America’s Infrastructure: High Speed Rail

Let me state something that seems obvious from the trend for my Civic Issue Blogs: I like trains. I have always had a deep connection to railroads.

My ancestors managed railroads across the British Empire, like this one in Sri Lanka, and some of my earliest memories are of myself trainspotting with my grandmother at the local train station as a toddler. I have followed advances in railway technology for most of my life, and I enjoyed travelling on foreign railways during my trips around the world.

However, as I have gotten older, I have realized a significant gap between the railways in my two worlds.

I would always return home to the United States and be greeted with sights like this. One of my commutes home from high school was significantly delayed when the train in front of mine caught fire.

I am sure that mishaps occur for railroads across the world, but American railways seem to be the most unreliable and behind the times. Nowhere is this more true than the innovations presented by high-speed rail.

This is Acela, the United States’ only true high speed rail train in service. It links Washington D.C. to Boston in under seven hours, but does not achieve a high average speed along the way due to additional traffic and infrastructure limitations.

This was the most advanced train in the world during the earlier part of my childhood. It is the Japanese 500 Series Shinkansen, which could operate up to 200 miles per hour on the Japanese rail network. It began operation on Japan’s fastest rail network in 1997 and was replaced by faster trains after only thirteen years on this main line. How is it that a Japanese contemporary to the Acela outperformed it and was replaced in half the time? To answer this infrastructure problem, we need a quick history lesson.

During the first half of the twentieth century, American Railroads were among the most prestigious, prosperous, and advanced in the world. Trains were the backbone of the industrial revolution and allowed for easy transportation across the country at unprecedented speeds. What happened?

The downfall can be summed up in one consistent trend across American industries during this era: lack of appropriate investment for innovation. Like American steel giants, the railroads relied heavily on a network that dated from the previous century. Cars and planes eventually came to compete with the trains, which were stuck on rails of the past. Once again, like large American steel companies, countries around the world began making advancements in their own infrastructure and quickly surpassed American companies, which became strangled of cash.

America can make the world’s fastest trains but they will ultimately be limited by the network on which they operate.

In 2015, a major Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia made national and international headlines. Eight people lost their lives and over two hundred were injured when a Northeast Regional train took a speed restricted turn at overspeed. The derailment also led to major delays and cancelations of services on the Northeast Corridor. The turn on which the accident occurred was first surveyed in the 1830s and the operating speed on it was only fifty miles per hour. The derailed train was running at twice the speed during the accident.

The reason why Shinkansen has a pristine service record is due to the condition of its high speed lines. They are separated from conventional commuter lines and were developed specifically for high speed trains from the 1960s to the present day. These modern lines also contain less curves than American railways, since tunneling technologies were greatly improved by the time Shinkansen was introduced.

It is clear that America lags behind competing countries in high speed rail development, but our country is now beginning to make developments in its network fit for the 21st century.

Amtrak has built a new generation of Acela rolling stock that will be introduced to service this year. Additionally, the State of Texas is proceeding with plans to construct a new high speed rail line from Dallas to Houston, which should dramatically reduce commuter traffic on Texas road networks.

California also has plans for a new high speed rail line, but its development has been plagued by delays and cutbacks.

These projects could usher in a second era of prosperous rail development in the United States, and I look forward to the innovations they will bring.

The Office Desk Dilemma

During my time in stage crew, I built sets for seven shows, but I only actively moved around set pieces once during a production. This position is called run crew, and it is one of the most difficult jobs in a show. A small group of seasoned stage crew members coordinates the movement of set pieces onto and off of the stage during a show and ensures that everything is set up properly before a scene starts. A lot is demanded of this elite group, as the majority of scenes depends on their skill at set placement.

It was fall of my sophomore year, and the program was bracing for something huge.

Our school had been selected as one of the three nationwide to pilot Disney’s Newsies! on the high school stage. Rehearsals were attended by representatives from Disney and the set movement needed to be as developed as the choreography, which was insane. In retrospective, I can say that the stakes were incredibly high.

I think that the set build for this show deserves its own piece, but I will establish context by stating that this show had the largest amount of moving set pieces I have seen in any of the shows I participated in. Whether it be an office desk to a bar, every single piece needed to be neatly organized in the backstage and brought out to the same place on stage every time. We ensured this precision was held through marking off the corner placement positions of each set piece on and off of stage using glow in the dark tape. The run crew could see where to place large items on and off of stage, even in darkness.

Tech for this production was very tedious, but we felt that we had mastered our technique by the beginning of the production run. We were all up to the challenge. What could possibly go wrong?

One scene transition that had been repeatedly rehearsed and modified during tech was between the chorus’ opening number and the antagonist Mr. Pulitzer’s introductory scene. With the lights at full blast, and twenty dancers inches in front of us, we needed to set up an entire office scene behind the choreography in under fifteen seconds.

I was in charge of bringing out the desk in the photo above during that small time window. I was positioned on the left side, and another one of the run crew members assisted me in taking out the desk to its proper spot. There was always a risk that the dancers in front of us could back into the desk and hit off items on top, but this had not occurred during the past few rehearsals, so we felt fine about the transition.

