Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Viva.

#Me Too
I sat at my computer innocently scrolling through Facebook when I see the first signs of a movement. #MeToo written on status after status after status of my female friends and comments following made by men telling them that no one wants to hear it or they're making it up. That they should be glad they got the attention they did. A comment on every status I saw and I felt my anger rising, opening my status bar and typing in the hashtag to lend my voice to the movement sweeping the nation and I stopped... erasing the words and clicking to a different screen. A movement for women to shock people with the rates of sexual assault or harassment that I could lend my voice to but all I could think of was what speaking out cost me.
By Lilli Behom8 years ago in Viva
Waist Trainers Are a Scam, Personal Trainers Are Not
My fellow ladies, we want to be beautiful. We want to be slim with curves in all the right places. And I can assure you that waist trainers have no part to play in the pursuit of beauty. There is no quick-fix to a small waist except for surgery!
By Melissa R8 years ago in Viva
Why I Don’t Shave
I don’t shave my underarms. Right now some of you are mentally giving me high fives, raising your fist to cheer me on and cursing the beauty standards that making shaving your underarms so important. Others literally gagged a little and may have stopped reading because you think this is another stand against the patriarchy and their beauty standards. It’s not.
By Kathryn Brown8 years ago in Viva
A Love Letter to My Body After 3 Kids
I'm only 28, yet my belly is not as tight as it used to be. My breasts don't sit quite as high, and, if we're being honest, are not even close to being the same size. My nails are more brittle, and I'm starting to see laugh lines appear by my eyes.
By Letitia Lou8 years ago in Viva
Ruined
It all started my sophomore year of college. Fall semester finals had just finished for me and now I was just waiting a couple days to catch the train home for winter break. It's the only reason I went to the party.
By S C8 years ago in Viva
It Is Not Your Duty to Be the Perfect Survivor
1. It is NEVER your fault. Sexual violence is a REAL issue. It can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, race, or religious preference. It is very easy to blame yourself as well as for others to blame you. The truth is, it is never your fault, plain & simple. It does not matter if you were drunk. It does not matter what you were wearing. It does not matter if you were walking in a dark alley late at night by yourself. The person who commits this horrendous act is solely to blame for their actions, not you. So forget what people may say, forget what society pushes upon you, and forget what the media shoves down your throat. The more people that can stand up against shaming the survivors, the more we can work together to end this epidemic.
By RaeAnna Mercado8 years ago in Viva
More Than Rape
When I was in 7th grade, we read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I was in advanced English and we were expected to be more mature than the rest of the students in our year, so this book was perfect. There was death, discrimination, the n-word was used, and, sadly enough, a rape accusation. However, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the phrase “taken advantage of.” What made this even more absurd was the fact that there was no actual rape in that instance. I understood that to mean you’re being used or cheated, you’re being naive, or you’re simply too ditzy to know what’s going on. Rape is not so benign.
By Jade Bee8 years ago in Viva
The Silence Breaks
2017 has been a rough year. But this video, highlighting Time's Persons of the Year, The Silence Breakers, has legitimately brought me to tears.
By Tarin Campanella8 years ago in Viva
Orchid
The break of dawn comes upon the sky. It is silent and desolate. The only sound is coming from the rustling of leaves and the wind itself. The streets are bare and the buildings lining up the street are isolated. There is no sign of life. Is there anyone here? Suddenly, a girl comes into view.
By Ariel Alonso8 years ago in Viva
#MeToo
I don't share this with people usually because, in the past, whenever I have attempted to, they have felt uncomfortable and asked me not to. But if listening to it makes you uncomfortable, then imagine how I feel having to live with the memory and knowing I can't tell anyone at the risk of making them uncomfortable. I've been ready to break my silence for so long, but no one was willing to listen until now.
By D Burton8 years ago in Viva
How To Water Fast the RIGHT Way!
What You Need to Know Before the Water Fast: During a water fast, you must only consume nothing but water! People normally go through a water fast for religious reasons, to see if they can do it, or for health benefits, but many do not know how to complete a water fast successfully without harming their bodies during the process. This thread is to show you, especially women, on how to prepare your body for a water fast so that you can have a successful water fast and keep the weight off, as well!
By Jakyia Millner8 years ago in Viva
Endometriosis
Way back in 2001 when I was 11, I never dreamed the next 16 years of my life would be filled with the most excruciating pain month after month; I never imagined I would feel the judging glances in the pharmacy when I went to pick up my medication or at camp when I had to explain what the medication was used for because of the stigma of this particular type; I never thought I would miss a mass accumulation of days from work and school because my body was racked with numbing pain; I never thought there could be a name for what I would be suffering with for the next 16 years.
By Elizabeth Kozlowski8 years ago in Viva