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Wayland Student Press

The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

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Girl, know your place: Sexism at Wayland High

“I’m a dude, so physical harassment seems normal,” remarked a 10th grade male when asked what examples of sexism he had experienced or witnessed at Wayland High School.

Two weeks ago, students in grades 9,10, and 11 were asked to take an anonymous survey requesting their opinions about sexism in order to evaluate the awareness of sexism at Wayland High School. Based on this survey, one may conclude that sexism is an often dismissed, but continuous problem.

When asked for his opinion, social studies teacher Daniel Frio reviewed the results of the survey and said, “Females suffer more from sexism on this campus than people do from racism….That’s the way it is.”

Other controversial topics such as anti-Semitism, racism, and discrimination against gays and lesbians are frequently addressed in society. However, 51% of the population is female, and sexism is rarely mentioned.

As in American society today, sexism is also a latent issue in the high school. As stated by an 11th grade female, “Women hate themselves because of the world men have created for them to live in. Men who say that women bring sexism upon themselves are ignorant. They have no idea what it’s like to be a woman and for that reason their opinion on that is invalid.”

When Frio was asked if he thinks sexism plays a role at Wayland High School, he immediately answered, “Absolutely!” Erin Lehman, social studies teacher, agreed without hesitation. “I think the sad truth is that many young women don’t realize when it’s happening to them.”

Frio added that, “People like to think that schools may be different from the outside world, and schools like Wayland are better. Sexism doesn’t know one school from another or one community from another. It’s rampant, and absolutely, it’s here. It’s inherent in our culture. It’s probably the least addressed of the ‘isms’–which include racism, classism, etc.”

A 10th grade female discussed the vibe she gets on campus. “Boys often dismiss girls’ opinions and don’t take them seriously,” she said. “They treat girls as inferior. Males automatically assume they are better.”

Another 10th grade female addressed a different aspect of the issue, elaborating on the lack of respect toward girls and women. “Boys always touch girls even though girls say stop,” she said. “They don’t care that girls asked them to stop.”

Most males don’t understand that females feel uncomfortable when males try to touch them. “What boys will tell you is that girls don’t mind…. The boys need limits, and nobody is setting limits for them,” said Frio. “Most girls don’t feel empowered to do it. But if they try to stand up for themselves then ‘you are a bitch.'”

One 11th grade female said, “Guys think they can take advantage of girls because they have strength and hold it over girls. Men don’t understand what they make girls feel about themselves.”

This raises another question: Do females bring it upon themselves?

According to an 11th grade female, females bring it upon themselves because, “when they dress like sluts, how can they expect people to take them seriously?”

Frio disagreed, saying, “If girls are dressing inappropriately, it doesn’t mean a girl is asking for victimization. That is called blaming the victim.”

A tenth grade female added that, “Radical feminists just make things worse. Women have equal rights–that should be enough.”

However, an 11th grade male disagreed, saying that he thinks “many guys are so ignorant and don’t realize that they are hurting girls. Some notice, but just don’t care. I do notice, but I don’t stand up because I don’t want to be made fun of.”

An 11th grade female noted, “Some girls act stupid and slutty so guys like them or make fun of them.”

Answering the same question, another 11th grade female asked, “Why would they ever do that? Sexism isn’t something a woman wants to bring upon themselves.”

Lehman noted, “I honestly think that it’s such an accepted part of the school culture that often boys and girls alike don’t recognize when they are promoting it, or when it is against them. The first step is to acknowledge it. I don’t know whose responsibility it is, but the first step is to recognize it.”

View Comments (32)
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Comments (32)

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  • T

    Thomas JDec 19, 2009 at 2:56 PM

    We must realize that because of slight physical difference it determines how we think, behave, are judged, and identify ourselves. There will always be that slight difference but we have made it determine more than it should. Until we disestablish the notion of gender roles and sexual identity in relation to society will sexism no longer be a matter. When a man can express himself(thinking, behaveing, even looking) freely in a manner how society currently deems womanly, and remain unoppressed will we have made progress in this matter(and vice versa for women). We as a culture are eons away from this, I believe, inevitable era of open-mindness and acceptance. But first, we must deal with homosexuality.

    Reply
    • S

      SashaFeb 11, 2010 at 12:56 AM

      homosexuality is a very important topic. yes we all need to be open to this, but not to minimize the importance of homosexuality, that would be focusing on 10% of the population. not that that is bad, it is great!!!! but we also NEED to focus on 50% of our pop. we need to deal with both at the same time.

