The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 22, 2003, Page 2, Image 2
Creation-evolution fight extends to textbooks
BY ANDREliv BELL
UNIVERSITY DAILY (TEXAS TECH U.)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS (U-WIRE) -
Early next month, a decision will
be made about whether biology
textbooks should have equal space
explaining both the evolution and
creation theories. The Discovery
Institute is pushing for the inte
gration of the intelligent-design
theory within biology textbooks.
Many evangelical Christian col
leges have introduced intelligent
design theory, or creation theory,
into science courses. The next
stride would be to introduce the
theory into textbooks, according
to The Chronicle of Higher
Education.
The movement coalesced in
1996, when the Discovery Institute
established the Center for the
Renewal of Science and Culture.
The center, which is largely fi
nanced by Christian foundations,
spends about $1 million per year
to support research, advocacy and
publications on intelligent design,
according to The Chronicle of
Higher Education.
The focus on textbooks is in
Texas because the state hasa large
influence on textbooks through
out the nation. Harvey Madison,
president of the Lubbock, Texas,
chapter of the American Civil
Liberties Union, said California
and Texas have a large amount of
influence with other states over
the content of their textbooks.
“The reason there is so much
focus from pro-creation camps is
because Texas is very powerful
when it comes to textbooks,”
Madison said. “Publishers print a
lot for California and Texas, and
other states get what the compa
nies print.”
Some professors have said they
believe an effective rebuttal to in
telligent-design theory must in
clude a discussion on the philoso
phy of science.
Although scientists do not wish
to broach topics involving reli
gion, design advocates often ap
peal to the public by arguing that
Darwinism precludes the exis
tence of God, according to the
Chronicle of Higher Education.
In response, many intelligent
design proponents believe there is
a conspiracy to keep their ideas
out of scientific circles.
“I’ve been in public life a long
time,” says Bruce Chapman, pres
ident of the Discovery Institute.
“This is one of the most blatant
forms of viewpoint discrimination
that I have seen.”
Madison said the ACLU has
dealt with this issue for years.
The main concern he and the
organization have is that the issue
involves the separation of church
and state. He said teaching cre
ation in school the injection of re
ligion in school.
Chairman of the biological sci
ences department John Zak said
the problem with introducing cre
ation into biology textbooks is the
understanding of both topics. He
said evolution is stated as a theo
ry, while creation is stated as a be
lief.
Creation cannot be addressed
through a scientific method. Zak
said although he does not feel cre
ation in the Bible is wrong, the
topic should not be placed in a sci
entific text.
“As a Texan and a father of
young teens, by including both it
gives a false impression as to what
science is or what it isn’t,” Zak
said.
“It is not science as we define
science.”
Many organizations have tried
similar efforts in the past,
Madison said. One example was
four or five years ago. Members of
schools boards throughout the
state tried to get their own school
prayer policies and religious agen
das in schools and textbooks.
In response, the Texas
Legislature reduced the power of
the school boards from reviewing
textbooks to checking the factual
accuracy within the books,
Madison said.
In the event that the proposal
passes on Nov. 5, he said the ACLU
will take action.
If the proposal is passed, the
ACLU will file a lawsuit against J
the organizations involved with ^
getting the proposal to be passed,
Madison said.
“The lawsuit could be filed in a
state or federal court because it
would be against the state and the
national constitutions,” he said.
Tickets
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the game is held here, most stu
dents are able'to get a ticket.
“Everyone who wanted to go
last year, as well as the last three
or four years the game has been
at USC, has gotten tickets to the
Carolina-Clemson game. This
doesn’t necessarily mean that
this will be the case this year
though,” he said.
Massaro said the earliest the
system would change is nex.t
year because of the planning and
costs it would require.
“A new system would cer
tainly be costly because it would
involve fairly significant com
puter programming. We don’t
know how costly it would be just
yet,” Masarro said.
Whether, the system will be
changed and how it will be
changed is mostly up to the stu
dents. Both Dreiling and
Kronsteiner say student input
will be the deciding factor.
“It’s especially important that
we hear from student voices. We
need to pick a system that’s go
ing to be efficient and that’s go
ing to work for them,”
Kronsteiner said.
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hley’s Alley
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Homecoming
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
weekends.
