The Day Penn State Turned Off Charlie Kirk’s Microphone.

Two days ago, on September 10^th 2025, I received a text: “Did you see what happened to Charlie Kirk?”

I was horrified to see on the newsfeed that he had been shot while hosting a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, in Orem. Half an hour later it was announced he had died from the wound. Like many others, I am still in shock and praying for his family. As I write this his assassin has not been captured, nor have any accomplices been identified.

I have admired Charlie for founding Turning Point USA and their focus on promoting civil discourse on college campuses. His mantra was ‘Let’s talk about it’ and he toured tirelessly to engage with anyone who wanted to debate any topic with him. He showed up to listen, discuss, and debate in open forums. Where else is that supposed to happen besides a university campus?

I was fortunate to meet him almost a year ago, on September 19^th 2024, when University Park was a stop on the Turning Point USA “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour. As I approached the Hub Lawn I was shocked to see thousands of Gen Z’s in a sea of red hats cheering and laughing. The midday crowd was larger than any I had ever seen on campus at Penn State (that wasn’t carrying a goalpost).

There were (permitted) tents to distribute literature and people standing in line to register to vote. Charlie, whose voice was ragged from endless events, was using a microphone to speak to the crowd. Shortly after I arrived, the power to the microphone was cut and his voice was silenced. In a statement issued after the event, Penn State spokesperson Lisa Powers cited a longstanding rule prohibiting amplified outdoor speech due to the disruption it caused to the ‘educational environment’.

My personal recollections of other recent politically focused events on the lawn that involved microphones with no university interference were echoed by many in the crowd. But Charlie and his group abided peacefully by Penn State’s decision and he began meeting and greeting anyone who wanted to engage with him. We chatted for several minutes and I found him affable, well-reasoned, and most of all welcoming. His energy was infectious. It was obvious he lived his beliefs.

Despite Charlie not being able to speak, it was a wildly successful afternoon. Over 350 people were registered to vote and more than 1,500 joined Turning Point USA. The gathering was fun, safe, and the positive energy undeniable. A group of protesters were welcomed but ignored. That’s the way democracy is supposed to work.

As Power’s statement after the fact attests, the university was keeping a close eye on this event. Turning Point USA was obviously aware of Riley Gaines’s cancellation a year earlier for a ‘Real Women’s Day’ event, which Penn State blamed on staffing issues and risk management. They knew they would be under scrutiny.

I’m very familiar with Penn State shutting down public speech they don’t agree with. They’ve gone to great lengths and spent a lot of money in efforts to silence my alumni-elected voice of fiscal reform and fiduciary responsibility. They similarly shut down my voice at meetings, and have taken draconian measures to extinguish the voice of alumni by disenfranchising their vote.

College campuses are supposed to be a place of open, respectful, discussion of ideas. Ideas that might be different from mine, and yours. The Constitution of the United States guarantees this right, and Penn State cannot, and should not, take it away from anyone. They have to figure out another way to deal with setbacks they encounter and opposition they attract. Because silencing the speaker, no matter how it’s done, is wrong*.

We do not know the motive behind Charlie Kirk’s assassination, only that it was premeditated and very public. Charlie was undeniably very effective and unafraid. He inspired others, like me, and made people feel they have a voice. And he did it at institutions that are actively denying their students, faculty, and trustees their rights as American citizens.

I cannot hold a candle to Charlie Kirk’s courage, eloquence, and determination. But I am resolved to make college campuses across the United States, and Penn State in particular, a place where those who come after Charlie Kirk will find a place to engage in open debate. Talking must work. Dialog must be the answer.

Because the alternative is too awful to imagine.

* Yesterday, FIRE released their findings on free speech on campus. Of 257 universities evaluated, 166 received an F (including Penn State). FIRE | Pennsylvania State University

As a former Penn State alumni-elected trustee, I enjoy sharing my personal thoughts, concerns, and ideas about Penn State. I invite you to contact me with your opinions so that we can engage in meaningful conversations on those topics: barry@barryfenchak.com. Follow me at BarryFenchak.com.