It was opening night, and the show had already sold out its twelve-show run in record time. The theater was packed, and the atmosphere was electric. However, shocking performances call for shocking cliff hangers.

As I was bringing the desk out during the transition, one of the dancers accidentally backed into my side of the desk and sent it straight into the stage floor. The dancer was not thrown off by this collision, but the desk managed to throw one of its legs entirely on my side…

What do you do with a broken table leg and a broken set piece that is about to be the centerpiece of a scene? I quickly prayed and jammed that leg back into the corner of the desk as hard as I could. I ran off the stage, and the scene began normally like nothing had happened.

To the audience, everything seemed normal, but every run crew member was hustled in a backstage blind spot gazing out at the scene. No one in the audience could see us from this position, but we were helplessly stranded, awaiting a certain part of the scene.

During this scene, an enraged Pulitzer slams down on the desk with all of his might. Our actor for Pulitzer did not know that the desk had shed a leg. We anxiously awaited a disaster.

Pulitzer slammed that desk harder than ever, and it stood resolute. There was a collective sigh backstage, and as soon as we removed the desk from the stage at the end of the scene, we used staples and super glue to anchor the leg. These temporary repairs held for the first act and during intermission we drilled the leg back into place.

There is a reason why run crew is so complicated. It requires complete concentration, and if things go wrong, you must act on instinct.

The production finished without any other major issues and I was appointed as light manager for the next show, a position that I would retain until I graduated. Never again would I have to deal with the chaos of breaking set pieces.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Free Time

One of my favorite shows that I built the set and lighting schemes for was the program’s production of Spamalot, I already covered the climax of the set building experience during my first blog (The Trojan Rabbit), but I would like to share more stories from this process. One of the best parts of being a lighting manager is that the majority of your work is done by the actual production of the show. All the lighting cues are automatically recorded, and issues rarely come up during an actual run of the show.

This was definitely the case during Spamalot. My spotlight crew was excellent, and we had a perfect lighting scheme opening night, and for the remainder of the show production. I specifically mentioned opening night, because the show after opening night is always a memorable one. The entire cast and crew is called in four to five hours before the top of the show to go over notes from the previous night. My crew and I had no critical notes from the previous night, so we were dismissed until the beginning of the show.

This was a routine occurrence, and the booth crew and I would usually go outside and throw a football or frisbee for four hours. However, this Saturday afternoon break was about to get very interesting.

As my two spotlight operators and I walked outside to the front green, we were greeted by the monumental façade of our school’s “chapel”, The Church of the Gesu, which was a former neighborhood church built in the late 1800s. Alumni of my high school are allowed to have weddings in the church, and a ceremony was concluding as we walked outside.

The Church’s historical artifacts are maintained by several teachers in the school, and one of them was about to turn our free four hours into an unforgettable experience. As we approached the front doors, the teacher said that all of the doors in the church were unlocked, which is a rare occurrence, and that we were allowed to explore the church if we wanted to.

Cue the photo montage:

It is an impressive structure. During our exploration, we found hidden corridors, antique pieces of artwork and decorative pieces, a bird skeleton, and century-old initials drawn in the choir loft of the church by our student predecessors.

The organ and choir lofts are strictly off limits to students under normal circumstances, so we savored this opportunity. The organ in the loft used to be the second largest in the City of Philadelphia, until its operational equipment was unceremoniously stripped to be replaced by an electronic organ.

The most memorable experience of this expedition was the bell tower. The church is over ten stories tall, and this scale is present when you make your way to the bell tower access room. It is a poorly lit, dusty room with a single, dinky ladder ascending over seventy-five feet to a trapdoor in the ceiling above. This is the only way to access the bell tower, and we felt that we had the guts the climb it.

I am not one to be terrified by heights, but climbing that ladder felt like a near-death experience.

My only protection from certain death was a rattling ladder cage, which only protected me if I fell outwards. My legs had turned to jelly by the time I reached the top, and I felt that I could run through the bell tower on another occasion. I slowly worked my way back down the ladder and sat down on the dusty floor to catch my breath, while my two spotlight operators tried the ladder for themselves. They had similar reactions.

Free time during productions was always fun, but nothing brought joy and fear to our break like running through our school’s church.

One day, I’ll become a Sir Edmund Hillary and overcome the insanity of the bell tower ladder.

America’s Infrastructure: Penn Station

First, I would like to welcome you to my newly launched Civic Issues page. This page will be focused on America’s infrastructure, specifically its past, present, and future. I felt that this topic would be the most enjoyable for me to write about because of my background as an engineer and a history buff. I hope that you find these topics as engaging as I do.

America has led to world in infrastructure development throughout most of its history. Whether it be the first grid plan of a city in Philadelphia to the hyperloop, America has found many ways to make life more convenient and productive for its citizens.

However, such a large network of structures is prone to aging and physical and financial neglect. Many politicians promise about boosting infrastructure funding, but these promises have not come to reality. The headlines are filled with freak stories about infrastructure failure, whether it be the Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2007 or the levee breaches during Hurricane Katrina.

America may be a leader in infrastructure development, but it is lagging behind in infrastructure maintenance. This blog will address this issue and plans to combat this threat to American prosperity.

I will introduce this subject to the audience with one of America’s rotting monuments to engineering advancement and transportation.

