Although acne is something that most people experience and hope to magically outgrow by high school graduation, that’s usually not the case. The sad truth is that acne can plague anyone, whether you’re a 20-something or well into your adult life.

Acne can range anywhere from a few pesky pimples and blackheads to painful, cystic acne that disrupts your everyday life. Wherever you fall on that range, we can all agree on one thing—acne is a pain in the ass. So, we rounded up a few experts and collegiettes to gather eight methods that are gentle, aggressive or somewhere in between to help you kick acne’s ass and achieve the skin you’ve been dreaming of!

1.  Natural methods

It’s amazing just how much a good exercise regimen and healthier eating habits can not only drastically improve your mind and body, but also your skin! So, if you’re not sure where to begin on your acne-fighting journey, it doesn’t hurt to start with basic, natural methods such as diet and exercise.

Rachna Shah, a freshman at Dartmouth College, credits both as her favorite ways to clear up her acne. “One of my favorite (more natural and gentle) ways to get rid of acne is exercising regularly and eating healthier foods,” says Rachna. “While it may seem like a long-term option compared to aggressive medications, its benefits range far beyond getting rid of your acne.”

Regular exercise

Consistent exercise routines do so many awesome and natural things to our body that double as a way to fight acne. While you’re working up a sweat and toning up your muscles, you’re also increasing your blood circulation, receiving more oxygen and releasing sweat. The blood and oxygen flow draws out pore-clogging toxins while sweat removes dirt and oils. Over time, you’ll notice that this process can contribute to clearer skin! Dr. Cynthia Bailey, a dermatologist based in Sebastopol, California, offers her insight into how exercise helps promote better skin.

"Acne is considered an inflammatory condition, [so it's] not simply a problem of bacteria or clogged pores," Dr. Bailey explains. "Exercise counteracts the biochemical and endocrine drivers of general inflammatory physiology in the body. It's why exercise is important to fighting all conditions fueled by inflammation including arthritis, metabolic syndrome, etc." If that's not enough encouragement to exercise more often, we don't know what is! 

Also, as an added bonus, exercise produces endorphins (hormones) that aid in the reduction of stress. Stress produces a hormone called cortisol, which does some harmful things to our body, including breakouts. Therefore, producing more of those happy hormones in turn reduces stress, which equals a reduction in cortisol. Simple enough, right?

While exercise is certainly not a quick, overnight fix in any acne battle, it does provide many natural ways to detoxify your skin and fight the bad hormones. However, be sure not to backtrack and cause breakouts! Remember to cleanse your face after hitting the gym and to not to sit in your workout clothes for too long after your sweat sesh to avoid body acne. Consider following up your workout with a DIY skincare routine to go even more natural!

Healthier eating

Put good in to get good out! Whether we like to admit it or not, there are some foods out there that are just not good for our skin. Eating healthier helps you avoid the foods that can mess with your hormones and lead to acne, and ensures that you’re receiving all the good, natural stuff such as antioxidants, amino acids and other nourishing nutrients that make for a healthier complexion. 

"I recommend a diet that is heavily weighted towards whole plant foods and away from refined carbohydrates, dairy and bad fats and animal-based foods," says Dr. Bailey, so make sure to keep that in mind the next time you're at the grocery store! Although dairy is a much-loved staple of an everyday diet for many, Dr. Bailey recommends steering clear of the stuff if you want to improve your complexion. 

"Dairy in particular has been linked to the formation of acne by triggering an inflammatory biochemical cascade that specifically targets the pores," says Dr. Bailey. "High refined carbs and sugars have also clearly been identified as drivers of acne." Yes, we know it's difficult to avoid these foods, but the overall improved health of your skin will be worth it!

If you're looking for an even more specific diet to follow, Nicholas Grimm, a certified physician assistant at the BayCare Clinic in Green Bay, Wisconsin, recommends following a ketogenic diet. 

"Diets that are higher in fat, very low in carbohydrates and a moderate protein intake have a tendency to help control insulin levels, which influence how our skin behaves," says Grimm. "It’s really a lifestyle choice—to a large degree, I would encourage people to avoid processed foods. Natural foods like nuts and healthy fats like avocado are good. This isn’t necessarily going to be an answer to the acne but it can aid in the improvement of acne." So although Grimm wouldn’t recommend a healthy diet as the sole treatment for more severe and cystic acne, it’s definitely a step you’ll want to include! 

"If I were to put everybody on a ketogenic diet, they would probably see some significant improvement in their skin," Grimm adds.

For some, all it might take to improve your acne is a diet adjustment and some exercise, so they’re definitely two acne-fighting methods that are worth a shot if you haven’t given them a chance yet. 

2. Gentle methods

Mild to acne-prone facial cleansers

Consistently washing your face every day isn’t always easy, especially right before bed. However, we all typically sweat throughout the day, and if you’re one to wear makeup, that makes for a pore-clogging nightmare when you’re hitting the sheets without fully cleansing your face.

While facial cleansers generally serve to remove dirt, oil and makeup, it’s important to remember that not everyone’s skin is the same! Some skin types require gentler washes to aid sensitive skin and others require a little more oomph in getting rid of all those pesky pimples. In order to find an acne cleanser that works best for the type of skin you have, talk with your dermatologist to help identify your skin type and find the products that work best for you!

"Active [acne-fighting] ingredients include salicylic acid, glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Yeast acne (pityrosporum folliculitis) responds to zinc pyrithione," says Dr. Bailey. If you're more into gentler cleansers, Dr. Bailey recommends applying leave-on products that are medicated.

Grimm offers up witch hazel as a natural astringent for those who experience oiliness. "There are some people that like to use astringents to dry the skin out, things like witch hazel, and for people with very oily complexions that sometimes provides them with some relief.”

Again, if your skin is extra-sensitive, you'll want to speak with your doctor about the ingredients that are best for your skin, and which cleansers are the most compatible. “The best thing is going to be to focus on using skin cleansers that are fragrance-free," says Grimm. "What we have to remember about what skin cleansers do is they’re really just there to remove excess surface oil, dirt and debris. They’re not really intended to treat deeper inflammatory acne lesions. They’re really there to allow for a more even penetration of topical prescription medication." It's important to know exactly how the products you use work in order to gain the most acne-fighting benefits from them. 

Establishing a gentle routine

Establishing a skincare routine is a great way to ensure you’re consistently removing oil, makeup and other toxins from your pores every day. Stephanie Huynh, a sophomore at Lehigh University, recommends sticking to a gentle skincare routine to send your acne packing!

