As college students, we are no strangers to wild rumors or even the most over-the-top tea that gets circulated during those late-night study sessions or hanging out with friends. But on Tuesday, there was a conspiracy theory night hosted by Birds Aren’t Real, Psych Club and the Trailgazers.
During the night, students gathered for pizza, conspiracy theories and laughs. The event was packed with humor, campus slander and a sprinkling of ancient aliens and money laundering.
Here are some of the highlights from the night.
Provost Lacourse: “he’s innocent”
As the night progressed from one joke into another, club members presented a theory that Provost Michael Lacourse was innocent, but of what? We may never know since this theory was presented as a joke after learning that he was put on leave until January 2025.
Even the conspiracy theorists thought there was more going on behind the scenes. While the room howled at his innocence, it did highlight how people’s imagination and unanswered questions can fuel this kind of conspiracy.
Kellie Marin, assistant communications professor, said, “We are constantly trying to make sense of the world around us, so sometimes we can’t explain something that happened to us; conspiracy theories may be a useful explanation.”
King Charles is a… vampire?
King Charles III is a vampire. Why? Because he is sixteen-times removed from Vlad the Impaler.
Some of the conspiracies involved King Charles having porphyria, which is a rare disorder that can cause sensitivity to light, pain, reddening of the skin and mental health problems, even though this reporter couldn’t find any evidence that suggested he has this condition, the presenters did find that King Charles does own a house in Transylvania, Romania.
The Blue House is one of many real estate properties that the king owns, and is rumored to vacation there from time to time. With these “facts” as evidence, the room concluded that King Charles is a vampire.
Mount Rushmore’s hidden vault
As the night drew on, the audience was told the tale of the secret vault behind Mount Rushmore, specifically behind Former President Abraham Lincoln’s head.
In this secret room are supposedly blueprints to the hall of records, which will tell future civilizations about why Mount Rushmore was built and the secrets to mankind. The presenters also speculated why the room was purposely left unfinished so that the government could hide their secret documents and hidden technology.
Stephanie (Luan) Martinez, a senior health communications major from St. George, said: “If you think about it, why would they build four heads and not put a secret room behind it? The government always hides things in plain sight. I bet there is more going on than we will ever know.”
Ancient aliens: creators of civilizations and mankind
It wouldn’t have been a conspiracy night without someone bringing up aliens. The theory presented was aliens were the ones to throw the asteroid from space, which took out the dinosaurs to make room for humankind.
But not just any humans, these humans had their DNA mutated with alien DNA. The evidence for this claim? It was ancient glyphs that showcased spaceships and the Nazca lines that were essentially landing strips for alien space crafts.
They even claimed that biblical humans like Adam and Eve were alien hybrids that were visiting our world to ensure the rise of our civilization. To these people, we have been surrounded by alien overlords all this time.
Why we love conspiracy theories
It’s easy to laugh at these outlandish claims, but there is a deeper psychological reason why people are drawn to them.
Lisa Scott, assistant professor of psychology, said: “I think people choose to believe conspiracy theories because the harsh reality is that the world is extremely random and chaotic. Conspiracy theories create in-groups and out-groups, and humans feel comforted when we have a group to belong to.”
Conspiracy theories often create a sense of community that may share similar ideologies, and that creates this kind of human connection that fosters feelings of comfort and community. At their core, conspiracy theories are born out of fear of the unknown, the government and of the economy. As fun as they sound, they can also be unhelpful.
“They create a narrative that helps us make sense of things we fear, but they don’t really address the real causes of certain problems in our world,” Scott said.
In a world where conspiracy theories exist, sometimes one has to laugh, much like the attendees Conspiracy Night did. Whether it’s ancient aliens, secret underground rooms under national landmarks or connections between celebrities and global events, conspiracy theories will continue to keep us laughing and entertained.
