West Lafayette ceremony welcomes 90 new U.S. citizens: ‘I’m here. And I’m glad’
Plus notes galore on a Friday afternoon.
Support for this edition comes from the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, presenting Art on the Wabash. The juried art fair will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette. Admission is free. For more, check out Art on the Wabash here.
WEST LAFAYETTE CEREMONY WELCOMES 90 NEW U.S. CITIZENS: ‘I’M HERE. AND I’M GLAD’
Ninety people originally hailing from 32 countries and now living across the northern half of Indiana left White Horse Christian Center Friday afternoon as freshly minted U.S. citizens, encouraged during a naturalization ceremony to sign up to vote and make themselves participants in civic life.
“It has been said that the only title of the American democracy that is superior to the president is the title of citizen,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Frankel said during the annual ceremony in West Lafayette. “That is the title you've chosen and that has been bestowed upon you this day. As an American citizen, you have great power. Great power and great responsibility.”
Typically held the day before West Lafayette’s annual Global Fest, the naturalization ceremony moved up a week early to accommodate schedules of the venue and the court, city officials said.
West Lafayette Mayor Erin Easter was among those offering a welcome.
“Your bet on a future in the United States is the same bet placed in the name of prosperity, safety and freedom for nearly 2½ centuries,” Easter said. “In exchange for that safety and freedom, we ask only one thing in return – your participation. We do not rely on kings, queens or dictators to chart our future in the United States. We are uniquely structured and governed by us, the American people. As part of that responsibility, I hope that you leave here today as a registered voter. … You have earned that right to vote, and I hope you use it to participate and create the government of the future that we all want to see continue to keep us safe and prosperous.”
Outside the hall, Matthew Williams, a West Lafayette resident and wireless design engineer at Purdue, was among those new U.S. citizens picking up information about voter registration from the League of Women Voters.
Williams, who was born in Jamaica, came to the United States as a teen with his adopted family. He graduated from Faith Christian High School in 2012 before getting an engineering degree from Purdue. He said paperwork problems in Jamaica made the naturalization process long and drawn out.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Williams said, recounting his thoughts when the judge made things official Friday morning. “It’s hard sometimes, because I feel like I try to ignore all those years, just because it reminds me of stuff it’s taken getting here. But I’m here. And I’m glad.”
Laurence Wang, a member of the West Lafayette school board, told those gathered at White Horse his story of becoming a naturalized citizen a decade ago. He said the ceremony 10 years ago remained one of the most meaningful milestones in his life.
“I still remember the emotion of that day – pride, gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility,” Wang said. “I have come to understand that citizenship is not simply a status, a piece of paper. … Today marks a new beginning. You join the long line of individuals who come from every corner of the world, who have chosen to make the decision that this country will be their own country. Your presence enriches the American story and American dreams, and your future contributions, no matter great or small, will help shape nation we share together.”
About Global Fest: The 30th annual West Lafayette Global Fest will be 3-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, in downtown West Lafayette. Global Fest features a food bazaar, displays and entertainment meant to showcase the international community in West Lafayette. Among the acts performing, hosted by Purdue Convocations: Slavic Soul Party (Balkan brass, funk and jazz), Pahua (Latin electronica), Black Voices of Inspiration from the Purdue Black Cultural Center, the Purdue Chinese Performing Art Troupe, Boiler Bhangra and more. Admission is free. For more information, check West Lafayette Global Fest on Facebook.
THIS AND THAT/OTHER READS …
MURDER SUSPECT FOUND, ARRESTED IN CHARLIE KIRK’S KILLING: There’s no shortage of sources of news about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man accused and arrested in Wednesday’s killing of Charlie Kirk, as the founder of Turning Point USA was debating students on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah. Here are a few reads from Friday:
On the arrest, via The Associated Press: “A 22-year-old Utah man who was arrested and booked on murder charges in the assassination of Charlie Kirk held deep disdain for the conservative activist’s provocative viewpoints and indicated to a family member that he was responsible for the shooting, authorities said Friday. The arrest marked a major break in a case that shocked the country and raised fresh alarms about political violence in a deeply polarized United States. Tyler Robinson had become “more political” in the run-up to the shooting and mentioned during a dinner with family that Kirk would be visiting Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference. The governor cited as evidence engravings on bullet casings found in the rifle that authorities believe was used in the attack, as well as chat app messages attributed to the suspect that a roommate shared with law enforcement.” For the rest: “Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing became more political, opposed activist’s views, authorities say.”
