On May 22, about 600 students, faculty, and local observers attended ISI’s Cicero’s Podium debate series event at Oregon State University. The debate was on the topic, “Evolution vs. Intelligent Design: Scientific Assumptions in a Free Society.” Dr. Michael Ruse of Florida State University defended the theory of evolution, while Dr. Cornelius Hunter of Biola University defended the intelligent design position.
I was at the event, and after the ISI 50th anniversary gala in 2003 held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., I think this was the second most highly attended ISI event EVER. That means it might have been the most highly attended ISI event on a college campus. IMPRESSIVE. The Socratic Club at OSU was the host group on campus, while many other ISI students “got the word out” as well and attended the debate.
I really enjoy this debate series because it is just that – a debate. Both sides are presented and the entire audience is challenged to listen to both sides of a debate and come to their own conclusions. A great Q&A typically follows, as it did at OSU.
The Daily Baromoter at OSU, which is the main daily paper, published a great article about the event on the following day, which appeared on the front page as the leading story.