The first Friday night pep rally
took place before the 1938
Homecoming game. Pep rallies
were held in subsequent years in
the old field house where the Coker
Life Sciences building now stands.
No pep rally was scheduled in
1950. But after a group of cheer
leaders met the Carolina Band on
campus to work on some routines
the night before the game, more
than 1,500 followed the music and
assembled to join in the fight song
and cheers. The pep rally led to a
procession to the North steps of
the State House, where the crowd
became so loud that it disturbed
a late-working Gov. Strom
Thurmond, who walked outside
to give a few impromptu remarks.
The pep rally was converted to
a student variety show in 1962
called Carolina Capers, which ran
until 1971 when it was replaced by
Cockfest, one of the university’s
youngest Homecoming traditions.
“It’s interesting to see what tra
ditions have lasted here and what
things have changed,” University
Archivist Elizabeth West said.
West said the Homecoming
event that has been celebrated the
most times over the years has
been the Friday afternoon parade.
The first parades in the early 1930s
were much less extravagant than
today’s parades. Alumni would
march behind the band and wave
to the crowd. Parade floats were
unheard of at the time.
lit'i l; Jfls,
Coastal
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
observation system would help
the researchers to better assess
what is going on in the coastal en
vironment and would help gather
data from hurricanes to aid emer
gency planners.
“That is certainly our goal,” he
said. “There is a lot of expertise
out there, but we know that we are
taking a leadership role in these
efforts.”
This grant money comes from
a NOAA program called Coastal
Observation Technology System,
which was created to help devel
op regional observation systems
in hopes of building a national sys
tem. The Coastal Services Center
in Charleston has given out $24
million in grant money to coastal
observation projects.
Comments on this story?E-mail
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fcj Women's
Skechers
631D Harden St.
(803) 254-9488
The Shoe Market a
www.studentadvantage.com Q
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PHOTO BY FORREST CLONTS/THE GAMECOCK
Sororities sell baked goods at Spurs and Struts to raise money for their organizations.
A 1938 editorial in The
Gamecock described that year’s
parade as “Columbia’s annual ver
sion of Mardi Gras.”
The parade didn’t become a per
manent Homecoming fixture un
til 1963. By that time, floats had be
come common to the event. It was
also the year that floats were dis
continued from entering the foot
ball stadium at halftime, as stu
dents had begun building them so
big that they wouldn’t fit through
the entrance tunnels.
Mary King was elected USC’s
first Homecoming Queen in 1941
representing Alpha Delta Pi.
The University Archives staff
scoured catalogued yearbooks and
old copies of The Gamecock to find
information on the origins and
evolution of Homecoming.
“It’s a fun exhibit; it’s meant to
be lighthearted, just something
you can come in and spend a few
minutes looking around and tak
ing in the history,” West said.
The concept of Homecoming
originated from a university’s
alumni returning to their alma
mater to support their team.
Homecoming games were often
scheduled after the completion of a
streak of away games so as to
make it a homecoming for the
players as well.
The University of Illinois
claims to have invented
Homecoming, citing some
October 1910 student newspaper
articles referring to the new con
cept. The University of Missouri
claims to have the most widely
attended annual Homecoming
celebration.
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...jijl—1^—II .
PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK
Clean Carolina drew a record crowd Tuesday afternoon.
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Fresh Baked Calzones 24 high-quality "Shroom Taps"
Spring Water Dough Pretzels (draught beer)
Monumental Hoagies Over 50 draught dodgers (bottles)
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Cleanup
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
from all over South Carolina will
go to different areas around the
state to pick up litter.
The challenge begins immedi
ately and will last until Sept. 5,
2004.
“We were quite happy to see
such a big turnout for this
semester's Clean Carolina Kickoff
Event, and the students really
seemed to enjoy it,” said Student
Government President Katie
Dreiling.
Student Sen. Carson Bacon
spearheaded an effort last year to
make the Kickoff Event a part of
Homecoming but didn’t have
enough time to make it happen,
Dreiling said. SG was delighted to
have the idea finally come
through this year.
Organizations interested in
signing up for the Clean Carolina
Challenge can come by the SG of
fice, located in Russell House 227,
for more information.
Organizations can still participate
in Clean Carolina without partic
ipating in the Clean Carolina
Challenge.
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