What started as publicity for the newly-formed Critical Realism club has now turned into a poster war.

The club and a German 343 class have displayed posters in the Jesse Knight Humanities Building which argue back and forth between different theories: post-modernism and critical realism.

The critical realism club put up posters to advertise their first meeting, and those posters caught the attention of a German class who was studying post-modernism.

In response, the German class began posting their own version of the clubs posters. Eventually it has escalated as the clubs competed to get their message heard, and now posters take up an entire wall in the JKHB.

Mark Finch Hedengren, president of the critical realism club and a photography major, said the whole situation has gone too far.

"The last set [of posters] I put up was just kind of like 'hey, we're a club, it's just not that big of a deal!'" Finch Hedengren said. "I thought the last set [of posters] from the German club was pretty 'whoo.'"

Finch Hedengren also said the students in the class were offered extra credit for making the posters.

Robert McFarland, assistant professor of German and Slavic languages, teaches the German class who made the posters for post-modernism, said he invited his students to respond to the posters.

He set up a contest and let graduate students judge the posters. The winner received some extra credit.

"As far as I was concerned, the matter was over," McFarland said. "I have not done a single thing since our in-class activity to actively promote the discussion, other then to laugh loudly in the halls and to direct the discussion in my classroom."

McFarland said if anyone is still putting up posters, it is a few class members joined by other undergraduates, as well as some graduate students.

He said the posters are fun, and they "make for wonderful interactions in the hall."

"I was pleased that BYU students showed some interest in critical theory, which usually ranks low on their list of passions," McFarland said.

Finch Hedengren said he is frustrated students aren't more open to new ideas. He said, in most classes, when new ideas are presented the opposing idea is also presented. He doesn't feel that is happening with post-modernism.

"Post modernism is generally taught in form of indoctrination," Finch Hedengren said. "There's no dialogue it's just 'this is it, this is it, this is it.'"

McFarland said the best by-product of the debate has been the lively and spirited dialogue about critical theories, and the posters were never meant to be a personal attack on anyone, rather he applauded the critical realism club's fervor and excitement.

"It's always good news when students find an intellectual home where they can express themselves," McFarland said.

According to McFarland, the posters are meant to show that BYU is home to a wide variety of critical theories and approaches.

Finch Hedengren said he is fine with the posters, and he believes it's been great publicity for his club. McFarland said his class has also received some extra publicity.

"Because our class time was posted on the flyers, we have had a non-stop stream of visitors to our class," McFarland said. "We have discussed different types of critical theory, and have had a great interaction."

McFarland said several members of the critical realism club have either come to his class, or to his office to talk to him.

McFarland said some of the posters, from both clubs, are so creative and funny they are making them available in the Cougar Creations so students can make T-shirts if they are interested.



Copyright Brigham Young University 20 Oct 2004