This is a cross-published piece with Mustang News, more information can be found here.
Gospel music, the national anthem, Bible verses and a line up of conservative speakers all filled the air of Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center on Monday night during a vigil hosted by the university’s Turning Point USA chapter and Active Church on behalf of the late political activist Charlie Kirk.
Following Kirk’s assassination earlier in September, Cal Poly’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter worked closely with Nina Spinello, president of the TPUSA San Luis Obispo County Activism Hub. She helped reserve a last-minute spot at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and provide enough security for the event hosted in partnership with Active Church.
“We had a lot of encouragement from people at Cal Poly that weren’t necessarily part of the planning process,” Spinello said. “But were just like, either faculty or other people in administration that had nothing to do with the event at all, extending that they were excited and happy that we were doing this.”
READ MORE: TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk fatally shot during Utah campus event
Within the last week before the event, the group had surpassed their goal of raising $5,000 to pay for renting the PAC and received a total of $15,000 for the university’s TPUSA chapter, according to Spinello.
A long line of local residents and families wrapped alongside the PAC nearly an hour before the start of the free public event. Students were given priority entry at the front of the theater.
Ryan Gruss, director of the PAC, told Mustang News he estimated about 1,000 people attended the memorial service on Monday night. Gruss added that typically reservations for the PAC happen months in advance.
Following nearly an hour of combined gospel and preaching from members of the Active Church, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow spoke highly about America’s founding principle and Christian roots.
Dow also spoke against transgender rights, quoting Kirk from a previous debate over the matter.
“Someone once challenged Charlie at the microphone and said something like, ‘wasn’t it courageous for a person to respect that a man could become a woman,’” Dow said. “And he responded rather controversially, but truthfully, he said, ‘that’s not a man. That’s a coward.’”
Closing out his speech, Dow led a chant with the crowd repeating, “I am Charlie Kirk.”
Cal Poly TPUSA and Active Church conduct memorial service to remember Kirk
The vigil service kicked off with a military color guard and performances of the national anthem and pledge of allegiance. The hosts of the event livestreamed the memoral through YouTube.
Josh Jones, a teaching pastor for Active Church, emceed the night and held a moment of silence for Kirk while asking the crowd to hold up their flash lights in solidarity.
“We gather to not just honor the life of Charlie Kirk, but also we join together as a community to declare this very simple truth, that Jesus is still the answer,” Jones said.
After a short tribute video of Kirk was played featuring footage of his wife Erika Kirk and President Donald Trump, a worship band performed gospel music. Adam Magaña, the lead pastor at Active Church, led a sermon.
Magaña quoted various bible verses – as did many who spoke at Monday night’s event. He called for “safe borders” and “girls in girls bathrooms and guys in guys bathrooms” which followed a loud round of applause from the crowd.
By around 8 p.m., speaker Kendall Caruana made her address to the remaining crowd about how she became a “closeted Republican” and faked being liberal in order to get good grades in college.
“Fake it till you make it, am I right?” Caruana said.
Ryan Rundle, Cal Poly TPUSA chapter president, closed out the night with a speech reciting Biblical text as well as addressing the need for free speech and open dialogue.
Rundle added that although Turning Point USA had many members who are Christian, he encouraged anyone to join.
“We ourselves are not a church, and we welcome people of all beliefs and backgrounds,” the business major said.
Security was present and a line formed before the vigil
Outside of the event, local police cars surrounded the venue, and apparent snipers were stationed on the roof of the Vista Grande Dining Complex.
Freshman English major Violet Jackson addressed her initial reaction to finding out about the event held for Kirk.
“Obviously everyone has free speech, but this person repeatedly said hateful things about people of different races and ethnicities,” Jackson said. “He blamed a lot of violence on people of color and things like that.”
Riya Minglani contributed to this story. Audio story created by KCPR News Reporter Diego Puga Escobar.