“The best [acne-fighting] method for me and a lot of my friends is to get on a good skincare routine,” says Stephanie. “This means taking your makeup off at night using gentle methods such as micellar water, and then cleansing with an acne fighting or soothing cleanser. Because I have combination skin, and my problem areas are located only in certain areas I don't like using an extremely harsh cleanser, but that's my preference.”

If you find that you’ve established a routine but you’re still not getting the results you want, it may be in regards to the order and types of products you use in the daytime versus at night (an issue that can fixed with the help of your doc). Chelsea Jackson, a junior at Iowa State University, shares her story as an example for finding a specific routine!

“After nearly a year of trial and error, I found that using different products during the morning versus the evening has helped clear up my skin,” says Chelsea. “I use the Cetaphil daily facial cleanser if I shower at night and COSRX low pH good morning gel cleaner in the morning, if I shower in the AM. I also use a vitamin-C-based serum in the morning before I put on my Cetaphil daily facial moisturizer. At night, I'll use a retinol cream instead of the vitamin-C serum (with the same moisturizer). Though my acne is really only present on my body, not my face, I've found that face products don't irritate my breakouts as much as body washes do (even the ones that claim to be for "sensitive skin").”

So, when you've finally found your skincare routine, the biggest thing you'll want to remember is to not overwash! “A gentle cleanser is recommended once a day," says Grimm. "A lot of people go overboard with cleansers—they scrub and they scrub and they scrub thinking that they’re going to remove the acne by cleaning more. But a lot of the acne has more to do what’s going on in the inside of the body (hormonal influence) with regard to anything that’s going on to the outside. A lot of people attribute acne to being unclean and really that’s not what we’re talking about." 

Again, it is so important to talk with your dermatologist if you’ve been struggling with acne and not getting any positive results. Establishing a good acne-fighting routine makes a world of difference when you can be sure that you’re using all the correct products for your skin, and using them in the right way!

Related: How to Get Rid of a Sudden Breakout

3. Aggressive methods

While exercise, healthier eating habits and gentle cleansers can do wonders for acne, it sometimes just doesn’t do the trick for stubborn acne and painful, cystic acne. If you feel that you need some extra ammunition in your battle to get rid of your acne, there are a few prescription-strength options and other medicines out there your dermatologist can recommend and prescribe!

Prescription medications & topical treatments

Birth control, topical treatments and antibiotics, oh my! These are just a few things that your dermatologist can prescribe to help with your acne. Zaynah Javed, a freshman at UC Berkely, recommends topical gels as a way to effectively treat acne.

“Prescription acne medication is always an option!” Zaynah says. “If you talk to a doctor about it, they are usually very receptive to the idea and will try to find the right medicine for you. I use Tretinoingel, which is pretty easy to use since you just have to apply it at night. I haven't had any adverse effects from it but if you do, doctors are always able to help you find the right solution for you!”

Antibiotics

Aside from topical treatments, another prescription method to consider includes certain antibiotics. Antibiotics aren’t meant for casual breakouts and are used to fight acne-causing bacteria, among other things, in people who face moderate to severe acne. "Even though [antibiotics] are effective against certain types of bacteria that have been associated with acne, we primarily use them for their anti-inflammatory properties," Grimm explains. "If we can reduce inflammation in and around the oil glands then we can prevent oil gland obstruction to a degree and really help with the acne." 

However, it's important to be aware of the side effects and interactions of the antibiotics with other medications you are taking, as well as the implications of their use. Grimm explains that while antibiotics are effective in their treatment, they're not necessarily meant for long-term use.

"We’re really trying to limit long-term oral antibiotic use because it’s not safe for people. There are trends in bacteria that are developing resistance to specific antibiotics which is making treatment of specific bacterial infections much more difficult. MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is by far one of the most well-known things." 

While antibiotics aren't a treatment to be taken lightly, they can really provide the help that you may need if you're not seeing results from anything else. 

Birth control

Another popular prescription medication to help regulate acne-causing hormones is birth control. Whether it be the pill or through a hormonal birth control device (ring, IUD, etc.), this method can work wonders for those who experience acne at the fault of their hormone levels. Sarah Madaus, a junior at Temple University, credits birth control as a positive impact on her acne.

“I struggled with severe cystic acne during high school, so I went to a dermatologist,” Sarah explains. “She prescribed Retin-A, which is a retinoid topical gel, as well as birth control. The birth control regulated a few hormones that were imbalanced, which actually causes a lot of acne in young women. Paired with regular exercise and lots and lots of water, my skin looked 75 percent better in just six months.”

There are many options out there when it comes to treating moderate to severe acne, so talk to your dermatologist to find the best method that fits you and your lifestyle!

Accutane

Accutane (known generically as isotretinoin) is one of the more serious prescription medications out there in fighting severe and unresponsive acne. According to drugs.com, Accutane is a form of vitamin A that works to get rid of severe, nodular acne by reducing the amount of oil released by oil glands in your skin.

"[Accutane] is a miracle for severe acne but must be dosed optimally and by someone well experienced in using the medicine," says Dr. Bailey. "The goal is not just to clear the acne while on the medicine but to create a sustained, potentially lifelong remission from acne."

Accutane is typically prescribed as a last resort method to patients who have exhausted other medicines, as the medication requires attentive use and is quite powerful. Abby Piper, a senior at the University of Notre Dame, shares her personal experience on Accutane.

“I had really bad and painful acne in high school and senior year I decided to go on Accutane,” says Abby. “I finished it in my first semester of college and it definitely helped… it did have a lot of intense side effects [as well]. My skin was so dry and the chapped lips were the absolute worst part—they started cracking and got infected at one point,” Abby explains.

Although there are some significant side effects to note, there has also been a lot of success with the drug. “I don't regret it, because it did help a lot, but there definitely were acne scars left… it's just important to keep in mind that the process with the birth control, blood tests, iPLEDGE quizzes every month (components that enable access to the drug), doctor appointments and side effects like dry skin and muscle fatigue took a toll,” says Abby.

If you’re considering Accutane as a method, talk with your doctor about the risks, benefits and side effects to ultimately decide if it’s right for you and your lifestyle.

While getting rid of acne isn’t always easy, it helps to remember that you do have options to discuss with your dermatologist! Dealing with acne can be extremely tough, both mentally and physically, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that you’re comfortablein the skin you’re in.

