I once had an interaction with my high school physics teacher that has stuck with me ever since. Dur- ing one of the weekly chats we’d have in her classroom after school, I won- dered out loud why neither evolution nor the Big Bang theory were covered in the biology or physics curricula. My teacher explained to me that being in a town drenched in parochial ideol- ogy, there was a don’t ask, don’t tell policy covering the teaching of evolu- tion. Science instructors were encour- aged to not teach the subject and to only field questions when asked. While not surprising to me in light of the cul- ture of my hometown — Ortonville, Mich. — it was infuriating to know that social pressure was pushing my science teachers to avoid evolution in their general science courses. No law was restricting them. Only the fear of becoming a social pariah was in the way of them providing students with a scientifically complete education. What is happening in my hometown is not an anomaly in the contemporary United States. A 2019 survey reported that only 67% of public high school biol- ogy teachers present Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selec- tion as the scientific consensus. This is an increase from past surveys, but still quite low given that the theory of evolution is one of the most champi- oned theories in all of biology. One out of every three teachers is not portray- ing evolution by natural selection as the robust scientific theory that it is — a theory that has been fortified with new evidence every year since it was first proposed. This presents obstacles to students who wish to further their science education at postsecondary institutions. More worrisome is that evolution denial propagates ignorance and scientific illiteracy — issues all the more pertinent in light of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Legal prohibitions on the public instruction of evolutionary theory do not hold anymore, but teachers’ appre- hension about teaching evolution as agreed-upon science indicates that traditionalist mores still weigh down the American public education system. Bans on teaching evolution in public schools is as old as the theory itself. One of the first major conflicts between scientific educators and conservative policy makers in U.S. history was the Scopes Trial of 1925. This legal case concerned a Tennessee public school teacher who taught evolutionary the- ory despite a Tennessee law prohibit- ing instruction of human evolution in any school that received state funding. This trial catalyzed the debate between creationism and evolutionary theory. From then on, legal challenges to the instruction of evolution and natural selection in public schools have been mounted by many Christian groups — usually those from evangelical tradi- tions — with varying degrees of success. Now, I cannot criticize those 1920s Tennessee creationist policy makers too virulently, as at that time evolution was not a majority-held belief among Christians nor society at large. But crit- icism is warranted for contemporary teachers and education boards who are still reluctant to teach evolutionary theory and natural selection in light of the now 160 years of evidence — includ- ing the crucial discovery of DNA and genes — that provide robust support for evolution. And while I understand that some regions of the country have intense negative social sanctions against anti- creationist rhetoric that can be hard for teachers to overcome, it is more important that teachers plan science curriculum around empirical obser- vations than socially-pressured tradi- tional beliefs. This is not to say that learning about religious practice has no room in edu- cation — just that it does not belong in scientific curriculum at the expense of silencing scientific fact. A more apt place would be in the domain of social studies, with an emphasis on the diversity of religious practice. But having evolutionary theory not pre- sented to students within their sci- ence courses promotes widespread ignorance and scientific illiteracy, two issues detrimental if a soci- ety wishes to better itself. Denying students the knowledge that many biologists view as foundational to their discipline serves ideology much more than it serves education. If the American educational system is to ever become the best it can be, a thor- ough vetting of educational policies has to be conducted. Creationism can be taught to students as one of many spiritual beliefs, but not as empirical fact. Censoring evolution in favor of creationism in public education not only sustains ignorance, but is a vio- lation of the civil liberties of freedom of religion guaranteed in the Consti- tution, as the teaching of creationism as fact promotes a Christian-centric ideology within the walls of an insti- tution of the state. While the trend is moving in the right direction, more teachers must embrace evolution by natural selection as a well supported scientific theory instead of tacitly mentioning it or not even discussing the subject. Parts of the U.S. education system are hell-bent on sustaining a pre-Scopes trial evangeli- cal worldview. Again, the pushback of 1920s creationists is not without war- rant as the debate over fundamental- ism and modernity were in their infant stages. However, for teachers and edu- cation boards to still deny evolution in the 21st century is downright asinine. This will only lead to continued igno- rance among the American public. If the United States wants to keep progressing, Americans must first reckon with the rejection of fact that is occurring within their educational institutions. 