      Reply
  • T

    TitoNov 3, 2009 at 10:20 AM

    GAHHH!!!!
    I’m blinded by FEMINISM!!!!

    Reply
    • M

      MDec 14, 2009 at 11:12 AM

      “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.” ~Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler

      Reply
  • A

    AlexJun 21, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    *insert term of agreement here*

    Reply
  • M

    Mark LiddellJun 21, 2009 at 1:31 PM

    I would like to commend both of you for writing an article that is long overdue. I find it disheartening that with over 500 views there have been less than 30 comments to date (6/21). We must use this article as a springboard for a larger discussion, an on campus forum or series of them. As long as the multitude are not cognizant of the ways in which they reinforce sexism, it will remain. We must be more critical of the way we are socialized, more vigilant in analyzing why we believe certain styles of dress, dancing and social interaction are acceptable. Most of all, boys must be challenged to re-evaluate their perceptions of girls and understand that misogyny only serves to oppress girls/women and cheapen their interpersonal relationships.

    Reply
    • R

      readerNov 1, 2009 at 4:40 PM

      30 comments on WSPN is a fair amount… most local small-time websites get only a handful of comments. even bigger national sites only get a few dozen or a few hundred comments.

      Reply
      • S

        SashaFeb 11, 2010 at 12:54 AM

        no infact it isn't… this is a giant topic. never mind this being a local small online newspaper, this topic is soo important! sadly some people just don't want to bother with this issue. Mr. Liddell is right, we need larger discussions on a large scale. But sadly some people don't take this seriously.

        Reply
    • T

      Thomas JDec 19, 2009 at 2:24 PM

      “cheapen their interpersonal relationships”
      Thank-you.

      Reply
  • D

    Dan FrioJun 20, 2009 at 10:40 AM

    Alex and James are right on with regard to the presence of non-sexist acting males…however, keep in mind that silence in the presence of those “few” who engage publicly in such behaviors will be viewed as complicity by the recipients of sexism. I would encourage Alex and James to continue to find their voices when the less powerful (for whatever reasons) are being bullied. However, those have remained silent must find ways to speak as well. I believe that most males want to “do the right thing” and that needs to be addressed and supported. Courage begins with taking a stand and standing by one’s convictions. Whether you agree with Alie and Sasha or not, they should be recognized for having the courage to address an issue of much concern to them.

    Reply
  • J

    James IvkerJun 19, 2009 at 11:20 PM

    Either that or denial…

    Reply
  • J

    James IvkerJun 19, 2009 at 11:20 PM

    Let’s be real here and stop acting like we don’t recognize what is going on around us everyday. The fact of the matter is that not every male is a “womanizing pig,” in fact there are a fair share of sensitive, caring young males in Wayland. However, there is a GREAT deal of sexism present in this town and especially the school. How many times a day is a female called a slut because of the clothing she wears or the amount of boys she hooks up with. Now compare this with the amount of crap a male gets for these same actions. My guess is that you’ll find out that this male will be lauded as “the man” or a “pimp” and will get absolutely nothing negative said about him. There is clear and present sexism and to deny it is just plain ignorance.

    Reply
  • A

    AlexJun 19, 2009 at 3:29 PM

    this article is definitively one-sided on the issue. and i know that at no point does it claim not to be one-sided, but i do believe that at some point, in some article, the stereotypes and sexism that goes along with being male has to be brought to light. this article also tends to make it look as though all men are chauvanistic, womanizing pigs who just spurt the B-word…they’re not. there are a few who represent men badly, just as i am sure there are few girls who represent the female sex in a way that most women do not approve of. i think this is a case of taking a small section of the male population and extrapolating their actions to the rest of us. i think this is a result of their actions being so noticeably wrong, whereas no guy gets noticed for NOT being sexist. it comes down to the simple fact that a girl is far more likely to notice and react to a womanizing tool calling her a bitch as opposed to and random dude allowing her to have her say in class.

