Survey: Don’t rename Catt Hall

Tate Leferink
December 11, 1996

It’s not the “Family Feud,” but the latest survey says most Iowa State students don’t consider racial tension a big problem on campus, nor do they want to change the name of Catt Hall.

Students do apparently want Cyclone Stadium renamed.

In the survey, 62 percent said ISU’s racial climate is “somewhat tense,” while only 7 percent thought the climate was “very tense,” and just 1 percent said it was “extremely tense.”

The survey was conducted by two ISU journalism classes. Students in the classes telephoned 496 randomly selected students from the ISU Directory in mid-November. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.

Of campus racial tensions, one student said, “A lot of it has been brought about by a small group of people who want to bring attention to themselves.”

“I believe that racial tensions are over-exaggerated. The racial tensions are being made out to be like there are going to be riots. I don’t see any organization on campus with the ability to start a riot,” added one out-of-state freshman from a small town.

Few students said they would like to see Catt Hall renamed. Catt — a leader in the women’s suffrage movement — has been criticized for making racist remarks during her crusade.

Only 19 percent of those surveyed said they support renaming the hall, 47 percent were against it and 34 percent had “no opinion.”

“Until all the buildings with a man’s name on them go through the same scrutiny, Catt Hall shouldn’t be renamed,” said an in-state woman student in veterinary medicine.

“I’m just sick of hearing about it. I wish it would go one way or the other,” added an undergraduate student.

Another issue associated with race had a different result. An overwhelming 68 percent majority said they were in favor of changing the name of Cyclone Stadium to Jack Trice Stadium, and only 12 percent of those surveyed said they were opposed to it.

Trice was Iowa State’s first black athlete and the only Cyclone competitor killed from injuries sustained during competition.

The survey also showed that students think the administration is doing a decent job dealing with racial tensions. About 45 percent said the administration is doing a “fair job,” while 23 percent said administrators are doing “a good job.”

Only 18 percent of students surveyed said the administration is doing “a poor job” addressing race issues on campus.

An in-state male graduate student said, “The administration is doing a good job and needs more credit.”

Another student disagreed, saying, “The racial tension has to do with poor mismanagement by the administration. Minorities are just not well-represented in the upper administration.”

Still, 67 percent of the students surveyed said there is “some problem” with racism among ISU students. One student said, “It’s tense on one side, the African-American perspective, and not tense from the Caucasian perspective.”

Some felt that students segregate themselves in social situations, adding to the problem.

“It sucks here. It is forced segregation, and you have to make a big attempt to cross that line,” said an in-state male senior.

Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said the student body is “highly” or “somewhat” segregated by race.

Others said race isn’t at the heart of the matter.

“What happens here is nothing. What happens here in a year could happen in a week where I’m from. Blacks are treated way better here than where I’m from,” a male freshman from suburban Chicago said.

“If I trouble someone, it is because of my personality rather than my race. I think a lot of people just blame it on race,” a female graduate student said.

Despite the segregation and tension felt by some students, 92 percent said they have considered a person of another race a friend while at ISU.

An in-state male junior from a small town said, “I have black friends from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. I don’t have a problem with anybody. I’m Caucasian, and I don’t care what color they are.”