Students Realize Importance of Census

For prison inmates, monastery inhabitants, nursing home residents, homeless shelter guests and even Harvard students, yesterday was a day to stand up and be counted.

By tomorrow, all individual residents of group quarters--including Harvard students--should have received and returned a 2000 federal census form.

Census forms began appearing in House mailboxes yesterday--first-years received them a week earlier--and student enumerators will be collecting forms in all dining halls through dinner tomorrow night.

But the census will continue at Harvard until virtually all students have returned their forms.

"There's a sense of urgency," said Steven E. Clinkenbeard, manager of the Census Bureau's district office. "We are committed to get absolutely as close to 100 percent as possible, following up for a month and even beyond if necessary."

The census--which occurs every 10 years, as mandated by the Constitution--asks questions concerning the residence, age, race and ethnicity of all respondents.

Federal, state and local governments use the information it provides for political redistricting and funding distribution. Private industry also uses the data to determine where to place franchises and factories.

David J. Bright '02, the crew leader in charge of the census at Harvard, said the distribution and collection of forms has gone smoothly so far.

The biggest obstacle, he said, is convincing Harvard students of the importance of completing the forms.

"It's been a challenge to get people to realize why it's important," he said. "It's not that people don't want to do it, they just don't know why to do it."

While most residents of the United States--including most students' parents-- received the form through the mail in March, the census is just getting underway at Harvard and other group quarters across the country.

Bright said he has spent more than 100 hours organizing distribution and collection of forms, getting approval for postering and tabling and hiring student enumerators to help collect forms and answer questions.

Clinkenbeard said about 40 Harvard students currently serve as enumerators for the College, earning $15 per hour.

Enumerators are responsible for answering students' questions, collecting completed forms, replacing lost forms and checking off the names of respondents.

"We trust them to track down their fellow students and remind them to do their forms," Clinkenbeard said.

Alyssa B. Murphy '00 said she plans to work about 15 hours this week, staffing tables in House dining halls for lunch and dinner through Friday.

She collected forms in Pforzheimer House yesterday afternoon and worked in Leverett House for dinner.

Murphy said the application process--involving training and a test--was "really easy," and said she enjoys the work.

"You meet people," she said.

Murphy said she started work last Thursday in Annenberg Hall collecting first-year forms.

She said upperclass students seemed more receptive than first-years.

"Being away from home as long as we have, we're more responsible," she said.

But Murphy said Harvard students appear to be responding well overall to the census.

"People have seemed to be pretty good about not complaining," she said.

Five out of every six students receive a short form of one double-sided sheet, designed to take less than five minutes to complete.

Most students found it quick and painless.

"It was fairly clear," said Emily R. Van Dyke '03. "I didn't have much trouble."

"It was really convenient," said Christopher J. Russell '00. "I don't understand why anyone wouldn't do it."

Russell also said he favored the option of selecting more than one race, a new feature in the 2000 census.

"I like that you can check off more than one race. I appreciate that, seeing as I'm biracial," he said.

One out of every six students, randomly selected, received a longer form of 34 questions, asking for more detailed information about occupation, income, ancestry, residence, possible disabilities and level of education.

While the form has come under fire nationally for asking too many detailed, personal questions, Harvard students said they did not mind the extra 15 or 20 minutes the form takes to fill out.

"It wasn't a hassle," said Lisa M. Herman '01. "They're only once every 10 years."

Clinkenbeard said the extra information the long form provides helps determine allocation of federal funding.

"All the long form questions are specifically there because there are federal programs associated with that data, in terms of dispensing resources," he said.

Clinkenbeard said the overall response rate in Massachusetts exceeds the national average, but Cambridge lags slightly behind.

He said it is crucial for Harvard students to return their forms--parents are explicitly instructed not to list college students--to ensure an accurate count and ensure funding for Cambridge.

"Where you answer does not affect where you are registered to vote, where your legal residence is, where you pay taxes," Clinkenbeard said. "If people follow instructions [a double count] shouldn't happen."

"For the most part, we're concerned about an undercount of students," he added.