On Thursday, music promoter Billy McFarland was sentenced to six years in federal prison after being found guilty of multiple counts of fraud.

McFarland is most widely known for organizing the disastrous Fyre Festival in the spring of 2017. Marketed as a luxury music festival on a private Bahamian beach, Fyre Festival received a lot of hype from A-listers like Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski. Yet for the people who bought tickets, the festival was anything but luxe.

Business Insider reported that festival-goers experienced everything from flight delays, sleeping in, as one guest described, a “disaster tent city,” and receiving salads and cheese sandwiches instead of the world-class cuisine that they were promised.

But Fyre Festival wasn’t the last of McFarland’s schemes. According to Vice News, McFarland also faced a June arrest for a scam called NYC VIP Access that claimed to sell tickets to ultra-exclusive events like The Met Gala. The New York Times writes that 30 or more of NYC VIP Access' clients lost a minimum of $150,000, which is staggering considering the 24 million dollars also lost in the Fyre Festival.

Vice's coverage of the hearing touched on debates over both McFarland’s character and his mental health. In the hopes of getting a more lenient sentence, McFarland’s lawyers claimed that his recently diagnosed bipolar disorder clouded his judgment and tried to re-frame the Fyre Festival as a well-intentioned but flawed business venture as opposed to an outright scam.

These tactics didn’t work on District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald. Citing McFarland’s pattern of deceit, she reasoned that such extreme behavior could not be forgiven, even with his bipolar diagnosis. She said, “It is my conclusion based on all the submissions that the defendant is a serial fraudster and that to date his fraud, like a circle, has no ending."

Though things are currently pretty bad for McFarland, Buchwald could have given him a maximum of 20 years for the charges brought against him, making the six years he did receive seem not so bad after all.

Glass ceilings are always hard to destroy, but teen model Aaron Philip is breaking barriers with grace and beauty. She was recently signed to modeling agency Elite Models, a gig she earned herself through Instagram. After posting with positive affirmations about her future modeling career, scouts from the agency discovered her. As the agency’s first black, disabled, trans female model, she is already inspiring people around the world to shine as their authentic selves and be willing to embrace their wildest dreams and passions.

After announcing her signing on Twitter on September 1st, Philip has already landed her first magazine cover and done photo shoots with websites like Vice. She became the cover star of a recent issue of Isis Nicole Magazine, a publication which aims to “provide a space for creatives at the forefront of making honest, exciting, and beautiful changes in the world. Each issue gives a glimpse of humanity behind fashion, music, and art,” according to their website.

The cover features Philip practically radiating joy, and part of that joy for the viewer arises from her confidence and authenticity. Being unique is something to be celebrated, and we love that she’s inspiring (and killing the modeling game while she’s at it). We’re excited to see more of her work in the future, and hopefully more modeling agencies and magazines will embrace the idea that beautiful models look more than one way and represent different communities.

Inclusivity should be a priority in all areas of society, and modeling, fashion, and beauty industries should continue to be leaders on the path to an inclusive world. 

It’s the collaboration we all have been waiting for, without even knowing it. Moschino and H&M combined their fashion expertise to create the ultimate campaign, Moschino [tv] H&M. Although the collaboration was announced back in April, the first ad campaign has finally dropped, and we are still in awe.

Not only is the collection oh so fierce, but the latest ad campaign features Gigi Hadid and we are so about it. WWD unveiled the sneak peaks to the ad campaign, giving us a glimpse into just how extravagant the campaign is.

With tons of gold and glittery accents, the latest ad campaign is absolutely stunning, making us all the more excited for this collab to FINALLY drop. 

Jeremy Scott, the creative director of Moschino, said in a statement reported on Fashionista, “The Moschino [tv] H&M lookbook is like a party; celebrating the fun, the pop, the creativity and the energy of the people and the collection.”A common trend in many looks involves a throwback to the 80s and 90s, as well as the use of cartoon characters (yes, that includes Disney’s most-loved characters) and MTV characters and logos. This campaign hits close to home with all the nostalgia feels.

Along with the sentimental aspect of the collection, the use of metallics, rhinestones, “bling,” an edgy black vibe, and so much more in an array of diverse silhouettes from bold hoodies to dazzling socks. The full collection includes womenswear, menswear, accessories, and even clothing for your dog — yes, I said dog. 

You can make a statement in your very own Moschino [tv] H&M fur jacket, or whatever catches your eye. Moschino [tv] H&M collection will be sold online and in select stores on November 8, but don’t take your time on the looks you love because they are expected to sell out rapidly. So, basically, this is your chance to fill your wardrobe with designer clothing, at H&M’s low prices. Prepare yourself before the fashion world goes mad by checking out the full lookbook here.

Creativity comes alive on Halloween night and across Halloween events. From DIY costumes with best friends to intricate makeup looks, Halloween provides an opportunity to get out of our comfort zones, be bold, and become someone (or something) else for the evening. However, layers of sparkly eyeshadows, face paint, or costume makeup can wreak havoc on our skin, and even those of us with durable skin have experienced the negative impacts crazy makeup can have. This doesn’t mean Halloween has to end in skincare nightmares! With some strategies and skincare essentials, your skin will stay calm through all of your Halloween antics.

1. Prep skin before applying Halloween makeup

Take some time before you recreate that Pinterest makeup look to examine the makeup you’ve chosen. Using old products? You might want to reconsider—unused makeup sitting stagnant can be a breeding ground for bacteria, especially if multiple people shared the makeup or many brushes were used and reused the year before. Dermatologist Dr. Jessica J. Krant told The Gloss that “unfortunately there is absolutely no regulation on this, so there is no way to know if last year’s makeup stays safe until the next year”. Don’t mess around with old makeup.

Also, don’t forget to do a spot test on your skin to make sure nothing irritates you. Allergens and chemicals are prevalent in costume makeup products, and applying a small amount to a patch of skin not on your face can help prevent a severe negative reaction.

Finally, do your normal skincare routine just before applying makeup. Add an extra layer of a gentle moisturizer to give your skin extra protection and another barrier against irritants and pollutants.

2. Use gentle products, not harsh chemical makeup removers.

To remove your makeup, don’t start with chemical removers and harsh products, and avoid aggressively rubbing makeup off with a washcloth. Three main categories of cleansers are good for first removing makeup: micellar water, cold cream cleansers, and cleansing oils. Start with micellar water on a cotton pad and go section by section around your face, starting with your face and moving on to your eyes with a clean pad.