Credit: Library of Congress

What do you think this structure is? It is not a palace or a cathedral in a literal sense. This was the main waiting room of New York’s original Penn Station. This station’s architectural beauty and functional structures were the embodiment of America’s industrial power and prosperity.

However, if you walk to Penn Station today, you will be greeted by a much different building.

Credit: New York Times

This landmark was leveled in the mid 1960s to make way for the current Madison Square Garden.

The significant architectural loss posed by this demolition could be a topic for an entirely different blog, but I would like to emphasize the breakthroughs that Penn Station brought to this nation, its present condition, and plans for its future.

The station was completed in 1910 after one of the largest privately-funded projects in United States history at the time. The station was built and run by the Pennsylvania Railroad, which had an operating budget larger than that of the Federal Government during this time period. The station’s main feature was its ability to bring trains underground into Manhattan for the first time in history. Two tunnels were bored out under the Hudson River and four under the East River to bring the railroad’s traffic to the metropolis.

However, like the railroad that once owned this triumph of engineering, these structures have fallen victim to the times. The station structure became a financial burden for the railroad in the 1950s, as car and air travel cut revenue from the company. The tunnels are now under the ownership of the government, but they are in a woeful condition.

Superstorm Sandy was especially damaging for these tunnels, which were flooded an pushed to their structural limits during this natural disaster. The 111-year-old tunnels are being pushed to the breaking point and are still pass through by dozens, if not hundreds of trains each day.

Additionally, the underground station that replaced the demolished building was operating over capacity before COVID-19, and will most likely be overcrowded again once regular commuting to the city resumes.

Thousands of people pass through these dangerous tunnels and a cramped station each day. Their safety and comfort during trips to America’s largest city should be a priority for the government.

Thankfully, the politicians are beginning to address these problems. The Station has expanded into a former post office building on a neighboring plot of land, which emphasizes the cultural significance of the structure.

There are even proposals to rebuild the original building, since Madison Square Garden is scheduled to be relocated in the coming years.

However, the most important of these projects would be the Gateway Tunnel Project, which seeks to rework Penn Station’s tunnels to modern standards. The Biden Administration has demonstrated interest in pursuing these updates, so new tunnels for America’s busiest train station could be a project for the next decade. One of the station’s approach bridges has already received funds for a proper replacement.

Penn Station may be in a grave condition at the present moment, but I believe that its future is the most promising out of all of the projects I plan to cover this year.

A Brief Detour

This blog page is primarily focused on my memorable experiences as a stage crew member and lighting manager for shows at my high school, but I would like to diverge from this topic for one post. As our section concludes our “This I Believe” statements, I realized that my topic could be crafted into an excellent passion blog post. No worries. Entertaining Stage Crew stories will return soon.

My statement revolved around the belief of, “looking out the window,” which I explained as immersion in the natural and spiritual world. I obviously won’t go over the entirety of my piece, but I will display photographs in this post that brought me to my belief and support them with their respective stories.

THE NATURAL CONNECTION

I have travelled a lot in my life. That may be simplifying it, but this is ultimately not a travel blog. I am going to display amazing photos that I have taken from plane windows on my adventures and give an anecdote about each of them. The quality of these photos may be compromised on this site compared to my originals, but hopefully you’ll still be able to understand the scenery.

Takeoff

To start off the series, I bring you a photo of my family’s long-time hometown of Philadelphia. This shot was captured soon after takeoff from the local airport on our way to visit my grandfather in Singapore via Doha, Qatar. I will be covering Philly more in a later section.

Guess where? Thirty minutes after takeoff, we flew over the Big Apple! You can see all of Lower Manhattan’s and Midtown’s iconic buildings. When I gaze out the window on my long flights and see signs of civilization, it is amazing to see how small these places are from my point of view. It is humbling to see a bustling metropolis like New York from the perspective of the heavens. It reminds me that the smallest actions in life can sometimes have the biggest impact on your character and the world around you.

There is snow in Arizona?! The last time I was on an airplane, I captured this photo of the peaks surrounding Phoenix Arizona during Christmas time.

The Best Photos

On my trips to Singapore via Europe or Qatar, I would see two sunsets and a sunrise during my flights. This is a photo of the dawn, with the crescent moon setting into the clouds 36,000 feet over Mosul, Iraq. I consider it to be the best and most poignant photo I have ever taken. It showed me that beauty can be found even in the most troubled places and times.

If you squint, you may be able to find Santa. I have flown over the Artic Ice Caps, and they are a sight to behold. They continue to the horizon and seem like they are feet below you, even though you are seven miles in the air.

This is Siberia. Fortunately, I was not a criminal in the Soviet Union, so I could take in this scenery from a warm airplane cabin.

The Spiritual Connection

I had a unique high school experience. I took the train into school everyday and was presented amazing views of city my mom’s family has lived in for nearly two centuries. The skyline has changed since my first train rides, but the feeling that I get when I look out at the endless blocks of row homes will never change.

I discovered these deep connections to my hometown through a treasure that I spotted during one of my trips through the city in high school.

