Dominant Female Ratio Creates Pressures
By Erin de Poix

Sixty-one to thirty-nine.

It's a ratio that may affect UNC Chapel Hill women more than any other statistic.

"I've never gone out with a guy from Carolina, and I'm about to graduate," said UNC senior Catherine Medd. "I think that's absolutely crazy."

UNC Senior Hilda Eribo said, "Women are limited in their choices because we just don't have very much to choose from."

For every 61 women at Carolina, there are 39 men.

A small difference-on paper.

Medd said, "I transferred here from an all-girls school and when I came here, my friends were like,'So you must get asked out all the time now,'and I said, it's actually no different than it was at Peace."

Although they may know the ratio is the culprit, some women can't help taking it personally.

"You feel like a total loser," said Medd.

Professor Tom Linden has noticed the ratio in his classes.

Dr. Linden said, "I think in the best of all possible worlds you'd have an even mix of male and females, and right now that's not really possible."

"I would think that would put a lot of pressure on women," he said.

But how bad is the pressure?

UNC nutrition counselors said that Carolina may have one of the highest rates of eating disorders of any North Carolina school.

They say there's probably a link between disorders and the lopsided ratio.

But will this ratio change?

Susan O. Klapp, Assistant Director of Admissions, said, "I don't really see it changing. Maybe slightly, tiny, a little bit."

As women are getting better grades in high school and more are applying to college, many are finding out, it can be lonely at the top.

Admissions officers say that they can't control the number of women at the school.

But they hope to attract more men to Carolina by heavily promoting the school's strong science programs.