Students reported receiving mysterious religious notes on their doors.
The Mercury was in contact with nine students who received identical handwritten notes at both UV apartments and apartments off campus. The notes referred to Bible passages referencing hypocrisy and confession and urged the reader to confess before judgement day as “the end of the world is near.”
Students in UV reported receiving notes going back to 2020, although the postings have escalated in fall 2022 semester. Notes have been posted through phases of UV and other apartments in the Richardson area, like the Ashwood Park Apartments. However, identical handwritten notes have been appearing around DFW since 2015, when CBS News reported on sightings in East Dallas. Kara Curtis, a junior majoring in international political economy, received a note on her UV apartment on November 7, 2022.
“They definitely made me feel unsafe — the idea of someone going up to my door and leaving that feels really odd,” Curtis said. “The first thing that struck me was how obviously strange the note was. Like what religious organization would handwrite identical notes calling themselves Jesus, saying the end of the world was near and making up bible verses? It just didn’t make any sense and seemed like the actions of a seriously unstable person.”
Megan Gray Hering — the assistant dean of AHT and an instructor of introduction to Christian studies — said that there is a range of beliefs in all religions, and the notes aren’t necessarily reflective of what others believe. She could not speak to the motivation of the author but offered thoughts on their usage.
“These sorts of notes are typically a form of proselytization,” Hering said. “Those who proselytize may be prompted by feelings of fear for believed consequences of that outside of the religion, a sense of duty to the divine or religious institution, or a genuine desire for others to share the positive experience that they have with that religion.”
UTD PD Chief Larry Zacharias confirmed that both UTD PD and the dean of students are aware of the notes but have no information on the person posting them. Zacharias said that since no threats were made, posting the notes is not a criminal offense.