8 Monday, March 26,2001 The COMPASS
Three ECSU Women Share What It Means To Be A Woman
Inger Parker
frenchvanilla80@hotmail.com
The month of March is set aside to
celebrate mothers, daughters, sisters,
wives, doctors, actresses, nurses, wives
and so many other titles that American
women hold.
Although women have been long
thought of as the weaker half, too emo
tional and unintelligent, women have
proven through the ages how strong
and powerful they are.
There have been many women who
have contributed to women's history
and paved the way for later genera
tions of women. Maya Angelou, Venus
and Serena Williams, Susan B. Anthony,
Ida B. Wells and Florence Nightingale
all overcame oppressions and obstacles
and motivated later generations of
women to be proud of who they are.
Three of Elizabeth City State
University's intelligent and striking
young ladies tell why they are proud
to be American women, unique things
about themselves and discuss some of
the issues they face as women.
Shatrina Nicole McCoy is a sopho
more English major from Durham, NC.
McCoy is currently a part of many pres
tigious and active organizations. She is
a part of the NAACP, New Generation
Campus Ministries, two praise teams,
CBAC, the Children's Telethon and she
is the president of the New Residence
Hall. When asked how she feels about
being a woman, she said that she feels
honored to be a woman because of the
uniqueness of women's silent strength
and their God given ability to bare chil
dren. "We are the caregivers and the
nurturers, the backbone behind the
man. If it were not for us, there would
be no man because we give birth to
them," she said. McCoy stated that she
also feels honored to be an American
woman. "Women from other countries
are trying to get here because of the
freedoms that we have, and it is sad
that we take it for granted," she said.
McCoy added that sometimes she feels
that American women have a little too
much freedom, because in some coun
tries the women's dress codes are strict,
and in America, women are allowed to
wear whatever they want, which she
said is sometimes next to nothing. "I
can not look out for every woman, but
I can try to set an example by the way I
carry myself," said McCoy.
McCoy says that she is proud of
where she is and how far she has come.
She remembers being in love for two
years with a guy who tried to pressure
her to have sex with him. She remem
bers being so in love with him that she
felt incomplete without him. "He got
another girl pregnant, and it was then
that I realized that I would not com
promise myself for him or any other
man and I moved on," said McCoy.
Now, McCoy said that she will be
proud of who she is before she tries to
fill that missing part of her with some
one else.
Katrevia Rodgers, a junior Social
Work major from Williamston, NC,
stressed her natural passion to work
with children." I have the patience and
determination to work with children. I
want to make a difference in at least
like and respectable. "My mother is
truly an example of a virtuous woman
because she stood up for her beliefs in
God and she never compromised His
word," Rodgers said. She says that
without her mother's perseverance and
determination to raise her right, she
would not be a woman of God today.
Rodgers admitted that she is indepen
dent, and that she is aware of the in
timidation that it causes to men. "My
parents taught me to be independent.
stood.
When asked what defines her as a
woman, Autry said that a woman has
irmer pride. "A woman does extraor
dinary things, yet does not crave credit
for it," said Autry. She added that she
believes that many men are intimidated
by a woman, especially an indepen
dent woman. "A lot of women say that
they don't need a man and they can
take care of themselves, and that is true
to an extent, but sooner or later a
woman is going to desire a compan
ion, it's natural," Autry said. However,
Autry believes that a woman's desire
for a companion can cause her to be
come desperate and thus some get im
patient. She said that as a result of im
patience, some women make the mis
take of taking the first available man
who comes their way, who may not be
worthy of their time and end up get
ting hurt. "Many women are hurt be
cause of an unfulfilled need of a mate
and when they do date, they think that
automatically they are supposed to
sleep with the man, as a result they
end up only getting a one night stand,"
said Autry.
Autry said that although she is proud
to be an American woman, she admires
the way men in third world coimtries
appreciate and respect their women
and how the women dress and carry
themselves. "In other countries men
appreciate women more because of
their conservative dress. They don't
show off what they have because they
are a woman. But in America, women
show off everything that they have and
the ones that do, do not take pride in
being a woman."
As a woman, Autry realizes that there
are times when she will experience
pressure, unfairness and even harass
ment. She remembered being sexually
harassed on her job and the frustration
that it caused her. "On my job I was
continuously asked by co-workers and
managers to have sex with them. One
particular guy tried to make it look
like something was going on between
us and when I told him that I wouldn't
have sex with him, he started spread
ing nasty rumors about me," Autry re
called. Autry said that her male co
workers and some managers would
sometimes touch her in places that she
did not feel comfortable, yet she still
had to work with them everyday. She
said that it started as a joke, but she
ended up getting really frustrated. She
said that was one of her worst experi
ences.
McCoy, Rodgers and Autry, each one
delightful and charming in their own
unique way, had interesting input on
their experiences as women in hopes
of inspiring and encouraging others.
M
From left to right: Shannon Autry, Shatrina McCoy and Katrevia Rodgers
one life and supply someone with the
attention and guidance that they need,"
Rodgers said. She said that over the
years, women have proven that they
have the natural ability to be unselfish
and compassionate.
Rodgers also shared some of her
views about male and female relation
ships and how her personal relation
ship with God helps her to overcome
obstacles she faces as a woman. She
believes that single people can become
desperate for a mate. "A lot of women
long to be loved and, in some cases, no
matter how the man treats her, she will
stick around because that is all she
knows," Rodgers said. "In one particu
lar relationship, I felt like I settled for
less. Eventually, it didn't work out be
cause when I got into the relationship,
I didn't have the right motives,"
Rodgers said. To avoid this happening
to others, Rodgers advises women to
seek the individual who fits their stan
dards and to not get into a relationship
instantly. Rodgers added that if a
woman is patient, God will send the
man for her and she will not have to
worry about being mistreated.
Rodgers defines herself as a virtuous
woman because she trusts in the Lord
and makes Him her hope and confi
dence. She also said though as a virtu
ous woman she makes mistakes and
falls, she is able to rise again. She said
that her mother, a genuine example of
a virtuous woman, is the one respon
sible for shaping her into being lady
and I'm grateful because being inde
pendent makes me strong enough to
overcome obstacles that come my way,
and I keep pressing no matter how
long it takes to overcome," said
Rodgers.
Sharmon Autry, a freshman Art ma
jor from Fayetteville, NC, desired to
strongly emphasize the modest
strength of women. Autry said that
women are less egocentric than men
and are therefore able to perform mul
tiple activities at once. "Women are
more flexible because we do not let our
egos get in the way of what we have to
do. We allow ourselves to be emotional,
we are not concerned with egos, so we
do what we have to do when it is time
to rise to any occasion," Autry said.
Autry added that women have proved
throughout history that they are ca
pable of taking care of their families,
outside activities and other people.
"The mother is the backbone, the one
who holds a family together, " said
Autry.
Autry said that she learned to be
strong and independent from her
mother. Autry remembered once when
she was in the hospital, her mother
was by her side every second, and she
let the doctors know how serious she
was about them giving Autry the
proper care. "When my mother entered
the room, their egos were left out side
of the room because my mother came
of as authoritative to ensure that it the
importance of my health was vmder-