Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, the Republican Women of Bossier City hosted a well-attended event featuring Ethan Vogin, Vice President of LSU Turning Point USA, and Gabriel Freeman, Student Advisor for Turning Point USA at Louisiana Tech. The gathering came at a pivotal moment for the movement, as local activists expressed renewed energy to carry forward what they say Charlie Kirk stood for.
Turning Point USA is a nonprofit student organization founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk to promote limited government, free markets, and civic engagement on high school and college campuses.
Over the past several years, TPUSA has grown to hundreds of campus chapters across the United States.
At the Bossier meeting, Vogin and Freeman reflected on the mission of Turning Point USA and the work they oversee at their respective universities. They emphasized youth leadership, campus involvement, and continuing to build student chapters in the Ark-La-Tex region.
The event came amid a surge of interest in joining Turning Point USA following the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk at a campus event in Utah earlier this year. Reports indicate that the organization has been flooded with applications: over 32,000 inquiries were made in the 48 hours after his death by students wanting to start new chapters.
Attendees at the Bossier gathering described the evening as a strong show of unity and commitment to the ideals Kirk advanced. The local Republican Women’s group applauded Vogin and Freeman as rising leaders who are taking on the responsibility of keeping the movement’s momentum alive in Louisiana.
While the event focused heavily on local chapter-building and student engagement, speakers also alluded implicitly to Kirk’s legacy—expressing determination to see it continue through new student leadership rather than being diminished by his absence.
As Turning Point USA moves forward, the Bossier City event underscored how Kirk’s impact continues to resonate, especially among young conservatives who see his death as a turning point—not an endpoint—for activist energy on campuses across Louisiana and beyond.