The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 60, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 26, 1973 Page: 5 of 16
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the rice thresher
1973 opinion poll results
Here are the results of the Thresher's opinion
survey taken last Tuesday. Slightly under 800 people
filled out the poll sheet; they comprised a fairly ac-
curate cross-section of the Rice student body, with one
reservation: very few commerce majors responded.
These were tabulated with the academs.
This survey was drawn from one originally taken
in 1953 and repeated an 1963. There were a few
changes: question no. 6 was added this year, and
several questions asked in past decades were deemed
surpassingly irrelevant.
lteults from the past surveys are included below
as well. Here is the data; make what you will of it.
Math hallucinations
1. Do you think the present Math 101, Math 103 and
Math 107 courses are more essential to a basic liberal
education than other basic science courses?
1953—Academs and PE's: Yes 19.5%, No 61%, No
opinion 19.5%
SE's and Architects: Yes 48.3%, No 44.5,% No
Opinion 7.2%.
1963—Academs: Yes 38.9%, No 52.3/,;, No opinion
9.1%
SE's: Yes 53%, .No 40%, No opinion 5.6%
Archis: Yes 12.9%, "No 67.7%, No opinion 19.4%
PE-Commerce: Yes 11 .*8%, No 52.9 %, No opi-
nion 35.3%
1973—Academs: Yes 22.5%, No 53.1%, No opinion
26.3%
SE's: Yes 29.3%, No 40.4%, opinion 30.3%
Archis: Yes 9.5%, No 47.6%, No opinion 42.9%
2. Do Rice students make better dates than other per-
sons of your general acquaintance?
1953—Males: Yes 12.1%, No 52.8%, No opinion 35.1%
Females: Yes 41.3%, No 50.4%, No opinion 8.3%
1963—Males: Yes 21.6%, No 56.5%, No opinion 21.9%
Females: Yes 65.7%, No 21.6% No opinion 12.7%
1973—Males: Yes 12.5%, No 62.4%, No opinion 28.8%
Females: Yes 38.8%, 'No 42.9%', No opinion
18.4%
3. Do you approve of pre-marital sex?
1953—Males: Yes 42.4%, No 44.2%, No opinion 13.4%
Females: Yes 3.1%, No 89.3%, No opinion 7.6%
1963—Males: Yes 55.7% , No 36.5%, No opinion 7.8%
Females: Yes 23.5%, No 71%-, No opinion 5.5%
1973:—Males: Yes 68.6%, No 16.2%, No opinion 28.8%
Females: Yes 73.5%, No 15.3%, No opinion
11.2% _
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4. Do you use some type of contraceptive?
1973—Males: Yes 33.6%, No 52.0%, No opinion 14.0%
Females: Yes 45.9%, No 46.9%, No opinion 7.1%
Down with evolution
5. Do you believe that the Bible should be considered
as the Law of God, to be taken literally, word-for-
word?
1953—Yes 20.7%, No and no opinion 79.3%
1963—Yes 5.8%, No 90.6%, No opinion 3.6%
1973—Yes 7.9%, No 78.-3%, No opinion 13.8%
6. Do you believe that man has evolved from lower,
less complex animal forms to his present state?
1953—Yes 62.5%, No 25.8%, No opinion 11.7%
1963—Yes 84%, No 11.1%, No opinion 4.9%
1973—Yes 58.3%, No 29.0,% No opinion 12.7%
7. "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, subjective, psychological
aspects of prayer."
1953—Males: Yes 55.6;, No 30.2%, No opinion 14.2%
Females: Yes 68.7%, No 20.7%, No opinion
10.6%
1963—Males: Yes 39.2%, No 48.7%, No opinion 12.1%
Females: Yes 36.4%, No 51.5%, No opinion
12.1%
1973/—Males: Yes 32.5%, No 45.4%, No opinion 22.1%
Females: Yes 33.7%, No 49.0%, No opinion
17.3%
8. "I believe that our human souls, or if you prefer,
our present personalities, continue to live on after
the death of the body."
