The class of 2012 may have more to worry about in the months following their graduation than a struggling job market.

There is a growing belief that the world as we know it will end shortly after current freshmen graduate. Most believers point to an ancient Mayan calendar as a harbinger of the end of days.

According to the Web site www.armageddononline.org, the Mayans developed a measure to count days called the Long Count, which began Aug. 11, 3114 B.C. and is scheduled to end Dec. 21, 2012.

There are many proposed theories of how the world will end. One involves the alignment of planets and galaxies during the Winter Solstice, which is scheduled to occur Dec. 21, 2012. Believers of this theory predict that a planetary alignment will affect the gravitational pull throughout the solar system and cause Earth’s polarity to reverse, making the North Pole the south and the South Pole the north.

Paul Stoddard, an NIU planetary science professor, discredits this theory.

“First of all, there is no planetary alignment on the date in question,” Stoddard said. “Second, even if there was an alignment, the pull of the planets on Earth would be less than the daily effect that the moon has.”

Stoddard also points out that planetary alignments have occurred before, and life has continued on Earth uninterrupted.

Another theory proposes a supervolcano will produce the largest and most voluminous eruptions on Earth. A supervolcano eruption would instantly kill thousands, if not millions of people, and could greatly affect the world’s climate leading to the deaths of millions more. The nearest known supervolcano to NIU is in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Geology Professor Emeritus Jonathan Berg acknowledges that an eruption may take place, but it is not likely.

“There has been some recent increased seismic activity near Yellowstone,” Berg said. “However, there is no indication that an eruption is likely.”

When addressing those who say an eruption is imminent, Berg does not mince words.

“I can tell you with certainty that only a fool would predict a volcanic eruption of any type for one specific month several years from now,” Berg said.

Giuseppe Punzi, a member of the class of 2012, hopes that Berg and Stoddard are right.

“I hope it doesn’t happen, because then my graduation wouldn’t mean anything,” Punzi said.