BY ANAYS HERNANDEZ

Discussing conspiracy theories, just like Gator Football, is a favorite pastime of students, due to the mysterious vibes emanating off each story and inevitable curiosity sparked within the mind. I personally love reading up on various theories during my free-time. I mean, who doesn’t want to know if aliens are actually real? Maybe Martians are just like us and go out to midtown on Thursdays knowing they have calculus at 9 a.m. the next morning.

Here are some of the most perplexing theories we have yet to solve:

The Assassination of John F. Kennedy:

We all know that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole individual responsible for the murder of JFK; but, many individuals argue that the CIA was behind the whole process. There have been rumors that the CIA covered up files on Oswald that might have alerted authorities about his dangerous state and plans of assassination. One of the FBI’s deputy directors, Cartha DeLoach, stated that one of President Johnson’s advisors had told him that “he was now convinced that there was a plot in connection with the JFK assassination,” where the CIA was behind the murder. Others argue that Cuban exiles probably participated in the murder plot since they were angry over the Kennedy’s failed Bay of Pigs Invasion – in which the CIA trained Cubans to overthrow Castro. Due to their anger, many believe that some befriended Oswald and aided him with murder or were even contracted by the CIA to aid in Kennedy’s assassination.

Though this cryptic scheme is one full of different perspectives, first year landscape architecture student Michael Sullivan has familial ties to one of the JFK conspiracies. Sullivan’s grandfather knew Jack Ruby, the individual who murdered Kennedy’s killer, Lee Harvey Oswald. Sullivan stated that “the day after the [assassination], my dad and his siblings got two new dogs that are the exact same breed as Jack Ruby’s dog.” His grandfather ended up going to jail with Jack Ruby, where Ruby died of a pulmonary embolism. Sullivan’s grandfather was also – coincidentally – a doctor, which led to the belief that his grandfather might have caused Ruby’s death by injecting him with chemicals. Sullivan’s father jokingly said that “my dad killed Jack Ruby and betrayed him for the CIA.” Whether it be a result of undercover Cuban agents or CIA cover-ups, John F. Kennedy’s assassination was an incredibly tragic moment for United State’s history, shaping the government to what it is today.

Aliens Living Amongst Us:

Many individuals believe that aliens exist and likely residing in Area 51, an area in Nevada which the government closely controls. The nearest you can get to Area 51 is about 26 miles away from it, any closer and you might be at risk of getting shot down from one of the military officials monitoring the area or “disappearing” from the face of Earth the next day. First year student Madeleine Myers said that “it’s so statistically likely” that there are aliens out there, living, breathing, and existing just like us. Government officials have also implied that extraterrestrials are real. During an exopolitics conference in Toronto, Paul Hellyer, former Minister of National Defense for Canada said that “a document was prepared which concluded that at least four species [of extraterrestrials] had been visiting Earth for thousands of years,” and that “there are live ET’s on Earth, where at least two of them work with the United States Government.” Prestigious scientists, government leaders, and thousands of individuals believe that aliens do truly exist – with proof. Think about it: how can we be the only living, advanced organisms in the universe amongst billions of galaxies in the universe?

A Hollywood Moon Landing:

Due to many small details spotted during the televised moon-landing event, many argue that the moon-landing was indeed, fake. During the Cold War, various countries had been competing with each other to see which nation would be the first to launch a man into space, prompting the Space Race. Since there was a time-crunch with who would send someone off first, it is believed that the United States faked the landing by creating a fake replica of the moon, in order to win the race. The moon’s atmosphere does not allow for air nor breezes to make a flag move; yet, the American flag clearly waved during the televised event. In addition, on one of the astronaut’s helmets, a slight figure that looks like a stage light, can be seen on the reflective surface. The shadow on the moon should come solely from the sun; but, there are various shadows seen, implying that the shadows may have come from stage lights or people standing watching the false event occur. NASA has gone out to deny that any of the theories are real. What is ironic is that one journalist asked a NASA official if the tapes can be released again to the public, but he said that the tapes have been destroyed. Why would one destroy an iconic, historical relic? Though I believe that the moon-landing was real, there are definitely some points which raise suspicions about the so-called genuine event.

Conspiracy theories can be true to some extent, but all things considered, they are just fun pieces of information to talk about and ponder upon. After all, who knows if an alien might be watching you while you are reading this article?