The Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 36, Ed. 1 Friday, April 24, 1953 Page: 3 of 8
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Forum Winds Up Year In Blaze of Glory
Student Opinion Poll Outlined^^|HM|j^H^HMjHHH|H|
Last Friday's Forum Subject
By ELWYN SIMONS and JERRY O'KEEFE
Last Friday night the Rice Forum Committee, in its last
program for this school year, presented the results of the much
talked-about student opinion poll taken by 775 Rice students
during January and February. The three authors of the poll,
Compton Rees, senior Psychology major; Elwyn Simons, senior
crowd of students and faculty mem-
bers in the Chemistry Lecture Hall.
Compton Rees began the program
by discussing the limitations of such
a poll, its value being relative to
so many unpredictable factors in
individual personality and its not
being a scientifically accurate sampl-
ing of Rice students hence relatively
Valid for only the 49% of Rice stu-
dents who took it, and not for the
student body as a whole.
For the benefit of the many in-
terested students who were unable to
attend the forum Friday night the
Thresher has agreed to publish the
data derived from the poll. The ques-
tions and percentages of answers
follow:
1. The numbers of the 775 students
polled expressing a desire to see
courses introduced at the Rice Insti-
tute were as follows: Geology, 424
votes; Music, 392 votes; Journalism,
259; Educational Psychology 190;
Anthropology, 17 4; Archaeology,
173.
2. "Do you think the present Math
100 course is more essential to a
liberal education than other basic
science courses?"
Academs and P.E.'s: Yes 19.5%,
No 61.%, No opinion 19.5%.
Scientists, Architects and Engi-
neers: Yes 48.3%, No 44.5%,
No opinion 7.2%. "* , -
4. "Should Rice's Literary Socie-
ties be more literary?"
Males: Yes 31.7%, No 35.7%, No
opinion 32.6%.
Females: Yes 27.2%, No 67.7%,
No opinion 5.1%.
5. "Do Rice students make better
dates than other persons of your
general acquaintance?"
Males: Yes 12.1%, No 52.8%, No
opinion 35.1%.
Females: Yes 41.3%, No 50.4%,
No opinion 8.3%
6. "Since the Rally Club is a serv-
ice organization, do you feel its
membership includes the male stu-
dents that best serve the Rice In-
stitute?"
Total students polled: Yes 21.%,
No 41.4%, No opinion 37.6%.
8. "Do you approve of having any
sexual intercourse while unmarried?'
(Based on 690 students who answer-
ed the question as worded above).
Males: Yes 42.4%, No 44.2%, No
opinion 13.4%
Females: Yes 3.1%, No 89.3%,
No opinion 7.6%
9. Students believing that "the
Bible should be considered as the
Law of God, to be taken literally
word for word" made up 20.7% of
the total group of 775 polled. The
percentages believing in a literal
interpretation showed a significant
trend in the four college years as
follows:
Fresh., 27^; Sophomores, 22.3%;
Juniors, 17.5%; Seniors, ,12.3 %.
10. "Do you believe that man has
evolved from lower,. less complex
animal forms to his present state?"
Total group polled: Yes 62.5%, No
25.8%, No opinion 11.7%. Of Male
Pre-Med and Biology majors 88%
of the Freshmen answered "No" to
this question, 10.5% of Sophomores,
4.1% Juniors, and 0% Seniors and
Graduates in this departmtnt.
11. "I believe in a God to whom
one can pray in the expectation of
receiving an answer. By 'answer I
mean more than the natural, sub-
jective, psychological effects of pray-
er." (This and the following ques-
tion were given to 529 students at
the University of Wyoming in 1949
and their answers will here be com-
pared with those of Rice students
polled.)
Rice U. of Wyo.
M F M F
Yes 55.6% 68.7% 40.7% 55.1%
No 30.2% 20.7% 34.6% 34.2%
No Op. 14.2% 10.6% 24.7% 10.7%
12. "I believe that our human
souls or, if you prefer, our present
personalities, continue to live on
after the death of the body."
Rice U. of Wyo.
M F M F
Yes 64.5% 73.5% 38.6% 55.8%
No 14.6% 12.2% 30.5% 23.3%
No Op. 20.9% 14.3% 30.9% 20.9%
13. "I believe that man's highest
hopes and values, for instance his
search for truth and beauty, his quest
for stability, or his need for final
love and acceptance 1) can be ex-
plained completely as physical and
chemical phenomena in the brain,"
6.6% of total polled. 2) "cannot be
explained in terms of physics and
chemistry, and are values which are
essentially purposeless," 12.6% of
total polled. 3) "are real and ulti-
mately fulfilled," 51.8% of total stu-
dents polled. 4) No opinion, 29.%
14. "I believe that man, with his
reason, science, and technology will
eventually be able .to reach an ade-
quate solution to all his problems."