    Reply
  • P

    PriscillaJun 17, 2009 at 10:45 PM

    In response to Anon/gif , I don’t even know where to begin, if you think discrimination whether it be racism, sexism, or any other form is comparable to separate bathrooms for men and women than you clearly have no idea what the word means. In addition who are you to tell people what they can be bothered by? Only you can choose which issues people should take seriously and which are petty? Most women are disrespected for being female more often than you think, whether it be by having their opinions ignored or by men trying to intimidate women with inappropriate language, such as the word bi***, or whether it be in its most extreme form such as sexual assault. Obviously everyone is aware of and agrees that assault is terrible and disrespectful, but this article is trying to show that all those little comments and jokes about women are disrespectful too. It is immature and insensitive for you to try to tell people raising awareness that their issues are petty. Again I will make the comparison to racism, would you tell someone protesting racial slurs or discrimination that they were being petty? I would also reiterate that this article it not bashing men, it is simply trying to give readers an insight to the way women feel on a daily basis, and yes there are women who contribute to this, but men should at least be aware of the way some of their actions and comments make women feel. Furthermore no one can tell someone what they should or shouldn’t be upset by nor can anyone know what someone has been through enough to disregard their responses.

    Reply
  • A

    ApathyJun 17, 2009 at 5:45 PM

    In a sense, you are correct Alie, Priscilla, Anna, and 2010. If you are not affected, then there is no real demanding reason you should get involved, beside from moral values. You’ve got to worry about yourself over others sometimes. The time for empathy and charity comes after your own sake. I know that you may not understand my view, and may not even respect it.

    Reply
  • J

    JamieJun 17, 2009 at 11:45 AM

    There is a pretty simple explanation for this whole situation, and it is that everyone keeps talking about how women dress to show off an image of themselves. Some girls dress to be considered for the “features” that they have, while others like to keep longer shirts and looser pants on to hide what they have. The girls who wear the looser clothing are scared of the comments that they may recieve, while the girls with the tighter and shorter dress want their “feratures” looked at and judged. It is not ok to say that guys are the only ones that are sexists, because you see girls all over the place saying, “omg, I love that shirt”, and if they say nothing, someone could be hurt by that silence. What i’m trying to say is that just because men are stronger and more dominant in general than girls, doesnt mean that girls are only subject to judgement by men.

    Reply
  • G

    Gif loverJun 17, 2009 at 8:10 AM

    I think gif said it best
    sexism is what u make of it and I only believe men at wayland high school are as sexist as you make them seem, maybe ur fooling yourselves into believing the entire scope of things, do i agree with the main statement of this essay: boys are sexist: YES
    do i believe that all men are disrespectful to women: NO, theres a certain mentality that comes with sexism and it is surely a minority of men that act this way. This article isn’t exactly putting the situation in the right light.

    Reply
  • A

    Anon/gif/Jun 17, 2009 at 7:01 AM

    I’m going to second what Apathy says, because it’s kind of petty. I mean, did you guys (or should I say GALS?) get victimized by sexist people? And anyways– aren’t we being a little touchy? Yes, there is true sexism but I don’t see it that often or at all in WHS. Let’s just take a quick look at what ‘sexism’ means. Princeton says it means this: ‘sexist – discriminatory on the basis of sex’
    Now say I want to go into the girl’s bathroom to take a tinkle. Guess what? Female’s only in this bathroom. I can make an argument that says yes, I do want to take my tinkle in there, who says I can’t? Now I’m being ‘unsexist’ like this article is trying to be. All I’m saying is that anything can be sexist if you look at it. You just have to be more liberal about what sexism is.

    Reply
  • S

    SkippyJun 16, 2009 at 11:01 PM

    While the sexism in WHS is very evident to me, there is one part that I find could be drastically avoided. As mentioned above, the way people dress and act is one of the biggest factors people take in to account when judging a person. If girls are going to dress in a slutty manner and act in suggestive ways, it is their fault for opnions formed by others. You cant change what others think, you can only change your actions. So to all the girls out there, if you are being treated like crap, and are presenting your self in a slutty manner, its your fault.
    Another thing to note is that when asked by girls if I would consider them sluts, I often have to go and point out their choice of clothing and behavior. For some reason, all of these young women deny all of it until someone takes advantage of them in some small way. Then they get mad at me for not pointing it out.

    Until that whole drama goes away as well as the abolishment of photoshop, Sexism is not going anywhere is our society.

    Disclaimer: I do not endorse the discrimination of anyone for any reason and feel that all efforts should be made to remove sexism from society.

    Reply
  • 2

    2010Jun 16, 2009 at 9:10 PM

    First off, the article is very well written! You both did a great job and you’re right – sexism is present a Wayland High School and something needs to be done about it! I applaud both of you for taking a stand in something you believe in! And to apathy – if people had an attitude toward racism like you do to sexism, we would still live in segregated society where someone like barack obama couldn’t even dream of being president.

    Reply
  • A

    anonymousJun 16, 2009 at 9:03 PM

    i disagree.