I was driving through Society Hill and spotted the large townhouse that my ancestors resided in across the span of three generations and nearly a century. It lies a block away from my ancestors’ home parish of Old Saint Joseph’s, which was the first Catholic church established in the city in 1733. Half of my great-grandmothers twelve siblings and her father died in this house during the Spanish Flu outbreak from 1917 to 1919. My grandfather and his brother used to scrub the front marble steps, which have been worn down by the shoes of visitors since the 1840s. The history buff in me wishes for this house to be brought back into the family.

One time I was visiting Old Saint Joe’s for an AP Gov trip, and I became lost in Society Hill trying to find the hidden church. I tried my best to navigate without a phone, but I soon realized that it would be impossible to find. As soon as I realized this, I looked up and was greeted by this home again. I took this as a sign and directed myself to the church the same way my ancestors had gone. It was at this point that I realized I would never be lost in my city, and it would always welcome me. Sometimes the deepest connections formed through scenery are made with the invisible.

I could write a book on all of the scenery I have experienced in my life, but I hope that you enjoyed this brief look into my belief and its foundation. If I run out of stage crew stories, they may make a promising passion blog alternative.

UPDATE: Just as I finished typing this blog, I checked the house on a realtor site, and it is currently listed!

What a coincidence!

“Out, out brief candle”

A chaotic time of the year with grinding for exams calls for a chaotic story about one of the productions I was involved in. My last complete production as tech director and lighting manager, All the Answers, was a turbulent process to begin with, and I could write hundreds of blogs on the issues with it. However, no event captured the high stress of this production more than the opening night. The set, which went incomplete past the deadline, had been finished and beautified during the days before opening. The issues with the show itself had also been ironed out and the rehearsals had gone very well over the past few days. I had taken my position in the light booth to begin the show, assured that everything downstairs was perfect for a good run. Order had returned and I was in a comfortable position again: my light control board, my excellent spotlight crew, and an excited audience below me.

The Prep’s aging theater had other plans in store for me.

Lighting in a show is supposed to be a second form of expression that remains constant in strength during most scenes. During my long tenure as lighting manager, I had rarely run into issues with the system, and those that had occurred were only during rehearsals. I would have never expected my trusty lighting system to begin uncontrollably flickering and dimming during a live run.

I do not have photos from that night, but you must believe me when I tell you that the lighting system had a stroke ten minutes into the opening run. I could do nothing about it using my board, and within minutes the directors had run up to check on the situation. It had not improved, and my disheveled clothes and complete shock showed them that this was not a drill. Using my experience and my confidence in my spotlight handlers, I was able to take the lighting system off of the automatic progression program and nurture the lights, which were becoming dim as candles at some points, through the entirety of the two-and-a-half hour production. The scene light arrangements, which were pre-recorded in the automatic progression, needed to be rewritten and modified for every scene on the spot during a live production! When the lights seemed on the verge of going out, I added the bright spotlights into the sequence. My spotlight handlers and I were connected that night as if we were one person.

I have never been happier to end an opening night in my life. I had worn my best suit that night to the opening services, and the events of the night had turned me into a wreck. I am a very healthy man, but this night was so tense that I got severe chest pain and headaches a quarter of the way through the run. The actors came out for their bows and I ran downstairs for post-show festivities. The lighting crew and I received an applause from the actors and visitors in the backstage. We had proven our strength and courage.

The Prep’s theater is an old place, but the lighting system is relatively new. The system was made digital in the late 1990s, and the mainframe computer for the light operation was stored in a closet backstage. These controls had not been touched since their installation, and the stacks of hard drives eventually became covered in dust. The decades of soot choked these integral parts of ventilation, and the system overheated, causing temporary flickers, dimness, and outages.

After several compressed air cans were sprayed onto the hard drives, the system worked like new, and I was able to rest my mind for the remainder of the show. It was one of the most flawless and beloved runs during my time. What a shift!

Morals of the story:

Remember to clean your possessions.
If you think exams are the most stressful process in being, talk to me. I will change your mind.

Spelunking Among the Spirits

“There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition; and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.”

There were many mysterious places scattered throughout my high school, but no site creeped me out more than the theater’s stage pit.

For the majority of my time at the Prep, the pit was a mysterious place, which had been sealed off completely before my time at the school in 2015. Its extra space was not needed for productions anymore. This tomb had existed below me for four years, and I had no clue to what it looked like, or what it contained.

The final production of my high school career was to be Damn Yankees, which would have opened in early May of 2020. This would have been a musical of epic proportions, where we planned to utilize all of our resources to amaze the crowds. We ran into a problem when the stage crew and the directors sought to find a way to make characters rise out of the underworld, a place that dictates the plot of the show. We decided to open the pit for the first time in five years to find a place fit to house the devil, and find it we did.

The backstage entrance to the pit was a large piece of plywood that covered the dinky ladder that dropped into the abyss. I was selected to be the first spelunker on this terrifying expedition, and I donned a mask, goggles, and strong flashlight to protect myself from the dust and the unknown. At the bottom, I was greeted by the large words, “O Sick wit eim,” and more spray paint on the walls than that on Philadelphia underpasses.

