By

In an ongoing effort to spotlight students who went on interesting Spring Break vacations, The Mac Weekly sought out Jonathan Davis ’08 and Dustin Chavez-Davis ’08 to discuss their week off. But Davis and Chavez-Davis didn’t make it down to Cabo, Mexico this time around-rather, they journeyed through the heart of America to their final destination, the Creationism Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. We sat down with the two seniors to hear the details.
TMW: So tell us about your Spring Break. Why did you decide on this destination? Are you religious?

DCD: We wanted to learn more about different religions. As a Religious Studies major these types of things fascinate me. But I personally am agnostic.
JD: Dusty got a huge grant to go. They practically paid us. But I would rather not answer that question [about his religion] in a widely read publication such as The Mac Weekly.
(Editor’s note: Chavez-Davis did not actually receive a grant to go to the Creationism Museum.)

What was the best part about the museum?

JD: Well, this isn’t some sort of roadside attraction. This couldn’t have cost less than 50 million dollars to build. There were animatronics dinosaurs and a full-scale planetarium.

What was the dinosaur exhibit like?

DCD: It was a tour of God’s creations.
JD: There were dinosaurs in the Garden of Eden but they were all herbivores. Even the raptors.
DCD: They had raptors.
JD: Also, man tamed dinosaurs. There were saddles.
DCD: There were saddles. We took pictures. All the creatures lived in harmony in the garden.
JD: But the dinosaurs died in the flood because they couldn’t fit in Noah’s Ark.
DCD: The museum isn’t trying to say that fossils don’t exist, but it is saying that there is a different time frame and we all come from different starting points. The Creationism Museum uses the Bible as its starting point.

And how about the planetarium?
DCD: It took us on a tour of the known universe, implementing elements of astrology and astronomy.
JD: It is just like any plan but the universe is only 10,000 years old.
DCD: It was the full power of the created cosmos.
JD: I had to close my eyes because I was getting motion sickness.

How much was your admission?

DCD: A paltry sum.
JD: It was $30, including the planetarium. Need I remind you of the generous grant. Plus the Noah burgers were $8 each. And we split a Vitamin water.

Why did you decide to go here and not to a more ordinary Spring Break destination?

JD: Dusty and I are truth seekers. We are trying to learn about this vast nation.
DCD: We are simple men.

Do you feel like you took a lot away from it?
DCD: It was pretty informative. I have never seen passages from the Bible brought to life.
JD: I came away with a newfound respect for a religion and a cultural faction demonized as 18th century luddites. They had a pretty firm command over about 85 percent of modern science, which is much better than what I have.

Did you find anything particularly surprising?

DCD: I was surprised by the abundance of visitors. Senior citizens, children- the lines were packed, despite the bad weather and the flooding. Milwaukee had flooding then.
JD: It felt like all of creation was under siege. We were suddenly aware of own fragility.
DCD: It added some character to our humble pilgrimage.