If there is a force in the number, the state of conservative movement at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville is strong.
The visit of Magi Charlie Kirk leader to Knoxville on March 13 was a celebration for college conservatives, defending his influence in UT and campuses across the country. The students who appeared to hear that Kirk told Knox News that they once felt ostracted for their beliefs, even in the Republican Tennessee.
“I feel that the Conservatives feel they can express their opinions now more than ever just because of the real red wave that happened in the election,” UT Williams, a freshman from Memphis, told Knox News.
The Amphitheater of the University of Tennessee for Humanities serves as an arena for thousands of students to cheer up Kirk, especially when he took over the competitors as part of a public debate he included in all his campus appearances. The students lined the benches to hear Kirk talk and debate.
Dozens of students who disagreed with him took the bait. They moved away with different levels of satisfaction.
The “Ask me thing” event is part of his tour in the American return. The Kirk, Turning Point USA organization, this year goes to five other universities and is expected to announce more soon.
Kirk’s entrance to the outer amphitheater looked like a rock star. The men in the fraternity facilities made their way to the front to be close to it while the women in Magi hats collided and made videos as they walked past it. Both liberal and conservative voters told Knox news before the November election that they wanted a fighter to talk about them, and conservative students had found their champion in Kirk.
Dozens of disagreeing were arranged to ask Kirk’s questions about abortion to Day to Homelessness in Knoxville and the audience of the Kirk Bull -enhancing thinkers and encouraged them as they made points. The camps of students protested against Kirk came and toured the open lawn, though no one was holding a candle to Kirk’s supporters.
The goal was to dispute the notion that college colleges were liberal, and UT students used Kirk, who often strives for the country’s higher education system to do so.
Students and other attendees listen to as the founder of Turning Point USA and CEO Charlie Kirk debate students during his American tour to return on March 13 at the Amphitheater for Humanities at the University of Tennessee at the Campus of Knoxwil.
“Obviously you will have people on both sides who strongly express your opinion, but there is definitely a much more conservative idea and values than it is said in major universities,” says Williams, the freshman of Memphis.
Student Nico Comstock, who attended the event but stood aside, quickly clarified the Knox news that he did not like Kirk. Comstock appeared to prove that you may disagree with someone, but face your views respectfully.
“I think (Kirk) has a lot of influence on campus and a lot of public impact,” Comstock said. “I wanted to show that there were people in the campus who were not influenced by him who were able to show something who were able to see something and listen to something like that and not be attracted to it. To have your own beliefs and to stand up for it.”
Emma Arns, a junior from Chicago, who is the leader in the UT head of TURNING POINT USA, said the members were investing hours in the event. The organizers spread the news through the mouth of the mouth among friends and by creating tables in public spaces in the campus.
“We want to have some discourse on the campus and some debate. What people here want to see is to give their perspective and help other people come up with arguments on how to discuss the left,” ARC said.
Students who discussed Kirk, such as T’Lise Fuller, a global research student from Washington, felt no matter what arguments were made. Kirk would not agree, no matter what the crowd would follow.
Fuller talks to Kirk about his views on diversity, justice and inclusion. She found a common position with Kirk (and his audience) when it came to Christianity, but only when it was appropriate for their perspective can she told Knox News.
“When I brought views of the faith, they clapped. However, they did not clap when I brought views that Jesus was sitting with sinners and learned about people of different origins,” Fuller said. “You clap when you know something, but are you receptive when the opposite side brings the same facts?”
One topic of conversation was achieved closer to the Knoxville home than others. Savannah Smith, junior in UT and daughter of workers with blue collars, worried about President Donald Trump’s tariffs, have established himself at Kirk for homelessness.
Smith worked for homeless shelters in Knoxville and told Kirk that most of her clients were homeless because of the residential crisis in the city. Kirk told her that he was wrong and that every homeless man had a choice.
“(If someone is a homeless man) because they have mental health problems, they have drug problems or this is an optional,” Kirk said.
The bigger part of the population of the homeless Knox County cannot find housing at affordable prices, according to the Knoxville Homelessness Information System,
“I know Kirk’s intention has never been to change his mind,” Smith told Knox News. “My intention to get there was to put (my views) in the minds of the people who listen, and I make them think,” Oh, I didn’t think about it before. Maybe I should have. “
Ali Feinberg reports the Knox News policy. Send her an email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Charlie Kirk turned out to be thousands of conservative students from UT