Shortly after Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination at an event on campus, Utah Valley University formed a committee to propose and design a memorial for him. At first, the proposed memorial gained momentum rapidly as students and community members provided inspiration, ideas, and support for the initiative. However, since then, the proposal has faced significant backlash. Protests, such as one organized by UVU’s Student Democratic Society, have drawn dozens of students and faculty voicing their opposition to a potential memorial. But the biggest roadblock that the committee has hit came from UVU’s very own Student Association, which unexpectedly voted against the committee’s proposal for a memorial.
According to anonymous sources within the Student Association, the decision came after a survey was sent out to 800 UVU students who were invited to share their thoughts about creating a campus memorial. Out of the 800 students surveyed, approximately 100 students opposed the idea, prompting the Student Association to infer that most students would not want a memorial honoring Charlie Kirk. Following the survey results, a vote was held, and ultimately, UVUSA voted against the proposed memorial. It is currently unclear what the implications of this vote will be.
While this decision does not reflect the memorial committee’s plans and the pursuit of its goal, it does showcase the small yet vocal opposition that has been present on UVU’s campus in the months following the tragedy. This opposition hasn’t just come from the Student Association. UVU’s official newspaper, the UVU Review, has consistently amplified voices in opposition to the memorial on their Instagram page and in official articles while minimizing students who support the idea. The paper has primarily focused on this opposition to the memorial rather than the outpouring of support for it from students and community members alike, despite the UVU Review’s own polling showing a significant majority approves of the memorial’s creation. Aside from the UVU Review, the university’s president, Astrid Tuminez, has liked and amplified posts on social media that encourage protests against the installation of a memorial for Charlie Kirk.
In a statement to the Cougar Chronicle on the current status of the Charlie Kirk memorial, UVU Turning Point chapter president Caleb Chilcutt shared, “While loud voices have expressed opposition, they represent only a small minority and do not reflect the broader sentiment of Utah Valley University’s student body.” He went on, adding, “Support for the memorial has been overwhelming. Our chapter has grown rapidly on campus, and the response from both members and non-members alike has been united in a shared desire to commemorate Charlie’s legacy. The proposed memorial is not about politics; it is about recognizing the impact he had on countless students, his stance on free speech, and ensuring that his memory endures as a symbol of courage, conviction, and free expression not only at UVU but across the nation, too.”
The UVU Student Association’s rejection of a Charlie Kirk memorial cannot be separated from America’s current political climate. Charlie Kirk was killed for beliefs that a majority of Americans and an even greater number of Utahns share. After his death, a huge offshoot of left-leaning Americans instead took to social media to celebrate, call for more violence against conservatives, and justify or even glorify the assassin. Vigils and Turning Point booths were vandalized and attacked. Officials in the Trump administration had to move onto military bases for increased security following an uptick in death threats and doxxing against them. The Student Association’s decision to reject the memorial and the UVU Review’s constant platforming of a loud oppositional minority adds more fuel to this fire and increases division in what is already the most polarized era in American history since the Civil War. A memorial to Charlie Kirk is the least that the university where he was assassinated can do to honor his legacy and promote unity not only in its student body, but also for America at large.
The Cougar Chronicle has reached out for comment from the UVU Student Association and the UVU Review. The story will be updated as needed.
Cover Photo Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-we-know-so-far-about-the-charlie-kirk-shooting-suspect
Is it possible to somehow see the full voter numbers? It says 800 students received a survey (N = population).
It Then it says about 100 responded no.
While that 100 is about 12.5% of N, it does not say what “n” was (n = sample). Chances are, 800 students did not respond (such a high response rate is rare), yet the article’s missing information leads to conclusions from this assumption.
If all 800 students responded, that would be the 12.5%. If 200 students responded, that would be a 50% “no” rate. If 150 students responded, that would be a 67% “no” rate. Each of these numbers reflects a different understanding of data, expanding or diminishing claims to “loud/vocal minorities” or “silent majorities.”
An “anonymous source” is shameful reporting, and you can just make up anything you want and say its from that source. There has been no official vote from anyone in UVU, and your lack of journalistic integrity is appalling. Do better.
The amount of wrong information in this article is so sad.