Face wipes are a good beginning step as well. They don’t remove every last bit of makeup, but they start the process. Jennifer Garner shared a video last Halloween of her using Neutrogena face wipes to remove her Halloween makeup. Face wipes, especially gentle ones, can kickstart your Halloween skincare and make sure a decent portion of your makeup is removed fairly quickly.

A cold cream cleanser like this one from Pond’s provides nourishing, creamy makeup removal without being irritating. If you’ve never tried a cold cream cleanser, they work really well on tough-to-remove makeup and melt it away easily. They’re very gentle, hydrating, and smoothing—trust us, your skin will be baby soft after using this.

A cleansing oil also works wonders for removing tough makeup naturally. There are definitely good quality drugstore options for cleansing oils, but higher end skincare brands like Julep or Tata Harper also have great cleansing oils. Natural ingredients like essential oils, rice, and shea butters help keep skin rejuvenated and clean while melting away stubborn makeup. For a more natural and DIY option, try coconut oil. It’s easy and you might already have it on hand!

Related: 5 Mistakes You’re Probably Making When Washing Your Face

3. Triple cleanse!

Whether you use a micellar water, cold cream cleanser, or cleansing oil (or any combination of the three), your skincare routine shouldn’t end there. Follow up with your daily cleanser, whether it’s targeted toward acne or just a gentle everyday cleanser. Getting your skin free of makeup is important, but clearing out your pores and making sure all traces of irritants are gone is even more important. You can exfoliate after you wash you face for even more of a deep clean.

It can seem tedious to do so many steps just to cleanse the skin, but according to Joshua Zeichner the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City in an article for Allure, "Makeup may contain heavy oils that can cause breakouts, preservatives and fragrances that can causes allergies or irritation, or even heavy metals that can be harmful to the skin." If you want your skin smooth, soft, happy and clear after a long night of wearing intense Halloween makeup, it’s important to cleanse your skin as much and as gently as possible.

Moisturize, girl!

After all of this, finish up with moisturizer. Your everyday moisturizer is fine, but if you want, add a heavier or thicker night cream to seal in all of the goodness you’ve used on your face. Basically, we’re reversing any adverse effects of layer after layer of costume or theater makeup. If you’re feeling tight or irritated, use a lightweight gel moisturizer to add some bounciness and hydration back to your skin.

Face mask and chill

Ah, face masks. There’s nothing quite like sitting back and relaxing for a spa-like experience on your skin. For Halloween, have nourishing, replenishing face masks ready. Whether you do them the day after you have on your bold makeup look or you manage to do it the night of, face masks are an easy way to completely rejuvenate your skin.  The makeup can have chemical irritants that strip skin of its natural moisture and protective layers, and all of the necessary cleansing can of course strip skin, too. Two of the best ingredients for nourishing skin? Oats and almond milk. We’ve rounded up the best nourishing face masks for after Halloween makeup removal here. No matter your favorite kinds, there’s a sheet mask perfect for you this Halloween!

For a sheet mask, we love the St. Ives Soothing Oatmeal Sheet Mask. This mask is inexpensive but so nourishing and hydrating. The smell and ingredients are luxurious and such a softening formula.

Lush’s fresh face masks, particularly the Oatifix mask, are best right out of the fridge. Cooling, refreshing, nourishing, and made with wholesome and fresh ingredients, these masks are life after a tiring skin day. Oatifix has oats and bananas, smells like banana bread and happiness, and is the most calming, gently exfoliating, and softening mask ever.

If you’re ready to splurge for a more lasting product, The Body Shop’s Mediterranean Almond Milk with Oats Instant Soothing Mask is perfect for sensitive skin and nourishment without any harsh ingredients. Slightly exfoliating, this mask soothes and replenishes skin’s moisture and protects it against future damage. All of the ingredients are made to be safe on sensitive skin, so don’t worry about this one causing any irritation.

Regardless of how you choose to express yourself this Halloween, make sure to give your skin some serious TLC after putting it through the works. Just because you love the holiday doesn’t mean you have to deal with skincare nightmares. By taking the time to learn about the ingredients in your makeup and your makeup removers, you’ll avoid all of the consequences of heavy and irritating makeup while keeping your skin happy.

Due to the toll that Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant from last summer has taken on her physical, mental and emotional health, she has decided to seek help to control her panic attacks and emotional breakdowns that have occurred over the past few weeks. Selena was found to have a low white cell blood count, which is common in people who have received kidney transplants. Fatigued and weak, she was immediately admitted to the hospital twice in one week. The pop star is currently receiving treatment through dialectical behavior therapy, a type of therapy that tries to adjust one's way of thinking, from negative to positive.

The former Disney Channel star has been battling with lupus since 2013 and let her fans know about her struggle through an Instagram post that revealed her kidney transplant, according to PEOPLE. Lupus can be a life-threatening disease, where the immune system attacks parts of your body, such as the lungs, skin and kidney. It affects mostly women and ranges in severity. 

Realizing that she needed her family and friends for support, they rallied around her and have been a strong force in her life as she navigates through the complications of her transplant. Page Six has also reported that Selena has dealt with depression and anxiety, majorly affecting the quality of her work and her day-to-day life. 

The singer is also taking a hiatus from social media to focus on herself and her health.

"As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given," Selena said. 

Last summer, one of Selena's best friends and fellow actress, Francia Raisa, was tested in just one day to see if she was a match for Selena, and she was a perfect donor. When Selena suffered from a broken artery due to Francia's active kidney, Francia was right there by her side to lend support. Selena expressed how the operation was supposed to be two hours, but instead turned into a six-hour attempt to save her life given that she could have died. This experience bonded the two women and they now consider each other "sisters," since they now share the same blood.

We wish all the best to Selena and hope to see her happy and healthy again!

Hurricane Michael, the most powerful storm to hit the continental U.S. in over 50 years, reached the Carolinas after ripping through Florida and Georgia, obliterating homes and submerging entire neighborhoods, and killing at least six people, including an 11-year-old girl in Georgia.

The hurricane hit the Florida Panhandle early Wednesday afternoon, making landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm, and leaving behind a trail of complete devastation, with Florida Gov. Rick Scott calling Hurricane Michael “the worst storm that area has ever seen.”

Scott said the Panhandle woke up to “unimaginable destruction.”

