Student Senate approves Concordia Nebraska chapter of conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA
Aidan McKinnon presents to the Student Senate about Concordia’s chapter of Turning Point USA.
Photo credit: Nora Betts
By Nora Betts
Managing Editor
Student Senate representatives on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve Concordia’s chapter of Turning Point USA as an official campus club. Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by the late Charlie Kirk that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses. Concordia’s chapter is led by sophomores Noah Niederklein, Aidan McKinnon, and Sam Olson.
“We’re a student-run organization on campus that has charters all around the country promoting three things: free speech, free enterprise, and the Constitution,” said McKinnon.
McKinnon said the club plans to host weekly meetings and speaker events to discuss political topics, all of which are open to the student body.
“On a Christian campus, it’s difficult to first talk about political issues that are hot-button issues, but it’s still necessary to have those conversations,” McKinnon said. “Our political landscape is becoming increasingly violent. We’re not able to talk about issues that all of us should be talking about.”
Concordia’s chapter filled out its application to Turning Point USA at the end of the spring 2025 semester, but only recently got approval from the organization. The Midwest area has a regional leader who is a direct contact point for the Concordia club leaders, McKinnon said. The club plans to request little to no funding from the Student Senate.
McKinnon said more than a dozen students have shown interest in the Concordia chapter of Turning Point USA since they hosted a memorial event and prayer service for Charlie Kirk on Sept. 15.
