Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Breaking the Rules (08/16/04)
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TITLE: Risk Taker By John Scott Cooper 08/20/04 |
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“Come on, Mike,” said Ja’Mario. “You wouldn’t really go over the fence and to the store for some gum. Man, that’s crazy!”
The tall guy, who looked like the best basketball player in school and was, jumped about two-thirds of the way up the chain-link fence, climbed another step and leaped over the top to land like a cat on the sidewalk outside. Fortunately for Mike, we don’t have razor-wire on top of our fences, like some schools.
By the time he was jogging across the street, I was sneaking away from the crowd. Knowing Mike’s record, he’d get away with breaking this rule, but I didn’t want to be there if a teacher caught on to what was happening.
I decided to find a quieter spot on the campus and be found reading a book if the hammer fell.
Mr. McCollough’s science class was after lunch, and I was uneasy. He had been saying a lot about evolution lately and referring to the origin of species, as we covered this section of biology. Some of us had been taught about creation at home; Mike and I were home-schooled until this year. We wanted to add creation science to the discussion, but when we approached Mr. McCullough about it, he told us, "No."
Samuel said we should bring it up anyway, once the class discussion began, and Mike was all for that.
The bell rang, and I trudged toward class. I made it on time, but not because I was really in a hurry. It was a habit of mine to be on time and avoid problems.
“Class, we’re going to continue our study of how evolution has been proven by various biological phenomena,” Mr. McCullough said. “Of course, there’s the classic example of the white moths that changed to black, because the dark coloring was better camouflage ... “
I looked at Mike the risk taker and wondered if he would say something first. He was slumped in desk.
Probably worn out by his run to the convenience store.
It was incredible that Mr. McCullough was citing one of the most controversial of all “examples” of evolution. Somebody should call him on it, but I wasn’t the type.
“Mr. McCullough?” I said and raised my hand to speak.
“Yes, Mr. Josephson.”
“I have read that those dark moths existed alongside the white moths, all along. With the sooty conditions in that coal-fired factory area where this occurred, the birds found the white moths easier to find and eat. Soon there were mostly or only dark moths, who were better camouflaged – but it doesn’t necessarily prove the theory of evolution.”
“I thought we had settled this issue, Mr. Josephson,” he said with an uncomfortable expression on his face. “But you are making an interesting point, if it is true.”
“Thank you, Mr. McCullough,” I said and sighed deep inside, where it wasn’t heard. “Besides, the moth thing would only prove what is known as micro-evolution, or adaptation within a species, not macro-evolution.”
He was listening. So was the class. Maybe breaking this class “rule” was going to work out.