From Deseret News reporters Lauren Irwin and Emma Pitts: “Who is Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s murder?”
The Washington Post had this timeline: “How the hunt for a suspect in Charlie Kirk’s shooting unfolded.”
Shell casings found in connection with the shooting did contain messages, as suggested during some of the early stages of the manhunt. The Huffington Post’s Ryan Grenoble had this: “Shell casings recovered along with the weapon used to assassinate Charlie Kirk suggest the shooter was deeply familiar with internet meme culture, with three of the four casings inscribed with online lingo the average person would find inscrutable. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox relayed the writing to reporters at a press conference Friday, where he also confirmed 22-year-old Tyler Robinson had been arrested as the prime suspect in the shooting.” For more, here’s the rest of the Huffington Post report: “Charlie Kirk Shooter's Shell Casings Don't Suggest 'Trans Ideology.' Here's What They Mean.”
From AP reporter Michelle Price: “In a week when Americans witnessed a public political assassination, oceans of angry words and a collective sense of horror and exhaustion, one man stepped up to a microphone and said something that stood out: It doesn’t have to be like this. That man, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, appeared weary, emotional, at times angry and on the verge of tears Friday. While he had the country’s attention, he used the moment to ask his fellow Americans to turn down the temperature. Cox, long an advocate for civility, said he didn’t “want to get too preachy.” But he described the moment as one where the country’s very ideals were on the line. He made an impassioned plea for Americans and young people in particular to use the horror of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination as an inflection point to turn the country away from political violence and division. ‘This is our moment: Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp?’ Cox told a news conference in Utah as he announced authorities had a suspect in Kirk’s killing in custody. ‘It’s a choice.’” For more: “Utah’s governor, in impassioned remarks, urges Americans to find ‘off-ramp’ from political violence.”
From Washington Post reporters Katie Tarrant and Dylan Wells: “Hunter Kozak had just finished asking Charlie Kirk a question about how many mass shootings have happened in the United States over the past decade when he heard a loud pop. … Initially, Kozak’s instinct was to be cautious of the limelight, avoiding calls and texts from people who recognized him from videos of the event, he said. He worried that once people realized that he was a liberal activist, he and his family would become a target for conspiracy theorists. Although he decided to attend the UVU event on his own initiative, Kozak had for months been involved with an organized liberal effort to counter Kirk’s incredibly effective and popular right-wing group. … Kozak’s family urged him to stay quiet. But on Thursday, concerned that online speculation that he had been involved in a conspiracy to hurt Kirk was growing out of control, he decided to make a public statement to address his history of criticizing Kirk and condemn the violence.” For the rest: “Last student to question Charlie Kirk speaks out.”
UNIVERSITIES AND FEDERAL FUNDING: Earlier this week, Purdue President Mung Chiang told faculty members of the University Senate that the university was “very sturdy and stable when it comes to federal and industry research funding.” In the wake of a turbulent 2025 for federal funding of universities across the country and uncertainty hovering over work hosted on the West Lafayette campus, Chiang said that in the most recent fiscal year, which ended June 30, “Purdue’s federally funded research programs stayed intact 97%.” Chiang added this: “I was told that it has been the most productive summer on record in terms of federal research dollars, new awards, coming into the university.”
As a backdrop those comments, Indiana Capital Chronicle reporter Whitney Downard had a statewide look at federal funding and the state’s universities, finding this: “Combined, the 21 grants across four Indiana higher education institutions total $24.5 million in federal dollars from the National Institutes of Health, as detailed by Grant Witness, an independent tracking effort. The project partly relies on self-submitted cancellations, meaning the losses could be higher. An additional $15.5 million in grants to Indiana schools under the National Science Foundation was canceled. ” For more context, here’s the Indiana Capital Chronicle report: “Canceled federal grants cost Indiana institutions millions in disrupted projects.”
