Peter “The Moon Guy” Lands on Campus; Raises Concern

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Students traveling to and from class this morning were met with a surprise as a moon-landing denier and flat-Earther was flagging down passersby with a quick lecture on his beliefs. 

Peter “The Moon Guy” Jarvio arrived on campus this morning, Friday the 24th, with his posters and flat-Earth models hoping to “spread the truth” to students here at Transylvania. Rambler Editor Seth McKinney and I took the time to interview him and see what this was all about. 

Over the past 3 years, Jarvio has independently traveled to college campuses across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and other states to share what he believes is the truth. “It’s kind of a hobby,” he stated. Transy marks the 31st university he has visited to “expose the lies” of the moon landing and the spherical Earth. He gives a minute-long speech, along with 3D-printed flat-Earth models, to everyone willing to listen. He also provided a list of “educational sources” on a YouTube-alternative website called BitChute.com, which is known for containing far-right ideologies, conspiracy theories, and hate speech.

His presence caused quite a stir and seemed to be the talking point of Campus today. By request, he even made an appearance in Dr. Partain’s FYRS class called “Stalking the Weird,” which discusses conspiracy theories and the spread of false information. Freshman student Asa Thomas recounted the event, stating that Jarvio “gave [the class] a more in-depth talk about flat-Earth and his belief in it.” Thomas found some of his statements harmful. For example, Jarvio reportedly claimed during his moon-landing lecture that NASA, referring to the American Space Agency, is also the Hebrew term for deceive, which Thomas said, “raised a lot of red flags in [his] mind.”

Other students found his presence uncomfortable too, as he was flagging down anyone who walked by. He was strategically located by the crosswalk between the Campus Center and the academic side of campus. This choke point sees more human traffic than any other spot at Transy. Since he was located on the sidewalk, which is considered public property, Jarvio was free to do what he was doing, though DPS asked him to move out of the way of the crosswalk early on into his setup so that he was not blocking the path.

Jarvio remained at his post for many hours, and many students took the opportunity to discuss, debate, listen to, or even mess with him. He may not have changed many, if any, minds today, but he certainly raised some eyebrows.