“So many lives have been changed forever. So many families have lost everything,” Scott said.

The storm roared through to southwest Georgia, and on Thursday, moved into North and South Carolina, ABC News reports. Although Hurricane Michael was downgraded to a tropical storm, it still brought flash flooding to the Carolinas, states that are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Florence.

“The ragged but raging remains of Hurricane Michael” were in North Carolina on Thursday morning, the state's governor, Roy Cooper, said.

“For North Carolina, Michael isn’t as bad as Florence, but it adds unwelcome insult to injury, so we must be on alert,” Cooper said.

Six inches of rain has drenched the state, and according to Cooper, more is expected. Most of the state is under flash flood warning, as well as tornado watches.

The full extent of Hurricane Michael’s fury slowly came into focus, with homes turned into piles of splintered wood or completely blown away from their foundations. Roofs were torn off of buildings, and boats had merely been tossed aside in the hurricane’s wrath.

ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee said the ruins in Mexico Beach, which saw some of the most devastating damage, were “eerily reminiscent to the scene I saw in Gulfport [Louisiana] in 2005,” after Hurricane Katrina.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted he was hearing “stunning” reports on Hurricane Michael’s damage, including that “Mexico Beach is gone” and the “damage in Panama City is catastrophic.”

“It will take a long time to recover from this. We will do everything we can to make sure the federal government does it’s part,” Rubio tweeted. “But I will confess that my biggest fear that this part of Florida, with its unique & genuine characteristics, will never be the same.”

A 38-year-old man was killed when a tree fell onto his car while he was driving on Old Mocksville Highway near Statesville, Director of the Iredell County Director of Fire Services & Emergency Management, Kent Greene, told ABC News. According to The Associated Press, an 11-year-old girl was killed in Georgia when a carport crashed into her home and struck her in the head.

Hurricane Michael has left over 900,000 homes and businesses without power across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina.

According to AP, more than 30,000 workers from 24 states have been mobilized to restore power.

An estimated 325,000 residents in the storm’s path were told to evacuate their homes by local authorities, but officials said only 6,000 people came to the 80 shelters in place across Florida, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. Officials were concerned that the storm’s fast-moving nature did not provide ample time for residents to evacuate.

Cleanup and rescues were already underway Thursday, but Scott encouraged residents to stay off of the roads at this time.

“The worst thing you can do now is act foolishly” by putting yourself in danger or hindering law enforcement from rescuing individuals, Scott said at a news conference.

Rescue crews, including 450 Florida Highway Patrol officers, drove through the night to assist with the rescue effort.

“During disasters, Floridians take care of each other,” Scott said. “We will recover.”

President Donald Trump has said he is working closely with the governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama and Georgia to provide federal support and resources.

“I’ll be traveling to Florida very, very shortly, and I just want to wish them all the best. Godspeed,” Trump said.

In a nearly 10-minute speech, Kanye West touched on racism, tax breaks, prison reform, mental health and the need for art programs in schools during his visit to the White House on Thursday, using his meeting to highlight issues that he thinks are most important to the African-American community.

“You are tasting a fine wine,” West told reporters as he knelt in front of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. “It has complex notes to it.”

During West’s meeting with President Donald Trump, the topic of West’s potential future political career was brought up, with Trump saying that the rapper “could very well be” a future presidential candidate.

The rapper, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, responded: “Only after 2024.”

“Let’s stop worrying about the future all we have is today,” West said. “Trump is on his hero’s journey right now. He might not have thought he’d have a crazy m***** f***** like [me].”

According to ABC News, West discussed the criticism he has received from hip-hop fans, recording artists and friends for supporting the president, saying, “If he don’t look good, we don’t look good. This is our president.”

West also touched on his previous comments about former President George W. Bush not caring about the African-American community, saying he was “caught up in a victim mentality.”

In his lengthy speech, West claimed that he is in the 98th percentile on his IQ test, and that he is not bipolar, but rather was severely sleep deprived. West also called for farmers and factories to be empowered, and said that American automobile maker Ford should design the “dopest” and the “fliest most amazing cars.”

According to The Huffington Post, the rapper also brought up Trump’s former political opponent, Hillary Clinton, explaining why he didn’t vote for the former Secretary of State for president.

“I love Hillary. I love everyone, but the campaign ‘I’m with her’ just didn’t make me feel — as a guy,” West remarked.

Trump said at one point that West “can speak for me any time he wants. He’s a smart cookie. He gets it.”

When West finished his monologue, Trump told the reporters in the room: “I tell you what ― that was pretty impressive. That was quite something.”

“It was from the soul. I just channeled it,” West responded.

In a statement from White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, the president and the rapper discussed prison reform, the African-American unemployment rate and violence in West’s hometown of Chicago.

West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, has visited the White House twice this year to discuss prison reform with the president, along with the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Last month, West appeared on “Saturday Night Live” wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, and went on a pro-Trump rant. West was booed for his rant and later slammed by“SNL” cast member Pete Davidson as “one of the worse things I’ve ever seen working here.”

On Thursday, West declared that his “Make America Great Again” hat gives him “power.”

“It was something about when I put this hat on, it made me feel like Superman. That's my favorite superhero,” West said. “You make a superhero cape as a guy who looks up to you and looks up to American industry guys. Nonpolitical, no b*******. However you want to do it.”

In an interview with Fox and Friends on Thursday, Trump called West “a friend of mine.” On Tuesday, the president called the rapper “a terrific guy” and someone who “loves what we're doing for African-American jobs.”

You’ve got your candy corn ready, you’ve already planned your Halloween movie marathon and now you’re ready to start costume planning. But, the first rule to an awesome costume is to make sure you’re not offending anyone you may pass while trick-or-treating or party hopping. With costume websites selling costumes like “Mexican Mistress,” “Sexy Indian Girl” and “Hawaiian Goddess”, it may seem as though these costumes are OK to sport. However, the nature of those costumes is disrespectful to the cultures they are imitating. Skip the controversy and educate yourself about what to avoid this Halloween with these tips.

1. Do your research before you buy

You may think that gluing a few feathers to a headband and wearing a fringed dress seems like the “perfect” Native American costume, however, it’s actually everything but that. Not only would you be perpetuating a stereotype, the Native American population is not there for you to mimic for your Halloween costume.

Alani Vargas, a junior at Northwestern University, puts it simply: “Basically if the type clothing was ever meant for something specific in a culture or from another culture, especially a minority one, it's a no-go.”

