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Show Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010 Utah Campus Voice since 1902 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com Number of atheists and non-believers increases By RHETT WILKINSON staff writer Observations of a growing trend in atheists and non-believers in organized religion were presented by Professor Mark Silk of Trinity College from Hartford, Conn. in "New Secularism: Threat or Promise," Tuesday evening. Silk, who currently teaches Religion in Public Life at Trinity College, said people across the country, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and New England, are increasingly holding an atheist view. Silk also offered some reasons why an increasing number of people may share these views. USU Professor Philip Barlow, the Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at USU, said "nones" means those who indicate no religious preference in surveys. For groups in a survey Silk discussed, the number of "nones" increased to 14 percent in 2010. Those who indicated Christian affiliation dropped 1 percent since 2009. Silk said while many focus on the growth of the Muslim population since 2001, a study of the multiple religious surveys in recent months shows an increase in those not subscribed to any denomination. "(Nones) constitute the fastestgrowing group in America in religion," Barlow said. "We don't understand religion as well unless we can understand secularism." Silk said according to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the "nones" are the third largest religious group in America after Catholics and Evangelicals. Additionally, one-third of "nones" consider themselves atheists and 23 percent do believe in God. "(Silk's presentation) intrigued me with how the culture has been trying to go less with 'I am what my parents were,' towards, 'I'm not what my parents were, or I'm undecided or nothing right now," said freshman Shawn Taylor, who considers himself a non-denominational Christian. Eli Brayley, who USU students may recognize as the Evangelical preacher who spends many school days speaking to students near the TSC patio, said he felt a lot of valuable information was learned at the presentation. "Certainly, the lecture was inforMARK SILK, professor of religion at Trinity College, said the "nones" compose one-third of the American population. AN! MIRZAKHANYAN photo I See NONES, page 4 Largest organism faces extinction By DAN SMITH staff writer Aspen trees that stand all over the west, including the largest organism in the world, are facing extinction, said Paul Rogers, adjunct assistant professor of wildland resources at USU. "The real serious problem there is that there's no new generation," Rogers said. Rogers recently visited the site, which consists of aspens connected at the roots and often referred to as Pando's clone. The 106-acre stand of aspen trees is located near Richfield, Utah. Old trees are dwindling in number due to increased insect populations and disease, Rogers said. Rogers is also a member of the Western Aspen Alliance, a research group that aims to better the chances for aspen groves throughout the region. Aspen trees regenerate largely through a complex network of underground root systems using new sprouts called "suckers", said Aspen ecologist Dale Bartos. Seed reproduction happens, but it's rare. "I've been going to the Pando for the last 15-18 years," Bartos said. "When I started, the parent trees were pretty healthy, pretty robust. Now in some spots, 80-90 percent are dead or dying." Thriving aspen trees will live 100-120 years. It is natural for the old trees to die off, Rogers Fire alarm causes some class delays By CATHERINE MEIDELL news editor I See PANDO, page 3 A faulty electrical ballast in the education building caused dozens of classes to congregate outside when the fire alarm sounded Tuesday morning, said USU Chief of Police Steve Mecham. USU fire marshal Steve Bell pulled the alarm as a preventative measure. It was pulled to secure the building in case the ballast did spark and ignite anything in the room. Everyone evacuated the building until Bell confirmed the building was safe. Mecham said police were contacted around 9 a.m. and were informed that a fluorescent light was overheating, causing the odor of an electrical burn. When ballasts in fluorescent lights become older, they have a tendency to overheat. This is not the first time a situation like this has happened on campus, Mecham said. No classes were cancelled, but students and professors were forced to stand outside for most of their class periods until they received the OK to go back inside. "The education building is very organized, so we had good access to the professors and students to control the situation," Mecham said. The ballast in the fluorescent lights are the devices that trigger lights to turn on. When a ballast has been used repeatedly for a long period of time, it may start to smoke. In this incidence, the ballast did not emit enough smoke to start the alarm on its own. The ballast was replaced promptly and those assisting in the electrical issue cleared the problem by 9:40 a.m. A GROUP OF ASPEN TREES that are connected underground through their roots in Utah are struggling to live. Adjunct assistant professor, Paul Rogers, said he is working at the site of the aspens in Pando and Richfield to keep the trees healthy. Photo courtesy of Paul Rogers Inside This Issue ‘=- ii4., 4,_ _:.,ii!, SNAc student nutrition access center 10/13/10 The Student Nutrition Access Center (SNAC) provides food to hungry students. Page 8 Former football star taking on new sporting endeavor. — catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu Photos collected from "The Best Photo I Took All Summer" photo contest are included in a special pull-out section in today's paper. Official Student Newspaper of Utah State University • "It's All The News You Need!" |