Patrick ‘Patch’ Kaplan quickly became a known face on UNH’s campus after his face was plastered all over campus on a poster. The poster mimics that of Barrack Obama’s poster from his 2008 campaign. It has a picture of Kaplan’s face with the word “HOPE” underneath it.
Though the posters first appeared in Hetzel Hall in mid-September 2016, they were soon dispersed across the UNH campus.
“My friend Max made the poster. He noticed that I brought a lot of energy and life to his dorm,” Kaplan said. “So, he created the poster.”
The poster started off as a way to spread Kaplan’s positive and upbeat energy throughout the entire dorm, and bring residents hope and happiness. Seeing it makes people smile and lift their spirits.
“The fact that I can make these people in his dorm smile and be happy without being around makes me feel great,” Kaplan said.
The poster isn’t necessarily a symbol for hope, but is instead meant to symbolize better and easier times in the most stressful of days. Life happens and it is important to try and keep a positive outlook. Believe in your own ability to make it through any given task. The original goal of the poster was to instill into individuals that there is good in every day. Just believe that good things can happen, and they will. Kaplan said that this is his outlook on life, and hopefully, the poster will help others around campus feel the same.
