Feb. 11, 2002
Contact: Dr. Steven Verhey (509-963-3431/fax 509-963-2730/e-mail: verheys@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The teaching of the theory of evolution in the nation’s schools has been the subject of debate recently in a number of states. In Washington, for instance, new anti-evolution bills have been introduced in the state Senate and House of Representatives.
Sen. Harold Hochstatter, R- Moses Lake, whose district includes parts of Kittitas, Yakima, Benton and Grant counties, authored the senate measure. Hochstatter, a member of the Senate education committee, will discuss his bill during the first “Darwin Day” event at Central Washington University, tomorrow (Feb. 12) at 7 p.m. in the Samuelson Union Building (SUB) Theatre.
The free public, presentation is being held in conjunction with other ceremonies around the world commemorating Charles Darwin’s birthday; Feb. 12, 1809.
“The real goal is education,” Dr. Steven Verhey, CWU biological sciences professor and local Darwin Day organizer, says. “Because there’s a wide-spread lack of understanding and, in some cases, just plain hostility toward it (evolutionary theory). It’s the darnedest situation, because it’s a really simple concept that’s just incredibly powerful when it comes to explaining things that we see in nature.”
Hochstatter will be among four panelists at Tuesday’s presentation. Dr. Philip Mattocks, CWU biological sciences professor, will discuss “The Life and Times of Charles Darwin”; Dr. David Darda, CWU biological sciences professor, will outline “Evolution in the 21st Century”; and Rev. Lowell Murphree, from the Ellensburg First United Methodist Church, will talk about “Faith, Seeing, Understanding.”
“Each will speak for about 20 minutes and then there will be a question and answer period,” Verhey adds.
While the exact origin of “Darwin Day” is unknown, groups in Australia, Europe and North America have celebrated the event for more than a decade. According to officials with the national Darwin Day program, the long-term goal is to establish a global celebration in 2009, the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his “The Origin of Species.”
For more information about the CWU Darwin Day event, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation, call (509) 963-2731, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-3323.
