thebattalion ● tuesday,
february 14, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
Single China’s surplus potential of single men could cause future problems Jessica Orwig The Battalion China has a gender problem. Valentine’s Day isn’t the only romantic holiday in the world. Nov. 11 marks a day of celebration for anyone in China who’s single and ready to mingle. First celebrated in 1993, the Chinese pop culture holiday dubbed “Singles’ Day” is a time to enjoy singlehood or, conversely, to find love. However, for many Chinese men, bachelorhood will be the only companion they find on “Singles’ Day” or any other, according to a new study. When China experienced an industrialization era in the ’70s, the number of births per family dropped significantly. On average, women went from having six children in the ’60s to three in the ’70s before the one-child policy was implemented in 1978. With some exceptions, the one-child policy stipulates that urban Chinese families may have one child and rural families may have two if their first is a girl. Traditional Chinese culture favors sons for many reasons, including that sons carry on the family name and support their aging parents. So by limiting the number of children allowed per family, some couples go to great measures to ensure they have a son. See China on page 4 Jorge Montalvo and Roger Zhang — THE BATTALION
voices
Gendercide
I
n China, about 120 boys are born for every 100 girls.
Reasons for this are varied and disputed. However, Chinese culture dictates that boys are valued more than girls. Sons provide for the family, while daughters are often married off. Sons will care for their parents in old age, while daughters may move away and care for their in-laws instead. China’s one-child policy, which restricts Chinese families to one child each, further increases the value men hold over women. Parents are only allowed one child. As it is, men are preferred over women. If reproductive freedom could be exercised in China, then
Naila Dhanani: Millions forgotten by their nation
parents could rest assured a son would come along sooner or later. But that’s not an option. So, in order for Chinese families to combat the diminished value women face, sex-selective abortions take place at a rapid rate. In journalist Mara Hvistendahl’s book, “Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men,” she said, “Some women were going in for scans halfway through their pregnancies. If they discovered their fetus was female, they would abort.” Abortion, under certain circumstances, is fine. Mass abortions catered to gender specificity are not. Women in every single culture must be valued.
“If 160 million women were missing from the U.S. population, you would notice — 160 million is more than the entire female population of the United States,” Hvistendahl said. “Imagine America’s women wiped out … Erase your wife and your daughter. Or erase yourself. Imagine this and you come close to picturing the problem.” How can we stand by and allow this to happen? Gendercide has severe consequences not only for China but also for the rest of the world. Time and time again, we have stood by and done nothing while the rest of the world has committed mass atrocities — the Holocaust, See Gendercide on page 3
Osa Okandaye — THE BATTALION
campus
sports
Introductions kick off election season
Students, faculty examine Kyle Field seating
Barrett House The Battalion Campaign season has officially begun on campus as the six student body president candidates articulated their platforms during an introduction presented by the Election Commission and the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The candidates were given the opportunity to answer questions highlighting issues ranging from the move to the SEC to diversity initiatives. The questions also allowed
them to introduce who they are to the student body. Junior finance major John Claybrook said years from now people won’t know his name, but that doesn’t change the fact that he can make an impact on students during his time at Texas A&M University. “The thing that does matter is the impact that I can make on individuals, through caring for them and mentoring them,” Claybrook said. Jay Kapadia — THE BATTALION “A mantra that I’ve lived by The six student body president candidates participated in an introduction at George Bush See SBP on page 6 Library and Museum Monday night.
Chandler Smith The Battalion After the highlighting of an SEC rule requiring the reallocation of specific student seating at Kyle Field, Texas A&M University student representatives — including members of student government, the Corps of Cadets, and the Aggie band — met with Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin, among other university staff, Monday and concluded with a proposed compromise. As the SEC bylaws stand, student
Quick facts ◗ More than 30,000 seats are allocated to students currently. ◗ The diagrams discussed Monday increase student seating.
See Seats on page 8
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