Top Stories
Stories in Viva that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
10 Hacks to Help You Become a Period Ninja
It's that time of the month again. You know, your monthly visitor? Do you feel like your monthly cycle is a time where it's hard to get anything done? Do you find yourself feeling drained, tired, and moody every month? It's no surprise that the menstrual cycle can take such a toll on our bodies.
Elena AthonPublished 4 days ago in VivaSemiotic Analysis of Emma Stone’s Revlon Advertisement & Its Sociological Effects
Advertisements have a powerful impact on the way we subconsciously view ourselves and the world around us. Effective advertisements, especially visual ones instill emotions and ideas into their audience regarding themes such as gender, body, and consumption. If we understand how advertisements manipulate us, we will become better able to identify the manipulating elements and avoid becoming brainwashed.
This Diploma from 1923 Shows How Far Women Have Come in 100 Years
There’s more than enough stuff in the world already, so I get practically everything I own secondhand. I do it both for environmental reasons and because vintage stuff is way cooler! From clothing to furniture to appliances to home décor, I’m constantly on the lookout for unique items that people have cast aside for reasons that shall remain forever a mystery to me.
Reusable Menstrual Pads, my body and me
Menstruation, or more widely known as a period, is a general monthly occurrence for girls and women everywhere and is a perfectly normal and natural part of being a glorious woman.
Kayleigh TaylorPublished 7 days ago in Viva
He Destroyed My Home.
I am writing the following story because I want to let go of something that has made a deep impact in my life. Organizing my endlessly scattered thoughts works best for me when I write them out, so here it goes. It is no secret that I often speak my mind, but I suck at communicating about the really, really, deep things that torment me. I have gotten better but every day is still a struggle. Just to sort of set the stage, I will start off by saying that I am diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 and Adult Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. My story of my experience plays a particularly important role in my mental health. It diminished my ability to communicate, to heal, to be strong and courageous for myself. It turned my entire world turned dark. I have been described as unpredictable, out of control, impossible to manage and crazy. I have been told that I am a monster, and my life is worthless. I have been told that I destroy everything I touch. I conditioned myself to shrink for others, to not upset or defy them. I stayed quiet and bottled everything inside. I smiled and said, “it’s okay”, when really, I just wanted to scream and beg for someone to make the pain stop. I accepted toxicity into my life because I believed that it is what I deserved. Every single person I have ever met knows a completely different version of me. The versions of myself constantly change, as is life. And as a result, I am a variation of factors. Yet, there are only 3 people who know me entirely. Every single secret. Every single insecurity, down to the last detail. Every single emotion, mood swing and trigger. Every single thought and opinion. Every single amount of excruciating emotional and mental pain. Every single trauma. Everything that has damaged me. These 3 people's influence on my decision to finally share my story with the world will be mentioned in my following story. I had held a secret inside of me for 7 years, one that I thought I would never be able to face. I denied it all these years, repressing it so far that I eventually did not think about it at all. All it took for me to finally accept the truth was seeing a stranger’s face in a bar, increasing self-awareness and the compassion, and understanding of very 3 important people. I have finally realized how important I am, not in a cocky way, but in the way that I matter. My story matters, my healing matters, my life truly does matter. I am not staying quiet about who I am and why I am the way I am anymore. And because of this moment of clarity, I am ready to speak about something that happened to me when I was 18. Something that I tried so hard to forget, but ultimately could not escape. This is my story about the night someone stole what was mine.
Sarah CarverPublished 8 days ago in Viva- Third Place in Sister Circle Challenge
To The Woman With The Heart of a Dragon
You were born in 1964. The year of the dragon. You’ve always admired dragons. Dragons, lions, eagles. Creatures larger than life, that represent strength and courage. I think it’s because you’ve always seen yourself in them. I do too.
Samantha KaszasPublished 15 days ago in Viva 
Dear Little Girl:
For you, the baby girl who's just new to this planet and in the process of discovering its wonders. You're already worthy of this world. You're a miracle of life, you're pure light, and you deserve all the love in the world!
Marina FortuñoPublished 18 days ago in Viva
The Pain of Being an Elite Athlete and a Woman.
I like to think of myself as a fairly optimistic and strong-willed person, but I have days of sadness, stress, and pain, just like everyone else. Behind the positive quotes, affirmations, and meditations lies a girl just trying to do her best. I write this with welled-up eyes and a deep tightness in my chest because as I train for my second Olympic Games during a worldwide pandemic, I feel like I'm about to break.
Elizabeth CuiPublished 22 days ago in VivaWe Need To Redefine The Term 'Ladylike'
How we dress says everything about us. It's the first introduction we give out without actually introducing ourselves; people's first perception of us. I've lost count of the amount of times I've been told I'm "unladylike" because of my oversized, boyish clothing. "Why don't you wear tighter-fitting clothing and show off your body? That's not ladylike."
Jesse BixbyPublished 22 days ago in VivaThis could save your life
I'm 27 as I write this, 19 when it happened. I composed this piece in an effort to help other women understand potential human trafficking tactics and/or potential kidnapping scenarios. I share this because while it happened nearly 10 years ago, it wasn't until this year (2021) that I realized the tremendous danger I could have found myself in had things ended differently.
Lexie RobbinsPublished 23 days ago in Viva
Perfect Foundation vs The History of Mexico
My skin is the color of Mexican nationalism. I am a product of (at least) Indigenous and Spanish roots on both sides of my family, from Northern and Southern Mexico, from flour and corn tortillas. Mexico was one of the first colonized countries that advocated for miscegenation, because it would “whiten” the entire country, and the mixed race people could be known as La Raza, as foretold and advocated by José Vasconcelos. I grew up saying “Para La Raza!” (for the race) without knowing the originally racist implications - now I say “para la gente!” (for the people). Because being Latinx is an ethnicity and not a race, then people of many races are Latinx. You don’t even have to speak Spanish to be Latinx, as Brazil and Haiti are Latin American countries. However, having been raised in the Southwestern US, I grew up with the understanding that I looked like the stereotypical Latina. I’m brown with brown eyes, black hair, and short with a round face, and when I talk quickly or with strong emotion, my Chicana accent comes out. Now, I know that not all Latinx people have to look or be like me, even other Mexicans don’t look like me, since I have been trying to surpass the anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity taught in Mexican culture.
Ariana GonBonPublished 23 days ago in Viva
Short Film Reviews: Women's History Month
Since #MeToo went viral in 2017 (eleven years after activist Tarana Burke founded the movement), it can't be denied that it brought massive changes to the entertainment industry and society as a whole. Serial sex predators were exposed, abuses of power against women were brought to light, and a culture of sexism that was once tolerated and accepted was called out for what it was. And while there's still plenty of work to be done, society has definitely made great strides toward gender equality in the past years. So in celebration of Women's History Month, I'll be taking a look at a few short films created by female filmmakers. With an evenly split selection of films from Short of the Week and Omeleto (my go-to sources for short films), let's begin!
Trevor WellsPublished 27 days ago in Viva