1953—Males: Yes 64.5%, No 14.6%, No opinion 20.9%
Females: Yes 73.5%, No 12.2%, No opinion
14.3%
1963—Males: Yes 51.6%, No 31.3%, No opinion 17.2%
Females: Yos 54.9%, No 32.3%, No opinion
12.8%
1973—Males: Yes 45.0%, No 29.5%, No opinion 25.5%
Females: Yes 58.2%, No 18.4%>, No opinion
•>:: .v.
9. 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.
—can be explained completely as physical and
chemical phenomena.
—cannot be explained in terms of physics and
chemistry, and are values which are essentially
purposeless.
—are real, and are ultimately fulfilled.
1953—Physical-chemical phenomena 6.6%, Essentially
purposeless 12.6%, Real and fulfilled 51.8%,
No opinion 29%
1963—Physical-chemical phenomena 18.6% , Essential-
ly purposeless 16.1%, Real and fulfilled 65.3%
1973—Physical-chemical phenomena 12.7',;, Essential-
ly purposeless 17.1%, Real and fulfilled 45.8%,
No opinion 24.4%
believe ..
10. 1 believe that man, with his reason, science, and
technology, will eventually be able to reach an ade-
quate solution to all his problems.
1953—Yes 18.5%, No 76.6%, No opinion 4.9%
1963—Academs: Yes 13.9%, No 83.1%, No opinion 3%
SE's: Yes 9.5%, No 86%, No opinion 4.5%
Archis: Yes 6.5%, No 87%, No opinion 6.5%
PE-Commerce: Yes 6.3%, No 93.7%, No opinion
0%
1973—Academs: Yes 12.5%, No 77.5',% No opinion
1.0%
SE's: Yes 17.0%, No 64.9%:, No opinion 12.8%
Archis: Yes 0% , 95.2%, No opinion 4.8%;
11. If your answer to question 10 is "No," do you
believe that man should renounce the infinite problems
of this world,as a bad bargain, or should try to solve
as many problems as he can jnd have faith in a God
who will ultimately save man from an otherwise
meaningless' existence, or should he try to solve as
many problems as he can and not worry about salva-
tion?
1953—Bad bargain 0.4%, Have faith 74.8%, Solve
problems 15.6%;, No opinion 9.2%
1963-—Academs: Bad bargain 1.2%, Have faith 49.2% ,
Solve problems 49.6%>
SE's: Bad bargain 2.4% , Have faith 61.7%;
Solve problems 35.9%
Archis: Bad bargain 0%, Have faith 61.5%,
Solve problems 38.5%
PE-Commerce: Bad bargain 0%, Have faith
86.7%;, Solve problems 13.3%
1973—Academs: Bad bargain 5.0%, Have faith 21.9%,
Solve problems 42.5%, No opinion 30.6%
SE's: Bad bargain 4.3%, Have faith 29.8%
Solve problems 43.6%., No opinion 22.3%
Archis: Bad bargain 9.5%, Have faith 23.8%,
Solve problems 61.9%, No opinion 14.3%
12. Should Rice try to emphasize letters and art as
much as it is now stressing science and technology?
1953—Academs-PE's; Yes 70.9%, No 23.8%, No opinion
5.3%
SE's: Yes 37% , No 51.5%?, No opinion 11.5%
Archis: Yes 63.3%,'No 29.5%e, No opinion 7.2%o
1963—Academs: Yes 84.1%, No 12.6%, No opinion
3.3%
SE's: Yos 55.3%, No 38.6%e, No opinion 6.1%
Archis: Yes 90.3%, No 9.7%c, No opinion 0%>
PE-Commerce: Yes 93.3%, No 6.7%, No opinion
0%
1973—Academs: Yes 81.9%>, No 11.5%, No opinion
6.9%
SE's Yes 56.4%, No 28.7%, No opinion 14.9%'
Archis: Yes 76.2%, No 23.8%, No opinion 0%
13. Have you ever had a Rice professor who you felt
was incompetent?
