The Harvard Crimson Class of 2015 survey of final year students has thrown up interesting facts about sexual activities on the prestigious campus, and also revealed the common problems of sexual assault and discrimination students face.
According to the survey, one in four of the graduating seniors said they did not have sex while they were at Harvard, a finding most American newspapers played up while reporting the survey.
Most students on campus did not seem to be carried away by sex or romance, as the average romantic relationships among the graduating students was one.
However, in more disturbing findings, 14% of women said they had been sexually assaulted, while another 7% said they were unsure if they were sexually assaulted. Three percent of men also said they faced sexual assault on campus.
In a class that the survey describes as being chosen from "the most diverse applicant pool in the history of the College", 24% of the students said they felt marginalised because of their race and ethnicity while on campus.
This figure included 74% of black students feeling marginalised, which means that three in four black students felt that way at a time when the country is embroiled in the fiery issue of racial discrimination.
Also, 47% of students who identified themselves as gays or lesbians said they felt marginalised, which means that nearly every second gay person felt marginalised because of their sexual orientation.
Here are some of the interesting findings of the Harvard Crimson 2015 survey, which was taken by 760 students, half the strength of the senior class.
- SEXUAL ASSAULT - 55% of Harvard seniors — two-thirds of women and 40% of men — said they know someone who was sexually assaulted at the College.
- DEPRESSION - 20% of seniors sought treatment for depression and 16% for anxiety.
- GAYS - 13% identified themselves as gay, bisexual, or something else.
- DISCRIMINATION - 24% of seniors said that they have felt marginalised because of their race or ethnicity while at Harvard, including 74% of black students, 40% of Latino students, and 54% of East Asian students.
- SEX: 58% of seniors said they entered Harvard as virgins | 24% of the class said they did not have sexual intercourse while at Harvard.
- CHEATING - 20% of graduating seniors said they had cheated in academics while at Harvard.
- POLITICS - 63% of respondents had a favourable opinion of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate, while only 12% had similar view for Jeb Bush, the Republican candidate.
