Conservative group denied registered student status

Drake University student senate votes to deny Turning Point USA chapter

On Oct. 31, Drake University’s student senate voted to deny a conservative group as a registered student organization. 

The group was Turning Point USA, which according to their website “has embarked on a mission to build the most organized, active, and powerful conservative grassroots activist network on high school and college campuses across the country.” 

This is now the second time the group has been denied RSO status. The group was denied the first time because of “privacy concerns, stances on social media and receiving conflicting information from the group.”

The senate made the decision to move to an executive session, a private meeting in which only the senate is in attendance, after alleged interference from another group on campus.

An executive session means that the reasoning behind the vote wasn’t published and neither was what senators voted which way. Conservative campus groups claim that this is emblematic of a larger issue of Drake silencing conservative voices. 

The group protesting, Drake Comrades, is now suspended while they are under investigation for their conduct. 

More updates to come as the investigation continues and as conservative groups plan to respond.