Students give opinions on opposite sex friends

Some women may be uncomfortable discussing subjects like sex, birth control and tampons with men. Yet more women on the Hill are discovering that a man can make just as good a friend as a woman.

Stephanie Perry recalls some of the problems she had in high school with women and says that men make better friends than women.

Perry, 23, a nursing student from West Palm Beach believes women tend to participate in a lot of hearsay and that women aren’t as straight forward as men.

“A male will tell you if your hair needs to be done or if your clothing is looking crazy,” Perry added. “Females, on the other hand, will tell you something false because they may be jealous and don’t want you to look better than them.”

While students like Perry avoid having women as friends, others have them for counsel.

Jhonnie Mitchell, a physical therapy student, says women give great advice.

“Women tend to give better opinions in almost any situation,” said the 22-year-old from Tampa.

Associate professor of sociology Narayan Persaud agrees. Persaud says women tend to be more deliberate in making judgments. He added women are not as aggressive as men because men tend to be more forceful when making verbal comments.

“Women put more thought into issues and weigh out the consequences,” Persaud says.

However, there are some students who would rather converse with members of the same sex.

Sir Zachary Wyatt, 19, a sophomore construction engineering student, says men make better friends because men tend to share similar viewpoints.

“I can relate to males better because women are emotional and they often need a shoulder to cry on,” said the Chicago native.

Wyatt says he would not discuss certain topics with his female friends, especially if the relationship could progress into something more.

Amber Jones, 20, from Fort Lauderdale says women make better friends because men tend to play games. “Men aren’t very straightforward and they beat around the bush often,” said the sophomore physical therapy student.

Jones says women share the same point of view on certain issues .

“I think it’s because we are alike,” Jones says. “I can talk to women about more in-depth things like relationships, because I don’t feel comfortable talking to men about my life.”

contact latoya marshall at ldmar82@hotmail.com.