I knew that this place was special, as the directors told me to take as many photos as possible to post on the drama society’s Facebook for alumni to see. I found many oddities that had collected dust over half a decade, and thankfully I did not encounter anything paranormal or linked to the occult, as I expected. This beloved, dank place was finally revealed to a new generation of stage crew members and actors! I was eventually joined by several other stage crew members, since we needed to open the hatches to the pit on the stage.

Several hours and crowbars later, the hatch was open, and the Prep rediscovered a lost hobby, jumping into the pit onto the large, dusty gymnast pads at the bottom. It was an act of faith to dive headfirst into the dungeon of the Prep, but the satisfaction of it all compensated for the danger. We were surprised even more by the unique items we found tucked away in the pit, specifically a complete drum set, a hydraulic lift, and other relics from times past.

Three weeks after the pit was opened, we were all sent home and the production was postponed indefinitely. It had been my last action as a member of stage crew to explore the last frontier of the theater and unlock the treasure and tradition it held. I saw the names of those who had come before me and their cherished memories in the program that I had also experienced.

My last task was romantic in a sense, as I joined the names of those Preppers long gone during my last days in the school. Many of my creations will fade away from the memories of those at the Prep, but my presence in the theater’s tomb will be felt until the end of time.

Public Controversy Work Summary

Part 1:

Olivia Bratton, Ian Balaratna, Casey Capetola,

ENGL 137H

November 20, 2020

Work Plan: History of a Public Controversy, Teaching of Evolution in Schools

Duties of Each Member:

Olivia Bratton – Role of Goalkeeper, specifically focusing on research regarding the religious arguments against evolution and for the teaching of creation, narrator, iMovie editor, working on video script.

Ian – gathering historical context, organizing historical research, Narrator, help with iMovie editing, and working on video script. Keep discussions on track “Park Ranger”

Casey – role of record keeper; researching scientific arguments regarding evolution; narrator; help with iMovie editing; working on video script

Timeline:

Nov 23-29: Continue researching information for your respective sections.
Nov 30: Meet with our research and start to format the video while considering the information we have obtained from our research.
Dec 2: Collect pictures and videos for the video, and begin to develop a script.
Dec 4: Finish the script, begin putting contents of the video together
Dec 6: Video Draft Due
Dec 7: Video editing and narrating
Dec 9: Finalizing the finishing touches of the video
Dec 14: Final video cuts by noon

DAY 1

Our group assigned roles and brainstormed many controversial topics such as

Tearing down of historical statues
- BLM movement
Teaching of evolution in schools
Electoral College/systems of election
Edward Snowden
Hate Speech
Salary Caps

We also assigned specific categories to research

DAY 2 Recap of our research so far (articles we use):

Liv:

Ken Ham and Michael Behe

Debate: creationism vs evolution in schools (skim for ideas)

Anti defamation League

Religious Doctrine in the Science Classroom

Joseph O. Baker

Acceptance of Evolution and Support for Teaching Creationism in Public Schools: The Conditional Impact of Educational Attainment

BBC

Creationism and Intelligent Design

Ian:

Roper, Jon. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Presidents of America. Hermes House, 2011. Contains a section about the Scopes Trial on page 162.

PBS

Background on society’s beliefs surrounding religion and science, as well as the effects of the trial on teaching evolution.

New York Times

The personal beliefs of John Scopes and context for the Butler Act

Inherit the Wind

A play based on the events of the Scopes Trial that was first performed in the fifties amidst similar paranoia over communism in the United States.

Casey:

National Science Teachers Association

Importance of teaching evolution in Schools

NPR

Teaching Evolution: A State-byState Debate

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Evolution

US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Genetics and the causes of evolution: 150 years of progress since Darwin

DAY 3 Looking into the Stasis Questions

Conjecture: Is there an act to be considered?

Why is there a debate behind teaching evolution?

There is a fundamental debate between advocates of “intelligent design”–the theory that an intelligent force had a role to play in the creation of the universe” (NPR)–and the theory of evolution–referring to “the changes in the proportions of biological types in a population over time” (Stanford).
- Where there are conflicting ideals, it is logical for there to be arguments as to which avenue is the suitable solution.

What are examples of evolution vs. creationism?

One popular case that covered the issue of evolution vs. creationism was the Scopes trial.
- This trial brought the debate between evolution and creationism to the national forefront
In the early 2000s, policymakers in at least 16 states examined the issue and came to some sort of legal conclusion to define how these ideas would be covered in educational material (NPR)

Definition: How can the act be defined?

What does the teaching of evolution entail? Casey

“In a popular textbook, Douglas Futuyma gives a more expansive definition:

[biological evolution] is change in the properties of groups of organisms over the course of generations…it embraces everything from slight changes in the proportions of different forms of a gene within a population to the alterations that led from the earliest organism to dinosaurs, bees, oaks, and humans. (2005: 2)” (Stanford)

Organisms that exist today originate from changes in properties of previous generations
Changes at a genetic level can range from slight to large
“Descent with modification”
- Spread of alleles, variants, trait values, character states

Evolution can be reasoned through concepts such as natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, or migration.

