Students discussed the issue of objectification on the social media app Yik Yak and the pressure on women to be perfect in a forum on sexism and gender identity discrimination.

The President’s Diversity Advisory Council sponsored the student led panel on Thursday in Jonasson.

“On Yik Yak there have been some really disparaging comments towards women,” said Alleta Weiss-Meier, ’18, President of Linfield’s Queer Student Union. Weiss-Meier said the sexist comments on the app are indicative of a bigger problem.

One example was the extremely negative reaction some Yik Yak users had in response to “Speak Like A Girl,” a feminist, spoken word poetry show at Linfield.

Dawn Graff-Haight, Professor of Health Education at Linfield, added that sexist comments on Yik Yak, as well as sexism itself, can be directed towards males as well as females.

Female students also spoke about feeling that they have to try harder in order to be heard or taken seriously by male classmates.

Several female students at the forum said they felt like they had something extra to prove in comparison to male classmates. Graff-Haight said that almost every female physics major has raised the issue of feeling a “pressure to be extra” as women in the physics department.

“In a lot of classrooms, it tends to be more male dominated when it comes to discussions,” Diana Vazquez Duque said. Duque pointed out that this is the case even though Linfield’s student population is 60 percent females.

Elizabeth Lukas added that it would help if professors stood up for those who got interrupted.

The forum also discussed giving more gender specific preparation for study abroad, as well as how the gender options on the housing form are being updated for next year to be more inclusive.

“The problem is that a lot of people don’t think there is a problem,” said Weiss-Meier.

The first step to ending sexism is recognizing that it does exist. If members of the Linfield community reflect on unconscious biases, it will be a step in the right direction.

Graff-Haight said that on Monday there will be a faculty forum to discuss these same issues, facilitated by herself and other faculty members.

If you would like to recommend a topic for an upcoming student forum, please send it to the President’s Advisory Council ([email protected]).