Recently, our TPUSA Chapter at Middle Tennessee State University announced they would be co-hosting an event for chapter members with the Leadership Institute featuring renowned conservative speaker, Ann Coulter.
The event, taking place tonight, April 12th, had a bumpy start during planning due to capacity restrictions related to COVID-19. The maximum number of students allowed to attend the event on campus is 50. In order to accommodate for all 50 seats, the chapter submitted a request to rent the largest venue on campus–which normally has a rental fee of $150.
After being approved to rent the space, the chapter was invoiced from the University for an amount of $2396.50 to cover the costs of “Event Production Services,” which are now required to be paid by the chapter.
Following this outrageous invoice, the chapter received an anonymous call from a member of the school’s administration, claiming the TPUSA chapter was being charged three times the amount typically expected from liberal or leftist organizations on campus, simply because of their political ideology as a means to discourage the event from happening in its entirety.
Chapter president, Campus Coordinator and TPUSA Ambassador, Colton Pickard gave us a clear understanding of what he and the rest of these students are going through saying, “We’ve experienced hostility on campus from faculty and students while tabling and handing out flyers on campus. We’ve been kicked off campus for tabling as a registered student organization, members from our chapter have had American flags torn down from their vehicles and as recent as this week, someone helping us handing out flyers was hit.”
These students have clearly ruffled feathers, been unfairly targeted and physically attacked for their conservative beliefs. MTSU is like many universities around the country that have made the campus a threatening place for conservatives.
“Being a conservative at MTSU is like standing by a hornet’s nest,” Chapter VP and TPUSA Ambassador Danielle McInturff explains. “For the most part, the nest is quiet and silent, but when you stir the hornet’s nest by expressing your beliefs, you’ve become a target of the hornets. Most MTSU students are apathetic, but when you disagree, you pay for it, whether it is in your grade or being silenced on campus.
Chapter member, Jordan Wilcox expanded on that sentiment, “I would say the environment is generally hostile. Most conservatives know to keep their heads down unless they’re around people they trust or know well. I have had verbal disagreements with classmates and teachers and had close friends no longer associate with me for my views. I’ve also had friends who are more vocal than I be attacked on social media and have their property stolen.”
As of now, the Leadership Institute lead by Ann Coulter has covered the outrageous cost and thankfully, despite the opposition, the event is still on. It is being held at the student union ballroom, where 50 students will attend, with an additional 50 being accommodated in an overflow room.
The university’s actions and its liberal students are nothing less than gaslighting–with a massive price tag to boot–as a means to bully college students and prevent the peaceful exchange of ideas from happening in the university setting.
What do you think of this outrageous action undertaken by the university’s administration? Let us know in the comments! 👇
You can support the students at Middle Tennessee State by sharing their event on Instagram that can be found here