“It is generally agreed that some degree of spatial isolation between populations increases the likelihood that they will diverge sufficiently that they become incapable of interbreeding. Martin & Willis (2010) presented an analysis of the genetic basis of adaptation to local conditions in geographically isolated populations of the monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus and partial reproductive isolation between them. Schluter et al. (2010) described work on the genetics of adaptation of sticklebacks to freshwater habitats, again documenting how natural selection to local conditions can drive populations apart.” (US Library)

Additionally, various studies on groups such as domestic animals helped to supplement Darwin’s initial theory of evolution with concrete evidence.

“Modern genetics has played an important part in the development of efficient methods of artificial selection, and in revealing the history of farm animals and plants. Brown (2010) described how the diversity generated by traditional breeders, to which Darwin frequently referred, is being eroded by modern farming practices, with possible negative consequences for farming communities in the developing world. Dan Bradley further elaborated on this theme of domestication with results from the study of DNA sequence polymorphisms in cattle (Murray et al. 2010). It turns out that cattle domestication is more diffuse than originally thought, probably involving multiple events and introgression from wild aurochs.” (US Library)

What does the teaching of creationism entail? Liv

“Creationism is a religious belief that God or a divine being created the universe or humankind. Typically, creationists subscribe to the account of creation presented in the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Creation science attempts to prove that God created the world by refuting evolution and offering interpretations of scientific data to “prove” the creation account in Genesis.”

(Anti defamation League)

All the forms of life existing today were created by the actions of God
The organisms created by God can’t produce new forms of organism – only God can do this
The most common theory follows the accounts in the Biblical Book of Genesis, but most religions have their own creation story
Modern creationism uses scientific evidence to support scripture
(BBC)

“Creationists claim to have discovered evidence for the biblical flood. It has pointed to the absence from the fossil record of intermediate forms between known species, and it is argued that certain species could not have evolved gradually because of their particular chemical or physical make-up. Organs such as the eye are cited as being ‘irreducibly complex’ (what is the use of half an eye?) and could not have evolved step-by-step as is suggested by Darwin and therefore must have been created.

It is argued that because creationists follow this theoretical approach, that it can subsequently be called a “science”.”

(Ken Ham and Michael Behe)

“Christians who take the Bible literally believe the world was created by God in seven days. In recent years, some Christians have put forward the idea of an ‘intelligent designer’ as an alternative to the science of evolution.”

(BBC)

“Intelligent Design states that – due to the very complexity and organization of life and the failure of science to explain it all completely – the intervention of an intelligent designer was a critical component of life on earth. For many of its adherents, the intelligent designer is God or a supreme being.”

(Anti defamation League)

Quality: How serious is the act?

How has this affected education as a whole? Is this framed as a positive or negative advancement in education?

Although courts tend to rule on the side of strictly teaching evolution, public opinion seems to be extremely conflicted on this issue. People who view the strict teaching of evolution as undermining Christianity, view these decisions as very negative.

“Creationism continues to maintain a relatively high level of subcultural resonance. Meanwhile, evolution has won many court battles but has not been able to win a majority in the court of public opinion. Legal decisions about evolution have merely narrowed the limits within which local politics play out (Berkman and Plutzer 2009), and have not produced a large shift in public views.”

Joseph O Baker

This controversy has had immense impacts on education. Evolution is now the only scientific theory that is allowed to be taught in public schools.

“Religious explanations for humankind, the diversity of life on earth, or the universe, including Creationism, Creation Science, or Intelligent Design may not be taught as science under any circumstances. Evolution – the only scientific explanation for the history of life on earth – must only be taught as scientific fact.”

Joseph O Baker

Policy: Should this act be submitted to some formal procedure? What should be done about this new trend?

Since the Scopes trial, the government has progressively separated itself from religion.

The law that John Scopes was accused of violating, the Butler Act, was overturned in 1967.- New York Times

The Scopes Trial captured the attention of the nation.

“Sometimes referred to as the ‘true trial of the century,’ it attracted such interest that at one point the town contemplated moving it to a baseball field with a capacity to seat 20,000 people.”- New York Times

The trial brought about a time where evolution was not taught in schools.

“The verdict did have a chilling effect on teaching evolution in the classroom, however, and not until the 1960s did it reappear in schoolbooks.”- PBS

The play Inherit the Wind shows the resistance Bertram Cates, a character who represented John Scopes, met before and during the trial at the hands of the religious community of the town and country.

The hostility that Scopes was met with was unacceptable and unchristian.

Even if this argument remains in society, it would be in the best interest of the community if such violence is restricted.

The church has been perceived as anti-science because of these actions, which has caused some to renounce the faith.

The theory of evolution and science provide ideas that attempt to solve questions presented by the universe. Religion is built on this same objective, but addresses the spiritual matters of the universe over the concrete. Both of these institutions have solid claims about the order of the universe, but none is fully complete.

It would be best for the church and science to welcome such developments as evolution, and work together for a progressive understanding of the universe.

Such examples of this cooperation have led to major developments in the sciences (Priest Gregor Mendel and hereditary sciences).

Part 2: FRAMING THE ISSUE

Part 2:

As a group, write one to two paragraphs describing your multimedia project. In this description, you will explain what makes the issue you’ve chosen a public controversy and identify a set of framing questions (5-7) you will want to explore.

You will also explain how you will historicize the controversy. Lastly, you will explain the media (image choices, audio, sourcing) you plan to use to present your topic and why you’ve made those choices.

