senators voted to refuse the club for a second time.
“I mean, we just want to play board games and debate one another,” she said. “Like, we’re not asking to go picket … and walk campus. We don’t want to do that.”
Thorsett was unable to attend the February meeting, but she sent a written statement to be read to the senate. The first paragraph stated: “The Constitutional Heritage Club is applying for affiliation independently from the organization Turning Point USA as stated on our paperwork. However, we still plan to maintain a relationship with them for support.”
“I literally need the affiliation just to reserve a space,” Thorsett previously told The Collegian about seeking ASWU’s approval. “I’m not asking for money. We still have ties to TPUSA because they are going to support us financially if we need any money for anything.”
When applying for affiliation in February, the club did not list any outside affiliations or avenues of financial support beyond ASWU on its application paperwork, something ASWU requires.
Holliday responds to communication concerns
In February, Thorsett and the club’s faculty advisor, Aaron Hukari, brought forward concerns about a lack of communication from ASWU and the fact that ASWU maintains no set definition as to what constitutes a “national affiliation.”
“As far as I am aware, we are allowed to bring outside guests to campus regardless of a national affiliation,” Thorsett wrote in her statement. “If that is incorrect, please let me know. There is no clear list that defines what ASWU affiliation or national affiliation entails so that may be the reasoning for any confusion.”
In comments to The Collegian ahead of the February vote, Hukari said that ASWU had not provided clarity or guidance on what constitutes a national affiliation or on how to dispute the existence of one, despite requests from the group.
“I think in general our whole approval process is going to be up for conversation,” said Lisa Holliday, the director of Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL) and non-voting advisor of ASWU, ahead of the February vote. “What we found, this year, is that communication on our end could have been better.”
Holliday spoke about plans for separating the ASWU finance board from the club approval committee and examining the affiliation process as a whole. Holliday also hopes to establish “templates for communication” between ASWU and prospective student leaders and between SEAL and ASWU, the goal of which would be to get students “consistent, accurate and timely communication.”
According to ASWU’s March 5 meeting minutes, this separation has been incorporated into the updated Spring 2026 Bylaws, to be piloted next year. One of these updates includes Article 4.4, which places the leadership of the club approval committee under ASWU’s director of administration, rather than the ASWU treasurer.
“I think by having separate committees, you place less burden on one committee,” Holliday said, “It’s just a lot for one group of students to handle.”
Holliday said the split stemmed from a variety of concerns, including conflicts of interest this year.
“I’ve raised it a few times,” she said. “And that’s what led me to suggest that we create a code of ethics, which they did, and we’ll use it even more next year.”
Prospective member shares thoughts on TPUSA affiliation, rejections
One member of the prospective group, Evelyn Schneider (’26), first became interested in joining the group after hearing about it in the wake of its initial controversy on campus.
When asked where she would place herself on the political spectrum, Schneider said she’s a moderate but politically open person.
“I don’t think I’m what you would think of as conservative,” she said. “I’m more community-oriented…more like moderate/skeptical.”
Schneider said she was uncomfortable, however, with the club’s connection to the national TPUSA organization.
The Collegian reached out to the group’s anonymous members via Thorsett for interviews. Schneider was the only member who was willing to be contacted.
Schneider recognized the benefits of TPUSA for students looking to get into conservative politics and connect with other conservatives, given that TPUSA is one of the largest conservative youth movements today. According to the club's original affiliation paperwork from the fall, there were 10 students on the Willamette roster.
However, Schneider also spoke about its ties to the Trump administration, saying they are “kind of bothersome.”
In the wake of the latest rejection, Thorsett maintained the importance of the Turning Point name for the members of her group.
“I’m the figurehead speaking for them. I’m like, well, I have to keep the Turning Point name now because, to me, it is important,” she said. “If I’m fighting for them, I want to fight for them correctly for what they want.”
TPUSA’s path forward
At the April 2 meeting, during which Thorsett’s club was denied affiliation for a third time, Senator and Treasurer-elect Peyton Edmunds (’29) asked Thorsett one of the questions she’s received numerous times throughout the process: How are the goals she wants to achieve “necessarily unique to the Turning Point USA label?”
“Turning Point USA gave me the courage to do this,” Thorsett responded. She spoke about the importance of having their resources and support through the process of establishing the group.
Senator Matthew Stout (’29) echoed other senators’ past comments when he said that it’s the “overall image that TPUSA holds that makes them undesirable.”
Looking forward, Thorsett, who will be graduating in May, said that a current member of the club would be “taking up the torch” as president.Thorsett declined to name the student, who she said has been “heavily judged and bullied” on campus as a result of “assumptions of her political opinions.”
“This campus, whether they like it or not, will see a Turning Point back on campus before the end of the year, in some shape or form,” she said.