Instead of trying to play dress up with another culture’s traditions, appreciate them from afar. You may think it’s cute to throw on a kimono and put chopsticks in your hair so you can sport a “Geisha girl” look, but geishas are Japanese entertainers and have had a strong history in Japan. Their makeup and dress is a part of a tradition in their country and shouldn’t be up for grabs at the Halloween store.

2. Don’t make yourself another “color”

Unless you’re dressing up as an Oompa Loompa or a Smurf, you shouldn’t try to use Halloween makeup to dress up as another race.

In the 1800s, white actors would paint their faces black and “play” African-Americans in shows and eventually on television. These minstrel shows portrayed stereotypes about the African-American community. The shows were highly offensive and are still marked as one of the biggest examples of cultural appropriation to date.

You may not have the same skin color as Beyoncé, but she has enough iconic outfits for you to DIY that people will instantly figure out your costume.

“If you have to participate in cultural appropriation or blackface to portray a certain character or person, you need to be more creative,” says Gloria Kimbulu, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

With costumes like gumball machines, kegs and eggs and various Ninja Turtles, do you really need to offend another race to nail the Halloween game? No, you don’t.

3. Do make fun of yourself

A zombie college student, a box of wine or a basic “witch” complete with leggings and a Starbucks cup are all costume ideas that make fun things in your life without offending anyone.

Juli Cehula, a sophomore at Saint Vincent College, says, “Stick to your own culture, no one can make fun of you for being you! Plus, laughing at yourself is the most grown-up humor there is.”

Are you constantly showing up to parties in sweatpants? Then laugh it up by adding vampire fangs and some fake blood. Do you find yourself constantly drinking the same bottom-shelf vodka? Dress up as the bottle, tease your hair so it looks messy and give yourself “last night’s makeup” to make it look like you’re hungover.

Related: What Halloween is Like in College

4. Don’t make fun of anyone’s gender identity or sexual orientation

There was a major backlash when Halloween costume websites started selling a Caitlyn Jenner costume based off of her Vanity Fair costume, which was modeled by a man.

“[The LGBTQ+ community] has fought so hard to get where they are today and dressing up as stereotypes of lesbian women or gay men only makes you look ignorant and lets it seem like it’s still okay to push them away from society and it’s not,” says Abby Devore, a senior at Temple University.

Reinforcing stereotypes about the LGBTQ+ community only contributes to the oppression of this community and the people who identify with it.

An easy, overpriced Halloween store costume may seem like the quick fix to your Halloween costume problem, but when it uses somebody else’s race, religion, sexuality or ethnicity as a pun or “joke,” it’s not a good costume. Get fun and creative with your next Halloween outfit and think outside of the box. You may just win “Best Costume” if you avoid the run-of-the-mill ideas. 

Ariana Grande's hit album, Sweetener, has been topping the charts since it's release in August. Music videos for her singles "No Tears Left to Cry" and "God is a Woman" have been gloriously epic in typical Ariana Grande fashion. However, her most recent video for "Breathin'" is noticeably different. 

Staying true to her daydreamy, pastel aesthetic, the new music video, released on Wednesday, features an adorable breakout star, and it isn't Ariana. 

Frolicking around on a faux-fur blanket for the duration of the 3-minute song is the singer's pet piglet, Piggy Smalls. The relatively new addition to the Ariana Grande-Pete Davidson household is the sole focus, a notably simple change from her typical over-the-top style seen in most of her music videos. 

Simple or not, all this video seems to prove is that with Ariana's level of vocal talent, you don't always need an extravagant video to match it. 

And Piggy Smalls seems to be a true natural in front of the camera.

Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

Melania Trump Says She is One of the Most Bullied People in the World

First Lady Melania Trump, in an exclusive interview with ABC News, says she is one of the most bullied people in the world, adding that she has told her husband that there were people in his administration who she did not trust.

When asked by ABC News Chief National Affairs Correspondent Tom Llamas if there are still people in Trump’s administration that “he can’t trust,” the first lady said yes.

“It’s harder to govern,” Mrs. Trump said in a recent clip of the interview, which is set to air on Friday night. “You always need to watch your back.”

via Doug Mills/The New York Times via Redux

Mrs. Trump’s comments come a month after an anonymous New York Times op-ed by a senior Trump administration official who claimed that some senior officials are attempting to “frustrate parts of [President Donald Trump’s] agenda.”

Trump slammed the op-ed on Twitter, calling it “gutless” and later tweeted out one word: “TREASON?”

The first lady recently traveled to Africa to promote her “Be Best” campaign, which focuses on raising awareness of cyberbullying.

Mrs. Trump explained that her experience with bullying lead to the creation of her “Be Best” initiative.

“I could say that I'm the most bullied person in the world,” Mrs. Trump said.

When further pressed on her assertion that she is “the most bullied person in the world,” the first lady responded, “One of them — if you really see what people are saying about me.”

Trump Say He Will “Do What is Necessary” to End Russia Probe

In an interview with “Fox & Friends,” President Donald Trump said he will whatever is “necessary to get it over with” the Russia probe into interference in the 2016 presidential election, saying the investigation has caused “division” and is “bad for the country.”

When asked if the president was open to answering written questions, sitting down with special counsel or some hybrid of the two, Trump did not rule it out, ABC News reports.

Negotiations over a potential meeting or cooperation between Trump and special counsel Robert Mueller have last months, with current lead Trump attorney, Rudy Giuliani, telling ABC News in August that his legal team had submitted a response to special counsel requesting that the scope of the interview with the president be limited, especially in regards to obstruction of justice.

Trump has said multiple times in the past that he is willing to speak with special counsel, but would await his legal team’s instruction.

Trump’s comments come a month after speculation surfaced on whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein might be on the outs with the Trump administration.

When asked if he would fire Rosenstein after the midterm elections in November, Trump said he and the Deputy AG have a “good relationship,” adding that he “get[s] along well with Rod.”

The president said Monday he has no intent of firing Rosenstein ahead of their trip to Orlando together aboard Air Force One.

Obama Foundation Launches Initiative to Boost Education for Girls Worldwide

The Obama Foundation is launching an initiative to increase education opportunities for girls across the world.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama announced Thursday the launch of the Global Girls Alliance that will work with organizations around the world to increase public awareness and action, The Associated Press reports.