The division between the Theory of Evolution and the Church has existed since the publishing of Darwin’s Origin of Species. Even though the education system has shifted to embrace the teachings presented by Darwin and science over the years, the controversy still remains. Is it a school’s primary mission to instill religious and moral values in students, while also bringing them enlightenment to the world’s operation through science? Does the theory of evolution specifically contradict the teachings of the church? These are the questions that have been at the center of this debate since the theory was introduced. They were also the central discussions of the famous Scopes Trial in 1925. Even though Scopes was convicted in the trial, the argument presented by the defense seemed understandable compared to some points presented by the prosecution. These tensions would remain as religious teachings were slowly phased out of public schools in the 1950s and 1960s through cases such as Engel v. Vitale and Abington School District v Schempp. The controversy remains after a century of debate, but it has shifted in form. Now the argument over evolution in schools ultimately includes the balance between the teaching of science and religion in schools around the country.

This documentary will highlight this divide through religion and science through the use of historical context, legislative decisions on the topic of evolution and religious teachings, and the emotions present in society on the topic of evolution. Information on the Scopes Trial and ideas and scenes presented in the play Inherit the Wind will be used as the foundations for the historical argument and will be the topics of the introduction and conclusion of the video. This movie will not direct the audience to one side at the expense of the other. Instead, it will properly inform the audience on the division between religion and science and the history behind it to the point where they can interpret the material and form their own conclusions.

Framing Questions:

Is the teaching of creation in schools important to upholding the truth and trust behind all of Christianity?
Does the general public favor the teaching of evolution or creationism, or both?

How have the debates for prioritization of evolution and or creationism shifted since the release of Darwin’s theory?
How have shifts in legislation surrounding the teaching of evolution and the bible reflected changes in society’s opinions?

How should religious values be balanced with scientific education in the classroom?
- Should educational institutions be responsible for equally educating students on both perspectives?
Should the creation ideals of other religions be considered in the same light as Christianity?

Paradigm Shift TED Talk Outline

TED Outline Format

Oral Content

Topic: World War I

Purpose: Demonstrate How World War I caused the power structure of Europe and the strategies of warfare to shift and cause further damage to the continent and the world in the twentieth century.

Thesis Statement: World War I brought about changes in the rules of warfare and the hierarchy of Europe that allowed for dictators to rise and rip apart the continent.

Introduction

Attention Strategy/

Orienting Material: How will you begin this presentation in a way that appropriately garners audience attention?

Discuss the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, and the shock it brought to the world. Many of us have wondered how our lives could change if we went back in time and changed one of our actions. However, I am quite an unusual person, a history buff for clarification. I imagine about what would have happened if the chauffer driving Archduke Franz Ferdinand through the streets of Sarajevo had not taken a wrong turn into the range of an assassin’s bullets. Yes, the fate of millions and the stability of the Western World was ultimately determined by an accidental turn.

Show how the situation escalated into World War (Austria declares war on Serbia, Russia declares war on Austria, Germany declares war on Russia, etc.)

Thesis statement.

Body

Main Idea – Before World War I, the affairs of Europe had been dictated by the monarchs of century-old dynasties. The war forced many of these rulers to give up their sovereignty, leaving an opening for tyranny to consume European politics.

A. Establish Context on ruling houses of Europe (Hohenzollern, Romanov, Windsor, Habsburg)

1. Year houses took control of their respective countries
2. Show close relationship between houses (George V first cousin of Tsar and Kaiser Wilhelm)

B. Explain how the War forced rulers to renounce their thrones

1. Kaiser flees to Holland, Tsar assassinated, George V name change, Karl I flees to Madeira
2. Nazism rises in Germany; Russian revolution leads to Bolsheviks establishing Soviet Union

Main Idea – World War I brought about the introduction of modern technology into warfare, which made it and future conflicts more damaging to armed forces and civilians.

A. War on land: Tanks, machine guns, bolt-action rifles, poisonous gas, airplanes introduced; cavalry units, dress uniforms, and open warfare phased out.

B. War on the seas: Unrestricted submarine warfare, advanced naval mines.

Main Idea – The shifts brought about by World War I set the foundation for future tensions and conflict in Europe

A. Treaty of Versailles and the paranoia of allied leaders

B. The Red Scare and the rise of Fascism

C. World War II and the Cold War

Conclusion: What became of the Monarchs and how has the world changed?

Romanovs martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church

Karl I beatified by Catholic Church

Wilhelm II at first worried by the Third Reich, but supports Hitler after victories in Poland, France, Holland, etc.

Windsor family remain figures of unity in Britain.

World moves towards peace after technological developments of war could lead to absolute annihilation

Concluding Remark – If you were on the streets of Sarajevo when Archduke Ferdinand drove by on his way to death, and you had knowledge of what was to come, would you change history. Europe has become peaceful, but it has come at a price of lost history, millions of death, and a loss of faith.

Reference Page(s)

Ballard, Robert D., et al. Ghost Liners: Exploring the World’s Greatest Lost Ships. Little, Brown and Company, 1998.

Browning, Pete, and Patrick Walsh-Atkins. Cambridge International AS Level: History of the USA 1840-1941. Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Fry, Platagenet Somerset. Kings & Queens of England and Scotland. Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2006.