5 Thursday, May 13, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com The college experience without the physical component Let America’s educators teach science without the stigma OPINION SIDDHARTH PARMAR | OPINION COLUMNIST BENJAMIN DAVIS | OPINION COLUMNIST I t’s Dec. 19, 2019, 11 p.m. Indian Standard Time, and the early action decisions for the Univer- sity of Michigan undergraduate class of 2024 aren’t out yet. I’m not super- stitious, but the last few times I stayed up to wait for an application result, I received a rejection. All of them stated how “large this year’s applicant pool was” and how they “couldn’t accept all of the talented people who applied.” I also have school the next day, so I call it a night. A few hours later, I wake to the sound of my parents bursting in to tell me that the result came out. I got in! March rolls around, and with it comes an almost overwhelming bout of senioritis. I spend hours reading about campus life — about the differ- ent residence halls in the cardinal- direction quadrangles, the apparently cockroach-infested Mary Markley Residence Hall (mental note: avoid Markley at all costs!), the libraries with nicknames like the “UGLi” and the “Dude” and outdoor spaces like “the Arb.” These daydreams sadly coin- cide with my high school’s final exams. After a quick search and panic about rescinding offers, my focus returns to my studies. Then, this novel virus that had seemed too distant to cause any trouble hits home. India goes into a nationwide lockdown two days before my last exam. Just like that, we enter a state of limbo, learning more with each passing day. As someone who only vaguely remembers the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, I watch in horror as stories of overwhelmed hospitals and mass graves spread online. Masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing are all part of the new normal. Amid this chaos, the University still has in- person course listings for the fall. A nagging voice tells me that surely we wouldn’t be in person come August. Orientation rolls around. The guides emphatically proclaim that “college is what you make of it!” None- theless, rumor has it that instruction might be mostly, if not completely, vir- tual. I have to create a schedule that will be doable regardless of whether I’m in Ann Arbor or Bangalore. I set- tle for a course load that won’t be too early for an in-person semester or too late if I stayed home. A few days later, the courses are updated to reflect their new, virtual status. Reality truly sinks in when I cancel my housing contract, know- ing then that there is no turning back. A few months later, freshman year starts at my desk while awkwardly engaging in Zoom icebreakers. Now, on the other side of my vir- tual freshman year, I’m still thinking about a few questions that I, like many others, have wrestled with since start- ing class: What can I make of college without being in college? What does it mean to be a Wolverine? Is it in academics? I had newfound freedom in crafting my course sched- ule this year. My classes challenged me in a way that I had never experi- enced before. I was exposed to new ideas, new pedagogical methods and incredible peers. At the same time, I experienced these things at either 3 a.m. or via sets of pre-recorded videos. Maybe it lies in the many student organizations and clubs. I heard of events like Festifall and Winterfest, featuring hundreds of clubs. Typi- cally, they would be ripe examples of how each student individualizes their experience. However, they held vir- tual meetings at times inaccessible to me. Then again, I applied on a whim to The Michigan Daily and now find myself in the middle of another col- umn. I am an avid sports fan. Perhaps sports are the secret ingredient? I remember hearing about the magic atmosphere on campus during game days, be it in tailgating or joining thou- sands of fans in the Big House. COVID- 19 ensured that none of that happened. The pandemic couldn’t, however, stop me from following Michigan bas- ketball. I was delighted when we beat the Ohio State University in Colum- bus, Ohio. I was exasperated with the University of Illinois over their efforts to undermine our regular-season championship. I was gutted when Isa- iah Livers became injured just before March Madness. All for a sport, mind you, I had never watched regularly before this year. Siddharth Parmar is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at sidpar@umich.edu. Read more at michigandaily.com Design by Tejal Mahajan ANYA SINGH | CARTOONIST CAN BE CONTACTED AT ANYAS@UMICH.EDU Benjamin Davis is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at bendav@umich.edu.