Mrs. Obama says the alliance will work with grassroots leaders worldwide to support them in their fight to eradicate hurdles that prevent girls from obtaining an education.

According to the Obama Foundation, more than 98 million young girls worldwide do not go to school. The alliance’s website showcases educational programs around the world and lists ways that people can help support these programs.

The Obama Foundation aims to continue “the great, unfinished project of renewal and global progress.”

What to look out for…

Spotify released its all-time most-streamed list to celebrate its 10th birthday, so grab your earbuds and check out the streaming site’s top jams.

You might recognize Brianne Tju from her roles in MTV’s Scream, Disney Channel’s Liv and Maddie and The CW Seed’s Life After First Failure. But her latest role in Light as a Feather, Hulu's new horror/thriller, is the most exciting one to date. Centered around a sleepover game gone horribly wrong, the show is absolutely terrifying. But it’s going to be almost impossible to tear yourself away (unless you’re someone who scares easily).

Brianna sat down with Her Campus to talk about the scariest moments on set of Light as a Feather, her sister Haley Tju, her relationship with the cast (she even shared how they’re all going to be spending the night of the premiere) and more.

Her Campus: Your new show on Hulu, Light as a Feather, is about a popular sleepover game gone wrong. What was it liking filming something so creepy? What drew you to the project?

Brianne Tju: What drew me was my character Alex. She has a really interesting storyline. She’s a very complex character, but in a really realistic way that I think people can relate to. She is the fun party-girl, or that’s how people perceive her, and she feels a pressure to keep that up. She turns to substances that she shouldn’t because she feels like she needs that to get her through and impress her parents and her friends. She has a lot of secrets, and that gets in the way of her life. We get to see all of that unravel and how it affects her as a young teenage girl. Also, the cast is just so amazing and the whole premise of the show is so interesting. And I’m a big fan of horror, so it worked out well.

HC: Where there any moments on set that stand out to you as having been especially scary to film?

BJ: A big symbol for the show is a black butterfly, which is evident throughout the series. We were filming in a mausoleum, and we couldn’t use actual black butterflies because they weren’t in season so they were going to [add them in] with CGI. But we looked up and there was one black butterfly on the ceiling while we were filming and it was so creepy. Apparently, it’s symbolic of mourning—and I guess that makes sense because we were in a mausoleum—but it was really creepy at the time.

HC: Do you believe in ghosts or have you ever had any supernatural experiences?

BJ: I do. I’m very superstitious. I haven’t had anything happen to me but my mom said that in my childhood home weird things used to happen, and she always believed that there was a ghost or a spirit there. But it was friendly so she never saged the house or anything, she kind of just let it be, and it just left.

HC: That’s still so terrifying.

BJ: It’s so terrifying! I’m glad I didn’t know it when I was a kid, but now that it’s gone and nothing weird seems to happen anymore it’s super scary to think about.

HC: Your co-stars have talked about how great it was to be able to work on a show with such an amazing cast. Can you talk a little bit about the relationships you guys formed on set?

BJ: I’m so grateful that this was the cast that we had. They’re amazing, we all got so close and we hang out outside of shooting all the time.

I think what was so great was that on set, sometimes the conditions, like with the weather or the hours, felt like a lot of pressure and it could sometimes be stressful. But because we were surrounded by such a good cast, crew, production, etc., everyone made it such a great experience. I had a lot of scenes with Liana and Haley, and they really made me feel safe and comfortable. I feel like I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I don’t know what casting did but they really nailed it for us.

HC: So what are your plans for premiere day? Are you going to stay in and watch all the episodes?

BJ: The cast is planning a little screening party, probably at Liana’s. I’m hoping that we all dress up in Halloween costumes, or dress up as each other’s characters. It’s October, you know, and I’m a huge Halloween fan. But we’re probably just going to have pizza and hang out, which I love. I think it’s going to be so fun

HC: How did you get into acting? Was it something you always knew you wanted to do, or did you kind of just fall into it?

BJ: I definitely fell into it. I don’t think that it’s something me or my parents ever expected I would do. I always had a big personality growing up, but we never thought about putting me into acting. I was approached when I was young, around 7 years old, by an agent in a mall. And I know, it sounds like a scam, right? But it wasn’t, and so I started out with commercials and eventually I realized that it was something I wanted to do, and my parents were very supportive of it.

HC: What was it like to grow up in the industry? Was it hard to have a “normal” life?

BJ: It’s hard to say. Because I started so young, I don’t really have anything to compare it to. My life is my life and I’m very happy and grateful for everything that I have and all the opportunities I’ve been given. So it’s hard to say that I didn’t have a “normal life” because this is my life. But I didn’t go to high school. I was partially homeschooled and I had a couple classes on campus so, honestly, I do feel like I had a normal life.

HC: That’s great that you were able to have a sense of normalcy in such a crazy industry.

BJ: Absolutely. And my family is very grounding. They don’t let me get away with anything.

HC: Your sister, Haley, is also an actress. Do you two ever feel like you’re in competition with each other?

BJ: I have to say, we don’t. We’re very supportive of each other. She’s my youngest sister—she’s 17 and I’m 22—so there’s an age gap, but it feels like she’s my age or even older than me. We have this mutual respect for each other with auditions, even when we’re auditioning for the same thing. People want to believe that because we’re sisters and we do the same thing that we’re competitive. But I think at the end of the day we want what’s best for each other, so we would never get in each other’s way.

HC: Do you see yourself ever doing something other than acting?

BJ: Beyond acting, I would love to write and produce. Everything I want to do would be in this industry. I can’t imagine myself not being in it. I don’t know if that’s because I started so young, but at the end of the day I love it. It’s what I know and I feel like it’s what I’m good at, so I don’t think I would ever stray too far away from it.

HC: And there’s just so many different avenues you can go down in the industry.

BJ: Absolutely! You never really get bored. Every project you do is [with] a different group of people, it’s a different character and it’s just so exciting every time.

HC: What advice do you have for someone that’s looking to get started in such a notoriously tough industry?

BJ: I would definitely say that you need to be resilient. You have to be so passionate and you have to really love it because it can be so difficult to hear people say 'no' to you so often. If you don’t have the drive for it, you’re going to quit. So if you really want to do it, I think you have to check in with yourself and make sure that you’re ready for all of the road bumps ahead, and make sure it’s really something you love.

Light as a Feather premieres on Hulu on Friday, October 12!

