take flight with new major NEWS: Students Page 2 Play reveals young life of Van Gogh ARTS & LIFE: Page 3 Students should look beyond personal beliefs VIEWS: Page 6
He’s just being Riley Quarterback earns second Sun Belt player of the week award Page 4
Thursday, November 5, 2009
News 1,2 Arts & Life 3 Sports 4,8 Views 6 Classifieds 7 Games 7
Volume 94 | Issue 41
Sunny 74° / 53° The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
ntdaily.com
Darwin debate comes to colleges BY T.S. MCBRIDE
Ayre said he isn’t aware of any biologists who believe in The battleground for the creationism. “Any professional in the field debate between evolution and creationism moves to more than of biology and especially evolu100 universities this November tionary biology would be able with the release of an altered to refute each and every one of edition of Charles Darwin’s “On the points being presented by creationists,” Ayre said. “If you the Origin of Species.” A national ministry added a do the detailed analysis, evolu50-page introduction intended tion comes out the prevailing to disprove evolution and model.” Comfort has raised enough promote intelligent design. The group will hand out money from donors to print copies on college campuses this 174,000 copies of the special month, but students won’t know edition of the “Origin of Species,” which sees its 150th if UNT is among the anniversary on Nov. universities receiving 24. copies of the book after “There’s two goals. the ministry received One is to give students threats of protest. a reasonable under“I figured that ‘On standing of intelligent the Origin of Species’ design and the other is public domain, so I is to let them re-think decided to publish an COMFORT Christianity,” said introduction giving the other side, a side that university Comfort. “Darwin said both students at present don’t see,” sides should be presented, and said Ray Comfort, a co-founder I think that’s reasonable.” Intelligent design is a variaof Living Waters Ministries. The introduction is available tion of creationism that posits on the group’s Web site. One that life could not have arisen section argues that evolution without intervention from a inspired Adolf Hitler to carry higher power.v In 2005, a U.S. district court out the Holocaust. Comfort said the ministry ruled that intelligent design would withhold the list of could not be taught as science schools they will visit after athe- in public schools, as it violated the establishment clause of ists sent angry e-mails. “I think it’d be easier to clean the First Amendment, which the teeth of the lions at the zoo at requires separation of church and state. feeding time,” Comfort said. Comfort said he does not One such e-mail read: “Well, we should organize a believe the theory of evolution huge campaign to take all the can coexist with Christianity. “I always ask them if they tampered-with copies off of their hands and burn it. Anyone believe what Jesus said,” Comfort said. “Someone can up for a large bonfire?” Volunteers for Living Waters believe in god and evolution, but will be on campuses nationwide it’s not the god of the Bible.” Adonias Wondwessen, a to distribute the book the week music junior, said he didn’t before Thanksgiving. Evolution continues to know if students would care. “There’s a difference between remain a central part of modern biology, said Brian Ayre, assis- understanding and accepting,” tant professor of plant physi- he said. “Also, some students will read it and some won’t.” ology at UNT. Senior Staff Writer
PHOTO BY MELISSA BOUGHTON/PHOTOGRAPHER
The criminalistics program recently acquired two new buildings and some outdoor space to set up crime scenes for student’s investigations.
Students get hands-on with ‘Crime Scene City’
BY MELISSA BOUGHTON Senior Staff Writer
Students in the criminalistics program are getting a dose of reality this semester with the opening of “Crime Scene City.” The university has provided two buildings adjacent to the UNT Library Annex for the criminalistics program to set up crime scenes for investigational use by students. “While we’ve done crime scene scenarios over the last six to eight years, it’s always been a situation where we would have to set them up, take them back down, and it just didn’t work out very well at all,” said Edward Hueske, of the criminal justice department. A new crime scene investigations class uses the scientific method at crime scenes and has
a need for a more permanent set-up, Hueske said. “It just absolutely was necessary to have the space to be able to lay out these scenarios and keep them set-up for weeks, if not months,” he said. Hueske made a request to the university for the space and was granted two buildings and the outdoor area on Precision Drive to set up the crime scenes. Students used the space for the third time on Tuesday as they investigated tire tracks and practiced lifting footprints from various surfaces with electronic devices. “You can sit in class all day and try to learn something, but until you actually, physically go out in the field, do it with the surroundings and conditions,
To see a multimedia slideshow of the class: ntdaily.com you’re not really going to learn,” said Heather Chamberlin, a photography senior. Chamberlin, who is also pursuing a forensics certificate, said the crime scenes are a lot different than what students see on television shows such as CSI. “This gives them something that television doesn’t, and that is the sweat and hard work that’s involved, because by the end of the day, this is just like working in a big-city crime scene unit and having to go from crime to crime,” Hueske said. “It’s hard work and it’s tedious, and it’s not quite as romantic as they portray
it to say the least.” As a result of the many television shows, jobs in criminal investigations have been on the rise. Hueske said that an opening in a crime scene unit in Reno, Nev., received more than 1200 applicants. “So, we try to give the students a realistic idea of what’s really involved and give them a good dose of reality in the face of all the entertainment aspects that are out there,” he said. At the beginning of the semester, Hueske said he could only do demonstrations with the materials students are now using in the crime scene investigations.
