Grad student shares experiences; women gain insight on men

In a room full of women, grad student Corey Guyton posed two questions that left the women speechless, astonished and, for some, hurt. The attendees were asked to write five things about themselves that makes a great woman and 10 things they look for in a guy.

The hour long discussion presented Wednesday night at the African American Cultural Center was an open invitation for women to plunge into the minds of men on numerous subjects. They included sex, what men like and dislike in women, respect and body image, among other topics.

Guyton, who is a self-proclaimed change agent, said he broke a lot of women's hearts during his undergrad years in college.

"I took advantage of many situations that I was in with women and I eventually apologized to them," said Guyton, who is now engaged.

Although the discussion was based more on what men think of women, Guyton also incorporated his personal experiences with women into the discussion.

Guyton said his reasons for his presentation are to help women avoid the wrong type of men and common mistakes women make in the pre-stages of a relationship. 

"Women can come into a situation thinking one thing and the male can come into the same exact situation without the same intent as the woman does," said Guyton.

Of the vast topics presented, respect was a topic that many of the attendees expanded on. 

"I came to this presentation to learn more things about myself so I can possibly better understand the mindset of the African-American male," said freshman Ashley Himes. "I also learned that respect is more than what other people think about you."

The usage of foul language and raunchy clothing is considered disrespectful to men, the 27-year-old grad student said.  Guyton also said that if a woman chooses to wear improper clothing that shows off her body, it leaves much anticipated lustful thoughts for men. 

Alongside using personal experiences, Guyton also used a PowerPoint presentation in which he described how women should make the transition of womanhood during their junior and senior years of undergrad.

"It was very interesting how [Guyton] used the metaphor of how college women are perceived by men during the freshmen year of college," said sophomore Amy Jones. "Corey basically described that by the time you're a junior, you should be on your grind and that's what men look for."

Attendees were also introduced to a graph that Guyton presented for the first time. The chart emphasized how men can mentally challenge the minds of women by tricking them. 

"Women can become sprung by that good guy then things build up and then the good things he used to do slowly fade away," said Guyton. "You have to be careful and know the signs so you can demand respect on the situation."

Although there are some tricks to men, Guyton emphasized there are good men out there. He also said all women should have the attitude of wanting to be treated like a queen.