Gaston’s Crazy Conspiracy Collage Nearly Complete

Communications teacher Mr. Sean Gaston of Fleetwood Area High School has been putting together a huge bulletin board of conspiracy theories for his classroom. The board coincides with the curriculum for his class, Conspiracy Theories, which he has been teaching for around six years now.

Gaston has been working on the idea for around four years but has made significant progress with the wall in the last year alone. The crazy conspiracist collage features theories of all types–from bigfoot and aliens, to Marilyn Monroe and the moon landing. In the end, everything will be connected and the board will be a mess of pushpins and red string.

“I wanted it to look like a crazy person created it, and when you look at it, it definitely looks like a crazy person created it.  It really speaks to the psychology behind conspiratorial thinking and the conspiratorial mindset,” Gaston said.

Some other theories on the board include the JFK assassination, Roswell, the Illuminati, QAnon, and 9/11. Theories based on tragedies such as Parkland, Sandy Hook, and the Las Vegas shootings are also in the collage. All of these topics are covered in his Conspiracy Theories class, where he teaches his students how to be skeptics, not conspiracists.

Gaston has had help with his board from students, staff, and friends throughout the years. Some students have grouped photos and physically stapled them to the wall, and others have created some of the 3D elements such as vials of fake blood and Zodiac Ciphers. Other 3D elements on the wall include a floppy disk, a labeled specimen of “Bigfoot hair,” and a bag of candy disguised as red pills.

This project has been an enjoyable experience not only for Gaston but also for everyone who enters his classroom.

“It really has been a fun project to work on, and my favorite parts of it are coming up with new things to include, figuring out how those things can connect to other things, and seeing the reactions and questions I get from people who look at it up close,” Gaston said.