A warm glow spread across WKU’s South Lawn as candles passed their flame to one another during the opening moments of remembrance for political activist Charlie Kirk.
Over 300 people from the WKU and Bowling Green communities showed up to South Lawn on Thursday night for a Charlie Kirk memorial candlelight vigil. The event, hosted by WKU’s chapter of Turning Point USA, was headlined by speeches from a State Representative and Senator, Pastors and WKU students.
The vigil honored Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Utah Valley University’s campus during Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour.” Turning Point, a religious and political non-profit that focuses on high school and college students, was co-founded by Kirk in 2012.
“The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government,” Turning Point states on their website.
Turning Point once had a presence at WKU that started in 2022 under Gary Houchens, WKU director of the educational leadership doctoral program. It then fell into a stint of vacancy in 2024.
This semester Turning Point officially made its return when Abbey Jo Gill, freshman President of Turning Point, and Annabelle Cook, freshman Vice President of Turning Point, approached Houchens to reinstate his role as advisor. WKU’s chapter of Turning Point received financial assistance from Christopher Gibson, the owner of the Dusty Boot.
Anna Grace Taylor, a freshman, believed Kirk’s death to be a joke at first, but quickly realized the gravity of the situation. She then went onto the internet and was taken aback by the division regarding Kirk’s death.
“Tragedies like school shootings and random stabbing are so common that we almost expect to hear about them,” Taylor said.
People gathered at 8 p.m. around a stage that illuminated South Lawn in a soft pink and blue. Prior to the event’s start, attendees could shop at a table near one of the entrances selling “Make America Great Again” hats and “Freedom” shirts, while others conversed and prayed with conjoined hands.
“It’s very comforting to know how many people out here support free speech and just want to see better for the world,” Avery Habersack said, a sophomore business major at WKU. “It’s not left versus right, it’s just people honoring a man that died using his free speech.”
Mike Wilson, Kentucky state senator, spoke at the vigil about Charlie’s character and faith as a Christian. Bible verses lined his speech as he implored the audience to keep Jesus Christ at the center of their lives.
“What matters now is that we carry forward the work that he championed, sowing seeds of faith, freedom and courage that will bear fruit for generations to come,” Wilson said.
Robert Duvall, a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, spoke on freedom of speech. He focused on a message of perseverance and faithfulness through God in difficult times.
Mark Lord, the district director for Congressman Brett Guthrie, spoke at the vigil sharing Guthrie’s sentiment of sadness regarding Kirk’s death, touching on Kirk’s approach to debate and impact across the nation. Guthrie was unable to make the event due to prior engagement.
“The movement he helped to foster is alive now more than ever, whether it was his advocacy for small government, the dignity of his life, or the restoration of the American family,” said Lord.
Creighton Cline, a freshman, described how he discovered Charlie Kirk and how his ideals impacted him.
“It was so powerful that I knew he was being used by God in incredible ways,” Cline said.
Cline also depicted his month-long journey from getting arrested to speaking at the event, and how Christianity influenced who he is today.
Pastors Roger Ryan and Brandon Sigler preached sermons of Charlie Kirk’s impact on faith before and after his death to the crowd. They used the Bible to connect Kirk’s role as a political commentator and his religious values.
Ryan, the area event coordinator for BG’s Fountain Square Ministries, highlighted the importance of young people getting involved with the intersection of politics and religion. He said he became involved in the vigil after wanting the church to get involved in meaningful ways on college campuses.
“I’ve seen our country change over the decades, and the country that I live in now is not the country I grew up in,” Ryan said.
Sigler, Pastor at Christ Tabernacle Church in Princeton, Kentucky, and brother of Gill, preached about Charlie Kirk’s legacy. He rallied chants and prayers from the crowd and encouraged them to further their relationship with Christianity.
“There’s no one here on this campus that knows LeBron James,” Sigler said. “You know of LeBron James. Don’t let that be the same with Jesus Christ.”
Sigler further spoke of his view of Christianity’s place on campus and the “calling” of those who attended the event to spread the word of God and push back on the enemy, or the devil.
“And if the enemy is going to threaten us with heaven, guys, that should get us excited, because when I take my last breath, here I am taking my first breath in heaven,” Sigler said.