See CRIMINAL on Page 2
Student court to Rescue group releases rabbits into wild decide on vote BY JOSH PHERIGO Staff Writer
Homecoming debate nears conclusion Brief BY CAROLYN BROWN Senior Staff Writer
The controversy generated by the Student Government A s s o c i a t i o n’s s a m e - s e x Homecoming issue may soon reach a resolution, either through the students or the SGA Supreme Court. A court hearing today will determine if students should vote on whether same-sex and gender-neutral couples can run for positions on the Homecoming court. Stephen Ben av ide s, a political science junior, will argue his case against the SGA. The court brief, which was filed Monday, calls for the court to invalidate the referendum and create trial and appellate branches of the SGA’s judicial branch. The hearing is the latest in a series of events caused by the senate’s rejection of a bill that would have allowed
same-sex couples to be on the court. After weeks of controversy and protests, the Student Senate voted on Oct. 21 to take the issue to a student referendum, which is scheduled for Nov.16 to 20 v ia www.untsga.com. The SGA Supreme Court is a group of five students appointed by the SGA president to hear cases brought by students and organizations. The hearing is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. today in Wooten Hall 310. It is open to the public. The senate also approved Cia ra Tr ista n, a Spa nish la ng uage sophomore and member of t he elect ion board, as the new Election Coordinator. The senate approved Joel Snipes, a business sophomore, to take her place on the board.
About two-dozen people gathered Wednesday afternoon at a Southlake nature preserve to support seven cottontail rabbits in their reintroduction to the North Texas wild. The event, at Bob Jones Nature Preserve, was sponsored by the Denton-area wild life organization, Wild Rescue Inc. “We rescue and release between 500 and 700 rabbits each year in the North Texas area,” the group’s director, Diana Leggett said. Leggett said rabbits have moved into urban areas as cities expand and consume much of their natural habitat. She said the rabbits brought to the organization are often
orphaned and must be nursed back to health before they can be released. “More and more cottontails have moved to the cities and out of rural areas in recent years because of the amount of suburban gardens and parks,” Leggett said. “Dogs, cats and lawnmowers often find rabbit nests and kill the mothers.” Ten-year-old resident Quinn Roberts attended the event with his family. He said he was glad to lend some of his own rabbit knowledge when Leggett asked the children if they knew how many times a rabbit mother feeds her babies. “Once or twice a day,” Roberts answered. “She doesn’t want to alert predators to where the nest
is located.” Lindsay Hooker, the group’s vice president of public relations, said its Web site, www.rescuedrabbits.com, has information on how people can help save rabbits. She said the organization held a fundraiser at the Albertson’s off Swisher Road on Saturday
and will continue to hold fundraisers periodically throughout the year. Katie Voss, a three-year-old Grapevine resident, was noticeably excited to give the rabbits a fond farewell. “Rabbits go really fast,” Voss said. “And also, they have really big ears!”
Proposed Voting Times Nov. 16 to 20
www.untsga.com
PHOTO BY JAYDA QUINCEY/PHOTOGRAPHER
Diana Leggett (right) takes the top of a pet carrier housing three young cottontail rabbits as several children look on at Bob Jones Nature Center. Before she released them, Leggett answered questions and educated the small crowd on what the rabbits will do on their own.