Student debate favors evolution in school
Topeka ? A month ago, eighth- and ninth-grade students at Bishop Seabury Academy held a debate pitting evolution against intelligent design. Evolution won.
About 10 of those students attended the State Board of Education hearings Thursday where the same concepts were debated.
Judging from the students’ comments after they listened to arguments from scientists, attorneys and politicians, evolution remained the winner.
Simi Singh, a ninth-grader, said attorney Pedro Irigonegaray — who cross-examined the evolution critics — “did a good job of breaking apart their arguments.”
Singh had taken up the cause of intelligent design for her school’s debate, although she said she didn’t believe in it.
“I think it would be tragic if it were taught in science,” she said.
Her mother, Dr. Mininder Kaur, said the students’ research into evolution and intelligent design was thought-provoking.
“It brought up fundamental issues of what is science and what is faith. By the end of the day, they wanted to discuss it some more,” Kaur said.
Kate Falkenstien, also a ninth-grader, had debated successfully for evolution during the humanities class at Seabury. She said intelligent design has no place in a science class but could be taught in a world religion class.
Members of the media swarm around science advocates Jack Krebs and Pedro Irigonegaray Thursday at a hearing on science standards in Topeka.
She said she was glad she and her classmates came to the hearings. “I think they are making history,” she said.
The students, like many of the spectators, left by the lunch break.
The 140-seat auditorium was nearly full at the start of the hearing with media from across the country and spectators.
But as the day proceeded, a number of people left as the testimony focused on DNA, nucelotides, primordial soup and the pre-Cambrian explosion.
And while the media buildup to the hearings had been extensive, there were no demonstrations nor protests.
6News video: Study of evolution goes on trial (05-05-05)
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