Political group attempts to host table on McCarthy Patio

By Sophia Oppedisano

Editor-in-Chief

Two individuals representing Turning Point USA, a political nonprofit group founded by the late Charlie Kirk, attempted to host an information table on the McCarthy Patio on Oct. 21.

Buttons, candy, a prize wheel, and a tablecloth with a link to Turning Point USA’s website were displayed on the table.

In addition to advertising for Turning Point USA, one of the individuals was wearing a shirt that advertised the Leadership Institute, a nonprofit that “identifies, recruits, trains, and places conservatives in government, politics, and the media,” according to their website.

The individuals were asked to leave by the Director of Campus Events Autumn Sendzik and Assistant Director of Campus Events Susan Romani.

According to Romani, the English department sponsored a National Day on Writing event on the McCarthy Patio before the unauthorized setup of the Turning Point USA table. 

“When we went down to break the tables down, a political group from off campus had seen the tables and took the advantage of setting up on the patio,” Romani said. 

It is against Framingham State’s policies concerning events sponsored by outside groups for a group to “randomly set up on the patio,” she added.

Outside groups are required to reach out to Campus Events so they can fill out the required contract, pay the rental fee, and ensure insurance requirements have been met to protect Framingham State from liability, according to Romani. 

“We did give [them] my email address, so they're welcome to reach out to our department and we'll send them the policies and the procedures so they know how to move forward the next time they want to come to campus,” she said. 

If the group were to reach out to Campus Events about coming back to campus, Romani said, “It would depend on what the basis of their event is. … FSU has an actual policy written out for outside rentals, and the rental event has to fall within the FSU mission guidelines for anybody to be welcomed on campus. So it would depend on what the event's basis was.”

Sendzik said both individuals gave her and Romani resistance about leaving the patio. “They believed they had the right to set up, and they really wanted to see the policies before they made any move to essentially move off of our patio,” she added.

Sendzik called the Framingham State University Police Department (FSUPD), who arrived at the McCarthy Patio and asked the individuals to leave.

FSUPD Officer Andrew Frimpong said a report regarding this incident will not be filed. It was only a misunderstanding about public versus private property and where the group was allowed to set up, he added.

Frimpong said both individuals were cooperative and left promptly after the arrival of FSUPD.

While Sendzik, Romani, and FSUPD were discussing the incident, both individuals spoke with a few Framingham State students about their table and the mission of Turning Point USA.

Sean Canavan, a student worker with Campus Events and a witness to the incident, said he was just arriving at his scheduled shift when he noticed the table being set up. 

“They just kind of set up at those tables. … It's our job to put them away,” he said. 

Mollie Oravec, another witness of the event, said she saw a “politically right-leaning table outside, setting up on campus without any prior permission, and they were trying to instigate conversations with students.”

She added she “didn’t enjoy” seeing the group on campus and did not appreciate they were acting “standoffish” when they were asked to leave.

Jerome Burke, director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence, said Turning Point USA’s presence on campus was “not on my radar.

“I think that if it is that we have outside groups coming on campus, it's for us as a community to collectively decide what those conversations will look like, and also the impact of those conversations on our community and by and large, our students,” he said.

Jeffery Coleman, vice president for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, said, “I believe we have a responsibility to help create a sense of belonging for every student. Therefore, we need to be welcoming to student organizations from all political parties. I also think that as a University, we have a duty to equip our students to be thoughtful and responsible citizens both locally and globally. To achieve this, we must cultivate an environment where people from various backgrounds, identities, and beliefs can learn from each other without compromising their personal values or beliefs.”