Preamble

The news of Kent State’s chapter of Turning Point USA© hosting Mr. Kyle Rittenhouse has many students and alumni in the Kent State community deeply alarmed, especially with the event’s proximity to the anniversary of May 4. Mr. Rittenhouse’s involvement in politically motivated acts of gun violence is all too reminiscent of the events of that fateful day in 1970, in which four Kent State students lost their lives. To host Mr. Rittenhouse on campus would be an insult to the legacy and memory of those lost and wounded on May 4 and would raise significant safety and quality of life concerns for current Kent State students. 

 

Violation of Institutional Values 

Listed below, we have included the mission and core values of Kent State as an institution and expand on how the hosting of Mr. Rittenhouse violates many of these statements.

Mission

            To transform lives by providing access and opportunity, fostering diverse and inclusive communities, and advancing the power of discovery, learning, and creative expression.

 

Core Values

·         A distinctive blend of teaching, research, and creative excellence.

·         Inquiry and discovery that expands knowledge and human understanding.

·         Life-changing educational experiences for students with wide-ranging talents and aspirations.

·         An inclusive environment for learning, working, and living that creates a genuine sense of belonging.

·         Collaborative engagement that inspires positive change across campuses, in communities, and throughout the world.

·         Diversity of identities, cultures, beliefs, and thoughts.

·         Freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas.

·         Respect, kindness, and purpose in all we do.

 

Given the highly political nature of Mr. Rittenhouse’s actions in Kenosha, Wisconsin, we believe that hosting him would not make students feel a sense of inclusion or belonging and certainly would not promote diversity in our community. 

e understand that hosting Mr. Rittenhouse does promote freedom of expression for conservative-leaning students, especially those associated with the KSU Turning Point USA© chapter; however, we must weigh the value of freedom of expression against the sense of belonging that would be challenged for many of our minority communities. We believe that our students' belonging, and the fostering of diverse communities must come first. 

 

Proposed Solution

We propose that KSU’s Turning Point USA© chapter find a different venue for its event, ideally one off-campus. We also propose enhanced institutional oversight of student-run events to assure alignment with KSU’s institutional values and mission. 

 

Conclusion

As an institution, we must grapple with our history of acts of gun violence, as well as the controversy surrounding firearms on our campus (see past photos of Kaitlin Bennett). Hosting Mr. Rittenhouse would further muddy our institutional reputation regarding firearms and would negatively affect the reputation of Kent State students. Lastly, the safety and well-being of our students must come first. As a community, we oppose the hosting of Mr. Rittenhouse, as his presence on campus would make members of our community feel unsafe and unwelcome.