    Reply
  • S

    SashaJun 16, 2009 at 8:49 PM

    smugness aside, it would behoove you to pay attention to what you read – this was a quote, not a statement. humility never killed anyone, so, please, remember this article is a product of an anonymous survey where people spoke their mind.
    not a pretty picture, hah ?
    Also, keep in mind, I have yet to meet a girl who dressed up provocatively in order to be subjected to whistles, slaps, or lewd propositions. Unfortunately, we live in a society where kids are subjected to onslaught of media-served role models such as Britney Spears, etc.
    where dressing and behaving in provocative ways is encouraged. Or look at Miss America and similar competitions… or Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editions. We do live in a civilized society where the way we dress should not be viewed as an invitation for a lewd comment, or a slap. this is what separates us from animals – higher brain function – which should be high enough to understand the difference between a compliment and an unwanted advance. and i highly doubt that you discriminate against males in the same way – one rarely comes across a male yelling “nice ass” to another male, or slapping it.
    So think carefully before you provide a glib opinion. Maybe discuss it with your mother or a female relative, see what their take is on this topic. you may be surprised.

    Reply
  • P

    PriscillaJun 16, 2009 at 8:06 PM

    This was an excellent article and I’m very glad someone finally wrote about such an important issue.

    How women dress shouldn’t translate into how they are treated. Women should be allowed to dress however they want and express themselves without being deemed a slut or being disrespected. You have really missed the meaning of this article if you think the sexism is caused by how women choose to dress.

    I completely agree with Anna and Allie’s responses to Apathy. This article is doing something about it, and everyone should be concerned with sexism because, as the article pointed out, over half our population is female and sexism won’t go away unless everyone is concerned.

    For the men who think this article and other articles raising awareness for sexism are sexist to men, I’m sorry to say that that clearly shows your ignorance regarding the subject. People who raise awareness for racism aren’t being racist to whites. This isn’t about bashing men or generalizing that all men disrespect women, its about expressing how women in our community feel on a daily basis.

    Reply
  • A

    AnonymousJun 16, 2009 at 7:59 PM

    Who were you talking to lol? I hope everyone realizes that no one takes these surveys seriously.

    As for the suggestion that guys ‘ignore girls opinion’: BS. Sure, plenty of guys ignore other people’s opinions – but we’re equal opportunity discriminators. Everyone else is wrong, and I’m right; there’s no particular bias against women.

    Let me finish with a quote from your article: “I’m a dude, so physical harassment seems normal.” Did you even consider how ridiculous that statement was before you published it? You two as authors are both female. Have you seen even the slightest hint of anything like this?

    Reply
  • A

    AnonymousJun 16, 2009 at 5:44 PM

    I feel like it starts with the men, but the girls augment the problem in many ways by how they dress. I know that you won’t be sexually harassed nearly as much if you were wearing a snow suit(just part of the argument) compared to many skimpy outfits that many girls seem to wear everyday.

    Reply
  • A

    AnnaJun 16, 2009 at 5:35 PM

    A job well done! This article truly reveals the issue to the audiance which it most immediately concerns. As for Apathy’s comment, this article is doing something about it! Writing and creating awareness is part of dealing with sexism, something everyone in society is affected by.

    Reply
  • A

    AlieJun 16, 2009 at 3:24 PM

    Apathy,

    That is like saying that if we aren’t affected by racism or anti-semitism, then we shouldn’t care. Is that what you are hinting at?

    Reply
  • D

    Dan KimJun 16, 2009 at 1:07 PM

    This article is sexist towards guys, and portrays all guys as bad people. This isnt the 1950s

    Reply
  • 2

    2010girlJun 16, 2009 at 10:56 AM

    great job wspn. sexism is definitely present at wayland high, and this article provides an excellent analysis. thank you for something of substance!

    Reply
  • P

    Peter Galalis (English)Jun 16, 2009 at 10:11 AM

    Great article! Sexism is a problem that is real, important, and concerns everyone. Thanks for writing a piece that will raise awareness and get people thinking and talking about it.

    Reply
  • A

    ApathyJun 16, 2009 at 8:02 AM

    You guys trouble yourselves with trivial matters. If you are a victim of sexism, then you should do something about it, but if it doesn’t concern you, then you should turn your attention to more important things.

    >:O

    *Very angry surprised face

    Reply
  • B

    Barbara B Smith, TAJun 16, 2009 at 7:22 AM

    Excellent!

    Reply
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Girl, know your place: Sexism at Wayland High