Keitch, Charlie, and Josh Blair. “Fighting in the Trenches” Imperial War Museums, Imperial War Museums, 8 Dec. 2017, www.iwm.org.uk/learning/resources/fighting-in-the-trenches.

Keitch, Charlie, and Josh Blair. “What Impact Did the First World War Have on Aircraft and Aerial Warfare?” Imperial War Museums, Imperial War Museums, 7 Dec. 2017, www.iwm.org.uk/learning/resources/what-impact-did-the-first-world-war-have-on-aircraft-and-aerial-warfare.

New York Times Company, editor. The New York Times Page One: Major Events 1900-1997 as Presented in The New York Times. Bbs Pub Corp, 1997.

Paterson, Michael. Nicholas II, The Last Tsar. Robinson, 2017.

Retallack, James. Germany in the Age of Kaiser Wilhelm II. St. Martin’s Press Inc., 1996.

Roper, Jon. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Presidents of America. Hermes House, 2011.

Spilling, Michael, editor. Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia. Amber Books, 2011.

“Blessed Karl of Austria: Who Is Karl?” Blessed Karl of Austria: Emperor and King, The Emperor Karl League of Prayer, U.S.A. / Canada, 2020, www.emperorcharles.org/biography.

“House of Hohenzollern” The British Museum, The British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG152000.

“House of Romanov” Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University Library, 2019, brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Author?author=Romanov%2C+House+of.

“How Britain Invented the Tank in the First World War” Imperial War Museums, Imperial War Museums, 2020, www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-britain-invented-the-tank-in-the-first-world-war.

“How Gas Became a Terror Weapon in the First World War” Imperial War Museums, Imperial War Museums, 2020, www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-gas-became-a-terror-weapon-in-the-first-world-war.

“The Habsburg Images: Cigoli, Terzio and Reichle”, The Burlington Magazine, 128 (995), 103– 06.

“The U-Boat Campaign That Almost Broke Britain” Imperial War Museums, Imperial War Museums, 2020, www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-u-boat-campaign-that-almost-broke-britain.

Slide One: Image of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assasination

Slide Two: Map of Europe in 1914

Slide Three: Monarchs of Europe in 1914

Slide Four: Monarchs of Europe after War

Slide Five: Technological Breakthroughs for land war (Tank, airplane, Richtofen, gas masks, trench warfare, cavalry)

Slide Six: Casualties of War: Lusitania and Britannic

Slide Seven: Total War and Nuclear Bomb

Slide Eight: Images of Romanovs, Karl I, and Windsor family

Images Selected so far:

Baptism by Lattice and Spindle

In the beginning was the Lattice,

and the Lattice was with God,

and the Lattice was God.

My first experience with stage crew was through the production of The Music Man in Spring of 2017, and it still remains one of my favorite productions I was involved in. I had recently dropped out of my school’s rowing program and I felt that it was in my best interest to become involved in something that I truly enjoyed. My experience with the crew in my freshman year taught me lessons that I would recall throughout the remainder of my time in the program.

The amount of detail that went into the set, and the smaller moving pieces utilized throughout the show, was tremendous. No mistakes could be tolerated on these projects, and I quickly learned my first lesson from stage crew: Always strive to improve your work, and ensure that it is durable and beautiful.

The two materials that taught me this lesson were the wooden spindles and lattice that were widely utilized in the set. They were both nightmares to work with, and they were very easy to break in the process. It was a rookie’s worst nightmare.

After introductory training on how to use the power saws and drills, I was immediately given projects to tackle with the veterans of the program. If it were not for the guidance of these experienced builders, I would have screwed up countless times during the production, and I would not have evolved into the builder I am today. Their expertise with their construction and their abundant determination encouraged me to put my best efforts forward.

As displayed in photo three in the gallery above, the lattice and spindles were attached to large frames made out of a combination of 2x4s and 1x4s. The main issue that the crew faced during this production was cutting down the lattice from the larger sheets were were stocked with. These sheets, which can be seen in photo six, had a tendency to splinter under the power of our table and circular saws, and in order to produce the best finished product, be needed to focus on quality over quantity.

We broke out the jigsaw cutters and hand saws and got to work. Each cut was individually measured and traced before the cut was made, and we were encouraged to take out time with the saws. The hours I spent with the jigsaw with saw dust flying up to my protective goggles were demanding, but it gave me a deep understanding of how to tool worked and how I should approach cutting with it.

This was also the production were the beloved stage extension came into being. The entire façade of this structure was covered by small wood spindles and arches, which I also had to produce and paint.

If you think cutting spindles and lattice is terrible, wait until you have to paint it. I quickly learned that precision was required for the small things, in order to bring out the beauty in the larger set. After several broken spindles and feet of spent painters tape, the crew was able to create one of the most stunning pieces in my career.

People remember the first time they were involved in something or did something that would change them, and I am no exception. My involvement in the production of The Music Man and the trials I was immediately presented during it turned me into the experienced builder I am today. If there were any production I would go back to work through a second time, it would be this one. The design of the set, and the people I met in the crew made me fall in love with the program immediately (The spindles and lattice were fun to pulverize on demolition day too).