Top Stories
Stories in Viva that you'll love, handpicked by our team.
Remembering the Heart of a Phenomenal Black Woman During 2026 Women's History Month!. Top Story - October 2021.
Since I'm immersing myself in women related topics during March, I thought it was high time to remember the heart of phenomenal Black woman Maya Angelou during this 2026 Women's History Month.
By Justiss Goode5 years ago in Viva
An Open Letter to Every Man Who Dislikes the Word 'Feminism'. Top Story - October 2021.
Often when I have a conversation with a man about feminism, I come across a familiar argument - why must you call it 'feminism'? Isn't that sexist in the opposite way? Why can't you just call it 'equality'?
By Aditi Balaji5 years ago in Viva
“No means no”— unless you’re speaking to a film producer, your boss, your classmate, the President…. Top Story - October 2021.
(TW: sexual assault and harassment, the Weinstein case, violence.) Today, I visited a church. They are pretty peaceful places, and I enjoy walking around the graves, picking out the deceased’s names and trying to remember them all. This particular church is situated on a busy stretch of road near where I live, opposite two pubs and a bus-stop often used by students — so it’s not unusual for this place to attract nosy people like me who want to look around.
By Lauren Entwistle5 years ago in Viva
Off the Hook. Top Story - September 2021.
My eyes focused on the illustration of the fallopian tubes as Dr. Marquez fingered me with two digits and a pencil light. Poking and prodding at my cervix, I spread my thighs like I was back at cheerleading practice warming up for a jump sequence. I wondered what she might find down there…a rash? A tear? Old remains of a cheap tampon? In all honesty, I wouldn’t be surprised. In fact, I’d be thrilled to know it was my own stinginess which rendered sex impossible, and not the Judas-level betrayal of my vagina. I needed an answer, some form of explanation as to why my butterfly was dryer than the charcoal-colored dust framing my ceiling fan. Not only for me, but for my boyfriend playing Pokémon in the waiting room.
By Heather Cunningham5 years ago in Viva
Great Books for Every Woman Who Is Shedding Society's Expectations. Top Story - September 2021.
Every woman in this world has faced discrimination or disempowerment based on her gender. The patriarchy has created a situation where we have internalized constraints in our own minds. And these constraints are repeatedly reinforced by the people we meet and interact with on a daily basis.
By Aditi Balaji5 years ago in Viva
I Was Always Proud That I Wasn't A "Typical" Girl. Top Story - September 2021.
I was always a little different from other girls in my class. While most of the girls liked to talk about clothes and fashion, I wanted to talk about books and the latest gadgets. I was always a voracious reader so wanted to discuss amazing things described in them(this was the pre-internet era when we relied on books for all our knowledge). But most of the girls couldn't share my interests.
By Richa Khare5 years ago in Viva
It’s OK To Be Rude. Top Story - September 2021.
The first time I was harassed, I was barely thirteen. Standing outside the grocery store where my dad was helping my grandma choose some things to bring back to her apartment, I waited with our new puppy on the sidewalk. It was busy and hot, the sun battering the pavement and the exhaust from cars clouding in the air. A man older than my father approached, petting our new puppy without asking. He then launched into a speech about how pretty I was, followed by an onslaught of questions begging to know my address, my phone number, my age and whether my parents were around. I told him I was just thirteen. He laughed, but was not dissuaded. I noticed how his eyes lingered in uncomfortable places for longer than I wanted them to. As he leaned close to me, I caught a whiff of alcohol from his faded t-shirt. Eventually, I ran inside.
By Ilana Quinn5 years ago in Viva
Fangirl Culture Made Me The Badass Woman I Am Today. Top Story - September 2021.
Originally published on Odyssey Online The first iteration of my Facebook page when I was fourteen included an expansive list of the fandoms I belonged to: Whovian, Potterhead. Directioner. Sheerio. The list went on and on. I listed my fandoms as my good qualities on a resume.
By Alisan Keesee5 years ago in Viva
A Feminist Examination of "Twilight"...By a Man. Top Story - September 2021.
The reputation of the 2008 cinematic adaptation of Stephenie Meyers’s Twilight precedes it, for worse and for better. Sometime in middle school, I attempted to read the original novel. Popular as it was, I found it dull and couldn’t bring myself to finish it. As such, when I was assigned to watch the movie for a college class, my expectations going in were rather low. Much to my surprise, I found myself actually liking the film somewhat. Director Catherine Hardwicke paints very beautiful cinematic pictures, and I found quite a few of the characters rather endearing—specifically, Bella and Jacob’s respective dads, Bella and Edward’s respective moms, Edward’s adoptive sister Alice, and Bella’s friend group at Forks High. And, for all the crap she has been given, I thought Kristen Stewart did well as Bella. All that said, Twilight still has its issues. Viewed through a feminist lens, though it is by no means a masterpiece, it is not completely without merit either.
By Frank Macaluso5 years ago in Viva
