On September 21st, thousands of people packed into State Farm Stadium to commemorate the life of Charlie Kirk.
Millions around the country, and even across the world, watched along on their screens.
Following his assassination, Kirk was in news headlines everywhere. Local churches and schools even had their own ways of commemorating him. Everyone had their opinions on the matter.
Some felt crushed; others celebrated. Neumann University, however, was different.
There was little to no mention. Not from faculty or students.
And one could simply ask, why?
Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, is a conservative group focused on advocacy among high school and college students.
Kirk became well-known for touring college campuses and engaging students in discussions about political and social issues.
Given his focus on college-aged audiences, the silence at Neumann is striking — regardless of personal opinions about him.
Both conservative and liberal voices exist on campus, so discussing the topic wouldn’t be overly dramatic.
This raises a larger question for the Neumann community: Are students hesitant to speak out about the issues they care about?
Truthfully, it would make sense.
Even if students say they aren’t scared to share their voices, that doesn’t always mean they’re willing to take action.
Neumann University is a small school with about 2,000 students. Almost everywhere you look there is a familiar face.
Classes are made up of 30 people at most, and professors will know you by name. A student at Neumann University isn’t just a face in a crowd. You are an individual being. Everything is personal.
That certainly has its benefits, but in this instance, issues arise.
What if a professor sees you differently based on your views? What about your peers? How can someone voice their opinion knowing that it could entirely shape their image on campus?
For other schools, this isn’t much of an issue.
Other schools have double, triple, even quadruple the size of Neumann’s student body. In their case, students really are just a face in the crowd. Their voices are one in a million.
If you did want to speak about politics, schools like Penn State, West Chester, or St. Joe’s all have their own political clubs.
But starting a club here at Neumann isn’t a simple fix. Someone, whether a student or professor, needs to be that person—circling back to that first issue.
This is not a Charlie Kirk related issue.
This is not a Republican issue.
This permeates through many universities, with all sorts of topics. Ultimately, the silence at Neumann says less about Charlie Kirk himself and more about the culture of a small campus. When every voice feels magnified, speaking out can feel risky.
Perhaps the issue isn’t about feeling alone; rather, it’s about feeling too visible.
The challenge for our community is not whether students agree or disagree with Kirk’s legacy. It’s whether they feel comfortable enough to have those types of conversations at all.
