Campus political talk feels more ‘aggressive’ post-Charlie Kirk, say Utah students

In the seven weeks since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, some Utah students say they have seen a marked shift in how politics is discussed on campus.

“People kind of shut down faster than before,” said Utah Tech University student Natalia Cervantes. “They’re not as open to talking or discussing their own ideals.”

Cervantes describes herself as an independent, and said students on campus have always talked about politics. The tone, however, definitely changed after Kirk’s death.

“I feel like students are still [talking about politics], but they’re quicker to be aggressive rather than just put up a wall,” she said, “And that’s kind of on both sides, because they feel very passionately.”

It’s a similar story at the University of Utah.

“Out in the open on campus, it turns very aggressive very quickly from what I’ve seen because people just aren’t willing to hear each other out,” said freshman Summer Anderson, who leans more Republican. “They have their own opinions and aren’t willing to learn about the other views in the world, and that leads to a lot of disrespect.”

Anderson’s friend Riju Chawla sees herself as more of a Democrat and said that, in her experience, students at the university tend to engage in politics “very dramatically.”

Read more at kuer.org.

Note to readers • This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.