Total group: Yes, 18.5%; No, 76.-
6%; No definite belief, 4.9%.
15. "If your answer to question
14 is "No," do yon believe that man:
1) should renounce the Infinite prob-
lems of this world and give life up
as a bad bargain," .4%. 2) "should
try to solve as many problems as he
can, and have faith in a God who
will ultimately save man from an
otherwise meaningless existence,"
74.8%. 3) "should try to solve aft
many problems as he can, and not
worry about salvation," 15.6%. 4)
No opinion, 9.2%. (Alternatives No.
2 and 3 show an interesting trend
throughout the classes):
2) Faith in God:
Fr Soph Jr. Sr. Grad
85% 75.8% 76.9% 63.2% 58.9%
3) Don't worry about salvation:
Fr Soph Jr. Sr. Grad
7.3% 16.4% 14.9% 22.8% 31.4%
16. "Do you think'Rice should of-
fer a counseling service for problems
of vcatinal and persnal guidance?"
Yes 81.7%, No 10.5%, No opinion
7.8%
17. "Should Rice *try to emphasize
letters and art as much as it is now
stressing science and technology?"
Engineers and Science Majors
Yes 37 % No 51.5%
Academs (including Pre-med)
Yes 70.9% No 23.8%
Architects .. Yes 63.3% No 29.5%
18. "Do you think properly quay>
fied Negroes should be admitted to
the Rice Institute?" Yes 51.6% No
39.4%, No opinion 9.%.
19. "Have you ever had a Rice
professor whom you felt was in-
competent?"
Total group: Yes 40.4%; Yes,
several 27.5%; No 26.1%; No
opinion 6.%. Combined percen-
tages answering "Yes" and "Yes
several" by classes:
Freshmen 36.3%; Sophomores,
73.4%; Juniors, 87.3%; Seniors,
85.9%.
20. "Do you feel that P.E. stu-
dents as a group differ from other
students in interests alone, or in
basic intellectual capabilities?"
Basic capabilities, 40.2%; Inter-
ests alone 42.8%; No opinion,
17.%
21. Should P.E.'s be set apart from
other students in regard to:
1) Freshman guidance—Yes 19.-
7%, No 69.%, No opinion 11.3%
2) Curriculum other than major,
Yes 3.9%, No 69.2%, No opin-
ion 26.9%.
22. "Are you satisfied with Rice
as an educational institution?"
Yes 66.%, No 29.2%, No opinion
4.8%.
£
"He always drops in for our
Whiskey Sours with Angostura*"
f0
AROMATIC BITTERS
MAKES BETTER DRINKS
♦P.S. Without Angostura to marry the
flavors, it's not a'Whiskey Sour —and
that's true of many another cocktail, too!
Angostura is the dash you put in — to
make the flavor come out!
@nlyTime willIbll...
■ypr
THIS IS GOING
TO BE THE BEST
CREW WEVE
EVER HAP!
v\towj i'd row V
DOWN THE RIVER.
WITH THEM
ANYTIME j
how can THEy tell so
soon? that coxswain
ma/ swallow
his megaphone.'
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CA
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yti't,,
ll*
I
On/yffme wi/f-fe// a6ouf"Q green
.. Cfew/ And on// time w/// fe//a6ov/-a ■
c/gare-ffe / lakeyoortime...
"lest CAMELS
-for 30 days
for MILDNESS and
FLAVOR!
k-
THERE MUST BE A REASON WHY Camel is
America's most popular cigarette—lead-
ing all other brands by billions! Camels
have the two things smokers want most
—rich, full flavor and'cool, cool mildness
...pack after pack! Try Camels for 30
days and see how mild, how flavorful,
how thoroughly enjoyable they are as
your steady smoke!
[ksi
THIS YEAR
WEOUGHTA
• WIN THE,
REGATTA/
JL
MORE PEOPLE SMOKE CAMELS *an ony*Ser Cigarette!
B.J.
Reynold*
1 . ' Tob. Co.,
Rilt^
II. c.
a.
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The Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 36, Ed. 1 Friday, April 24, 1953, newspaper, April 24, 1953; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230940/m1/3/: accessed May 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.