The reinstated Turning Point USA Chico Chapter was tabling Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. But what started as an outreach motive quickly turned into criticisms against the movement.

Chico State’s TPUSA Chapter was recently reinstated after about a year of being inactive, following the prior officers either graduating or stepping away from the organization. 

“We really just want to gather students who are like-minded and like conservative values and who love their country,” said TPUSA Chapter President Addie Snyder. “America offers everyone great things, and I think everyone should realize how great of a privilege that is.”

At about 12:20 p.m., senior Richie Cratty engaged in conversation with Snyder about her stances on the current administration, the war with Iran and immigration policy.

“She’s accidentally anti-Trump, she just doesn’t realize it,” Cratty said. “She was the one who brought up naturalization. She was the one that brought up human rights and she just doesn’t realize that her beliefs are not what this administration’s doing.”

Snyder said she feels as if there is a common misconception that people perceive that joining TPUSA means you support Trump and hold Christian beliefs, which isn’t the case.

“You don’t have to support everything that Trump does,” Snyder said. “You can support whatever religion. It’s open to any religion, as long as you hold the conservative values.”

Cratty said he felt like the conversation wasn’t constructive for Snyder. Snyder said she felt the conversation started constructively, but later felt it was targeting her.

“He just kept arguing his same point,” Snyder said. “He wants to get across, but I don’t know. After he keeps repeating himself so many times, there’s only so much you can say back.” 

About 10 people gathered around the table. The conversation lasted about 10 minutes, with both parties going back and forth.

“I try just to approach everybody with, not open arms but invitingly, because, of course, I’m here to have a conversation,” Snyder said.

At the end of the conversation, former Alpha Epsilon Pi President Jack Fuhrman said he felt conversations don’t bring change, but rather feel like creating change is ignoring TPUSA and not bashing them. 

“Don’t argue, you can’t argue with un-reasonables and us talking to people and listening to people like this, is not how we create change,” Fuhrman said. “Let them be in their fancy world.”

About 10 minutes later, three more people approached the table. They looked through Snyder’s pamphlets and other materials. Most of the time, they stood silently, though they occasionally made comments critical of the current administration. One of them handed Snyder a sticker that said “Your silence will not protect you,” a quote from Audre Lorde.

After reading a pamphlet that said, “It’s not the government’s place to tell people how to live their lives,” one of them responded.

“Oh, gee. Since I’m transgender, I wish the government wasn’t trying to ruin my life all the time,” said one of them. 

For the rest of the time, Snyder tabled. Occasionally, students would walk by and say “fuck Turning Point,” and other callouts.

Despite criticisms, Snyder said she loves these kinds of discussions.

“I think it’s great that people want to come up and talk to us, even if we don’t persuade them,” Snyder said. “If we don’t educate them on what we believe, then that’s totally fine. I just like having the conversation from both sides.”

Aiden Masson can be reached at [email protected]