1953—Yes: 67.9%, No 26.1 %, No opinion 6%
1963—Academs: Yes 76%, No 21.4%, No opinion 2.6%
SE's Yes 68.5%e, No 30.5%e, No opinion 1%
Archis: Yes 83.3%, No 16.7%c, No opinion 0%;
PE-Commerce: Yes 75%>, No 18.8%o, No opinion
6.3%
1973—Academs: Yes 78.8%, No 15.0%,, No opinion
6.3%)
SE's: Yes 68.6%c, No 20.2%, No opinion 11.2%
Archis: Yes 81.0%, 'No 14.3%, No opinion 4.8%
14. Do you feel that P.E. and Commerce students dif-
fer from other students in basic capabilities or interests
alone?
1953—Basic capabilities 40.2%, Interests alone 42.8%-,
No opinion 17%
1963—Basic capabilities 72.2'., Interests alone 21.2%,
Neither 6.6%
(A typing error in this year's poll turned this into an
yes-or-no question. Nevertheless, the results were in-
teresting.)
1973—Yes 57.5%, No 22.8%, No opinion 20.6%
15. Should P.E. and Commerce majors be set apart
from other students in regard to curriculum other i
than major (i.e. special courses open-only to them, and
special sections of regular courses)?
1953—Yes 3.9%, No 69.2%, Nonunion 26.9%
1963—Yes 32.3%, No 59.5%, No opinion 8.2%
1973—-Yes 6.5%, No 86.7%, No opinion 10.0%
'Are you satisfied ...
o i
/
18. Are you satisfied with Rice as an educational in-
stitution ?
1953—Yes 66%, No 29.2%, No opinion 4.8%;
1963—Academs: Yes 26.5%, No 59.5%:, No opinions
16 %
SE's: Yes 33.1%, No 62.8%., No opinion 4.1%,
Archis: Yes 42.9%, No 50%, -No opinion 7.1 %
PE-Commerce: Yes 50%, No 43.8%, No opinion
6.2%
1973—Academs: Yes 56.3%, No 36.9%, No opinion
6.9%.
SE's Yes 57.4%, No 35.6%, No opinion 6.9%:
Archis: Yes 42.9% , No 47.6%, No opinion 9.5%
17. If you had known five years ago what you know °
now about Rice, would you have applied for admis-
sion?
1963—Academs: Yes 64.8%, No 30.8%,- No opinion
4.4%
SE's: Yes 70.4%, No 25.6%, No opinion 4/
Archis: Yes 74.2%, No 12.9%, No opinion 12.9%
PE-Commerce: Yes 26.7%, No 57.3% . No opi-
nion 20%
1973—Academs: Yes 52.5%, No 28.8%, No opinion
6.9 %
SE's: Yes 66.0%, No. 30.9%, No opinion 6.9%
Archis: Yes 57.1%, No 33.3%, No opinion 9.5%
18. Should Rice remain a member of the National Stu-
dent Association?
1963—Yes 19.3%, No. 43.3%, No opinion 37.4%
.1973—Yes 41.7%', No 13.6%, No opinion 44.4%
19. Should Rice de-emphasize its intercollegiate ath-
letics program and withdraw form the Southwest Con-
f erence ?
1963—Yes 19.7%, No 75%, No opinion 5.3%
1973—Yes 38.8%, No 52.0%, No opinion 11.9%
20. Classify your political leanings:
1963—Liberal 15.8%, Moderate Liberal 28.5 %,
Moderate * Conservative 31.7%?; Conservative
13.2%, Not Enough Knowledge to Say 10.8%o
1973—Liberal 21.7%:, Moderate Liberal 31.7%, Middle
of the Road 15.7%, Moderate Conservative
13.0%, Conservative 6.0%, Don't know 11.9%
the rice thresher, april 26, 1973—page 5
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Jackson, Steve. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 60, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 26, 1973, newspaper, April 26, 1973; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245165/m1/5/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.