REDISTRICTING IN INDIANA? SOME UPDATES: Republican Indiana state senators met privately in a caucus Wednesday as they continued to weigh a potential special session on redistricting. This is from Indiana Capital Chronicle reporters Whitney Downard and Niki Kelly: “Senate Republicans met behind closed doors on Wednesday at the Indiana Statehouse roughly three weeks after their House counterparts to discuss redistricting, though none shared specifics with media following the caucus. … Despite the pressure, Indiana’s leaders haven’t yet scheduled a special session and the vast majority of Republican lawmakers have been silent on the issue. Several other senators leaving Wednesday’s meeting also declined to comment or share their perspective — though both Sens. Spencer Deery and Greg Walker have been vocal about their opposition. The state’s entire Republican delegation in the U.S. House has come out in favor of redistricting, though doing so will shift the boundary lines of their districts. Congressional representatives aren’t required to live in the area they serve. Members of the House Republican caucus are set to meet Friday.” Here’s more: “Republican senators silent after closed-door redistricting caucus.”
Speaking of redistricting, state Rep. Jim Lucas – once a “hard no” on the idea – announced Thursday he was a “hell yes” at this stage, coming two weeks after a visit to the White House where President Donald Trump has been pressing Indiana to redraw lines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. It also came a day after Charlie Kirk was killed. That prompted some chiding for the hard-right representative from Seymour from state Rep. Heath VanNatter, a Kokomo Republican whose district includes the northeast portion of Tippecanoe County. This is from reporter Whitney Downard in the Indiana Capital Chronicle: “‘I knew you would fold,’ VanNatter wrote. ‘Maybe you should keep your powder dry next time.’ Lucas replied that he ‘made a damn good case’ against redistricting and ‘stand(s) by’ his position at the time. He previously called the idea ‘highly unusual and politically optically horrible,’ and pushed for electoral wins ‘the old-fashioned way.’ But after the D.C. trip and Kirk’s death, Lucas explained, ‘I have ZERO problem to publicly come out and explain my changed position.’ VanNatter responded by quoting Lucas’ own words — ‘hard no’ and ‘dangerous precedent’ — back at him, adding, ‘I assumed that meant that you opposed (mid-cycle redistricting) but I guess I don’t know what those words mean.’ He mocked Lucas’ phrasing and called the change ‘a real weird and quick flip flop.’” The article noted that VanNatter hasn’t made his own position clear.
In districts that include portions of Tippecanoe County, the public statements line up this way: Republicans Sen. Spencer Deery and Rep. Mark Genda and Democratic Reps. Chris Campbell and Sheila Klinker have said they’re against the idea; Republican Rep. Matt Commons said he’s in favor; Republicans VanNatter and Sen. Ron Alting and have not publicly committed.
PRESIDENTIAL LECTURE SERIES TICKETS AVAILABLE: More details are ready for a Purdue Presidential Lecture Series visit to campus by Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment. Purdue President Mung Chiang will host the Q&A at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at Fowler Hall in the Stewart Center. Talk is titled, “Leading Teams on and off the Court: Business, Community and the Power of Sports.” The event is free, but tickets are required. General admission tickets and more on the Presidential Lecture Series are available here.
SERVING SOON, MHA’S MOCKTAIL MONDAY: Eleven Greater Lafayette establishments will join with Mental Health America-Wabash Valley Region for this year’s Mocktail Monday to raise funds for the Let’s Talk Peer Support recovery program. The evening of mocktails will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Stables Event Center in Lafayette. Tickets are $40. Tickets, a list of bars and restaurants that will be there and more details are available at MocktailMonday.org.
Thanks, again, for support for this comes from the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, presenting Art on the Wabash on Sept. 28, at Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette. For more, check here.
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Welcome, new Americans! Always an exciting ceremony!