KDSN RADIO News
UI holds candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk
Hundreds gathered last night at the University of Iowa for a vigil to remember conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death last week on a college campus in Utah.
Russell Nieman, vice president of the UI chapter of Turning Point USA, which Kirk founded, made a prediction.
“Turning Point USA will not go away. We will be stronger, and we will continue to have open debate on this campus,” Nieman says. “We are not scared. We are more emboldened to carry the torch that Charlie has passed on to each and every one of us.”
During the vigil, students said prayers, sang songs, and read personal testimonies about how Kirk had impacted their lives.
Sophia Maize, the Hawkeye area representative for Turning Point USA, says she considered Kirk a mentor.
“I always ask myself why I keep doing this, why do I keep going? But I kept going because Charlie had a vision of changing the world,” Maize says. “He had motivation. He had ideas. But most importantly, he had God.”
There were cutouts of Kirk surrounded by lit candles and American flags.
Several students said they looked up to Kirk and his ability to have a conversation with anyone, regardless of their political affiliation.
(By James Kelley, Iowa Public Radio)
