International superstar Beyonce caused an internet sensation when, during the Super Bowl halftime show, she made a gesture placing her two hands together to form a triangle. That symbol, which she and fellow musicians Jay-Z and Rihanna also made at the Grammys, was linked online to the notorious secret society, the Illuminati.
The Illuminati has received a lot of attention lately, and students are responding, wondering just what this organization could be.
“It’s a satanic cult where people sold their souls to the devil for fame and fortune,” junior Jake Chavez said.
Social media sites have linked the Illuminati to a wide range of world events, and while some teens are interested in the theories, others dismiss talk of an all-powerful organization as mere conspiracy.
“One element can’t control the world and have power,” senior Matt Klein said. “You can do anything you want without having to sell your soul.”
Today, the Illuminati is known as a secret organization of political figures, faceless corporations and countless singers and songwriters. Historically, it was a group of French freethinkers who had ideas of enlightenment in the late 1770s.
“[They] were scared that other people weren’t going to accept their beliefs, so they had their own secret philosophical society,” English teacher Kari Haddy said.
Media attention has gotten students considering the Illuminati.
“Singers I listen to are always saying stuff about it or saying that they worship the devil,” junior Gwen Kenney said.
Well known rapper Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent, rose to fame in 2003 when he released his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’. He went from dealing drugs to support his family to being an influential rapper and founder of several charity foundations. But online, some question if he rose to power by himself.
This is the conflict many have about mainly songwriters and politicians. Some believe that people rise to power and fame because of the Illuminati.
“You get to be rich and famous just by selling your soul to the devil and people do it because it’s that easy,” senior Dalton Carr said.
Still, others remain uncertain about the group’s influence.
“People don’t want to believe things like [the Illuminati], they want to think their idols got there on their own without help,” Chavez said.
Despite all the recent hype, many students choose to remain skeptical about the unknown.
“The problem for me is that there’s no real evidence out there,” sophomore Seth Clark said. “You hear all this stuff about it on the Internet but there’s no real proof. No one really knows what’s real and what isn’t. I just choose to stay out of it.”
–By Ryan Millis