In recent weeks, perhaps some readers have noticed odd stickers (such as the one pictured here) around campus. Some of these stickers have been worn or scratched at, but this image shows a relatively intact one. It appears Communist organizational stickers have begun to crop up around campus. These stickers range from larger posters to smaller hand sized stickers stuck on benches or light posts. While these are definitely not new, they may be new for some as these stickers seem to have become more proliferated and the proliferation of these stickers is likely new for many.

What is Communism? Broadly speaking, Communism is a leftwing political ideology. However, I’m sure that when we think of Communism a variety of different ideas and concepts may come to mind for everyone. Some may imagine Karl Marx who is commonly considered the father of Communism. The sticker in this article even includes a cheeky image of Marx. Some may imagine Soviet Russia, and some may imagine any form of leftwing policy. Whatever the case, people who identify with these groups appear to be invited into and united by their efforts via these stickers.

Let us examine the sticker in detail. The sticker provided in this article features text in a Russian Constructivist art style reading in big bold letters “ARE YOU A COMMUNIST? THEN GET ORGANIZED!” Indeed, this art style alone seems to be a subtle effect of the communist message as well. In the center is Karl Marx, stylized in the way that Uncle Sam might recruit someone into the U.S. Army. Finally, we see a QR code as well as a website link also available on the sticker. 

Scanning the QR code or visiting the URL brings us to the homepage of this Communist organization. A message rallying Communists appears along with other details of this organization’s movement. On the side bar several links providing more information about the organization and future events are provided as well. One of the events was actually advertised in another sticker located on campus. This event was an informational meeting about the organization and Communist ideology.

At any rate, it seems a rather developed Communist organization has begun campaigning more ambitiously at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

With this in mind, what does this mean for the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities?

To begin, we assert that there is in fact a rise in the proliferation of these stickers. If that is not the case and these are merely a normal amount of stickers, then either I or readers have merely become more aware of these stickers – which may say more about ourselves than the broader student body demographic. However, assuming there is a rise, it seems this developed organization believes Communist ideology is more receptive among students here or that there is a rising sentiment of Communist ideology that is ripe for unifying. These possibilities might indicate a future shift in the political conversation on campus with effective Communist advertising or may indicate more aggressive and overt campaigning of Communist ideology on campus or around the metropolitan area. 

“It’s just shocking that anyone–especially educated people–would be beguiled by an ideology so bereft of virtue,” said U of M alumnus Kent Kaiser, Ph.D. “After fighting the brutality, depravity, and hopelessness of Communism throughout the Cold War and seeing the joy among the people freed from Communism in the 1990s, it’s just unfathomable to me that anyone would want to regress to such a paradigm ever again in human history.”