Editorial: TPUSA is on the rise as it receives recognition

Schreiber boasts nearly fifty extracurriculars, satisfying a wide range of interests. Every club is different. Some have a handful of members, while others have dozens, for example. As can be expected, not all of these clubs receive the same amount of funding or support from the school.  In fact, some receive none at all. One such club is Turning Point USA, a forum for open political discussion.

TPUSA, which is held in the music theory room on Thursday afternoons, was not recognized by the school for many years. This month, however, TPUSA received official recognition as a club.  Members will now be able to post flyers in the hallways and participate in events, such as a collaborative activity with the Anti-Defamation League.

While this recognition is definitely a step in the right direction, many members of the club believe that the administration should take this progress a step further. If they were to receive even a small amount of funding, they would be able to better operate and have the club participate in school activities.

For those who do not know, the goal of the club is to foster political discussion and debate between high school students, encouraging them to become more informed members of society who are open-minded and accepting of any range of ideologies. The club is not dominated by any one political ideology, as everyone has their own opinion, and they are willing to defend their beliefs while listening to those of their peers. Headed by Mr. Neil Miller of the tech and business departments, the club has been active for almost a decade, with an ever-growing group of members who attend meetings on a regular basis.

The club’s recognition could not have come at a better time, as the vast majority of the members are seniors. By posting flyers, making announcements, and using other promotional tactics, the club hopes to recruit a new set of members who will carry the torch for years to come. This was an essential step and one that was a long time coming, and hopefully greater chances to properly incorporate within the club structure of the school will soon follow.

In the future, the club hopes to hold surveys or open forums around school so that non-members can voice their opinions and hear other people’s thoughts. Hopefully, these events will attract some new members as well. While even a small amount of funding would help a great deal, all of these ideas are still in the theoretical stage.

Turning Point USA, a club designed to foster free thought and free speech, provides an excellent opportunity for students to voice and listen to opinions on any range of political topics, from local news to international issues. Receiving funding from the school would allow students to further their political debates and promote unity and open-mindedness rather than partisanship and polarization.  These are Turning Point USA’s core values, and the school should take advantage of the opportunity to support these values.