The 12th annual Darwin Day celebration will be held from February 11 through the 13 including a teacher's workshop, lecture, and several movies. 

            On Monday the 11 a workshop will be held at the Emporium Annex in downtown at 6:30 p.m.  The workshop will be run by Dr. Andy Kramer and Dr. Gary McCracken, with a special appearance by Dr. Eugenie Scott, and will cover how to deal with arguments made by proponents of intelligent design as well as pushing critical thinking in students. 

            On Tuesday the 12 Dr. Eugenie Scott will speak at the University Center Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.  The lecture will cover whether intelligent design can be considered as a part of science.                         

Dr. Scott is the executive director of the National Center for Science Education and has been awarded by several associations including the National Science Board for her efforts to maintain an objective view of evolution and science in the public. 

            Three films will be shown on Wednesday the 13 along with a seminar.  At 12 p.m. Dr. Gordon Burghardt will hold a seminar at the Austin Peay Board Room, focusing on the roots of intelligent design.  At 1:30 p.m. part one of the movie Judgment Day: Intelligent Design will be shown in Hodges Library Media Center room 213.  Part two of Judgment Day will be held at 2:40 in same room.  Flock of Dodos, the final film in room 213 will be held at 4:00 p.m.

            The event will be rounded out in the Alumni Memorial Building room 210 at 7:00 p.m. with a showing of the film War on Science:  Intelligent Design in the Classroom, alongside a panel discussion. 

            The decision to cover intelligent design for 2008 was a natural fit to Darwin Day according to the group president Rachel Goodman.  "This year we decided to look at intelligent design because it s the newest challenge to teaching evolution," Goodman said.  She went further saying, "We want people to understand there is no controversy over evolution, it is not a science issue, it is a social issue." 

            Darwin Day at UT, among other universities, has occurred since 1997 and has expanded to cover over 800 locations as of 2007.  Membership to help with Darwin Day is free and has no requirement. 

            Funding for Darwin Day comes from around a dozen departments including the UT Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Biology.  Anywhere from 20 to 30 volunteers from the university and community are expected to help with the event.

Contact Information:

Lara Souza

865.567.0018 (phone)

865.974.3067 (fax)

darwinday@utk.edu