Get excited because this year’s Freshman Tour is headlined by one of the most coveted up-and-coming electronic music artists, Zaena x Jason Maek. With a unique sound that blends indie, pop, dance and a bit of rap, their hits, “Birthday” and “Get Up” are charting and listeners are craving more. Here are six things you should know about this musical duo.

1. Attending their performances is truly like being at a crazy party

Imagine going to a concert and having it turn into a completely rowdy and exhilarating night instead—this is what you can expect from Zaena x Jason Maek’s performances. Described as wild, funny and entertaining, concert-goers always have an unforgettable and fun experience dancing away to their electronic hits.

2. They support LGBTQ community

Zaena x Jason Maek have lent their support to the LGBTQ community by making appearances at multiple pride events, such as Milwaukee Pride Music Festival, Fusion Night Lights and Chicago Pride Music Festival.

3. The fashion industry loves them   

Not only do they have musical talent, but these two have amazing personal style, as displayed on their Instagrams. They are in demand in the fashion world and have performed at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

4. They're already breaking records          

Zaena x Jason Maek created “Maek Pandamonium," which is the first visual album to exist in the history of electronic music. It has been streamed over 400,000 times and has been on MTV.

5. They’ve opened for music moguls

While Zaena x Jason Maek are still trying to make a name for themselves, they’ve already gotten their feet in the door by opening for some crazy successful artists. This duo has rubbed shoulders with some prominent figures in the music industry, including Kesha, Alesso, Lupe Fiasco and Kygo.

6. Jason loves to motivate his fans

No one is more inspirational than Jason, who fills his Twitter with motivational quotes and hashtags, such as #StartUpSunday and #TuesdayTips. He encourages his fans to never stop hustling and working towards their goals in life.

Follow Zaena x Jason Maek on Instagram (@zaenaworld) and (@JasonMaek) to see what they're up to, and make sure to grab your free tickets to the Freshman Tour by selecting your college campus on their website.

I’ve been a devoted Riverdale fan since day one. I truly love this show. But sometimes, I also hate it. Sometimes I find it utterly ridiculous. Sometimes it has me screaming at my TV. Sometimes it just leaves me saying... what? And let’s just say that the season three premiere had me doing all of the above and more. Here are 44 thoughts I had during Riverdale's new season premiere.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!  

1. How are these people only juniors in high school?!?!?!?

2. Why is Archie wearing a bow tie in court? He looks like a waiter!

3. This recap of all of Archie’s good deeds is a great recap of everything I forgot happened on this show.

4. Isn’t it a conflict of interest for Archie’s mom to represent him in court?

5. Betty and Veronica are killing the fashion game—is this a courtroom or a catwalk?

6. “Archiekins?” Have the writers on this show ever heard two humans speak to one another?

7. I am totally here for Choni—this is my new ship name for Toni and Cheryl.

8. I’m 100% sure this “farm” that Polly and Alice are in to is a cult.

9. I’m pretty confident that Sweet Pea and Jughead are the same person. 

10. Fixing a car, getting a tat…Archie’s pre-prison bucket list sure is…interesting? 

11. I love that FP wears his spectacles while giving tattoos. 

12. How does Cheryl walk around the pool in sky-high heels without falling? I want her to teach me her ways.

13. Well, Josie and Sweet Pea are the surprise couple of the summer. 

14. Go for it Kevin! Make Moose yours!

15. Of course Veronica would be the one to coerce the jury to make sure Archie wins.

16. “The Ghoulies have Hot Dog”…is a sentence I never thought I would hear.

17. I’m loving the swimwear present at the “Get Hot Dog Back” meeting

18. I don’t care for this new sheriff. Bring back Sheriff Keller!

19. Remind me to never cross Veronica Lodge!

20. Please Lord, let the Lodge women team up to take down Hiram Lodge. 

21. Where can I get a Southside Serpents jacket?  

22. How did Cheryl bring her bow and arrow to this rescue mission?

23. @Archie’s dream—this is hella confusing. 

24. Side bar: The Hate U Give featurette—I always forget that KJ Apa is Australian. 

25. When did FP become the best advice giver on this show?

26. IS BETTY DEALING DRUGS?

27. OR IS ALICE MAKING HER THINK SHE IS CRAZY?

28. A 5 Seconds of Summer song, a vintage car and a shirtless Archie…I’m weirdly into this.

29. I was really concerned that Archie and Jug were going to go swimming in their jeans.

30. Archie can’t skip town and he can’t go to prison. I can’t handle this.

31. Are Betty/Jughead and Archie/Veronica all hooking up around the fire at the same time…

32. Ok. They aren’t. 

33. What is the Gargoyle King? Is this the Black Hood of season three?

34. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ARCHIE? WHY ARE YOU GOING TO JUVIE?

35. THIS SONG AND SLO MO WHEN ARCHIE IS GOING TO JUVIE IS SO EXTRA AND I’M LOVING IT

36. “You don’t have a daughter anymore.”—Veronica Lodge. Damn girl, that’s cold.

37. OMG Did the Gargoyle King take Dilton?

38. Is this a Serpent Thing?

39. Wait…what if Jughead is really behind the Gargoyle King and everything that happens on this show is his doing and his narration of the show is his prison confessional?

40. Because honestly, I don’t believe Archie did anything.

41. Is this ritual thing/scary mask a Sabrina crossover?

42. Are they bringing the babies into a coven?

43. Floating babies…this got really weird. 

44. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO BETTY?!?!?!?!!?!?!?

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW. 

With her Southern accent, unique vintage style, and seemingly endless lists of current projects, Haley Ramm is one to watch. She’s been acting since she was young, mostly in small roles on TV (you might remember her as Missy on iCarly) and film, but she’s most well-known for her role as Brenna in Chasing Life. This year though, it seems that Haley’s work is premiering all at once, including Banana Split, Seven in Heaven, Pimp and Light as a Feather.

Haley stars alongside four other stunning up-and-coming actress (all famous in their own right) in Hulu’s newest horror-thriller, Light as a Feather, about a seemingly innocent sleepover game that goes horribly wrong. She talked to Her Campus about the importance of having strong female leading characters, how she got into acting, and her own experiences with the supernatural.

Her Campus: Your new show Light as a Feather honestly looks terrifying. What drew you to this project? Are you a horror genre lover?

Haley Ramm: I actually am a horror movie fan, but that started later in life. You could not get me to watch a horror movie when I was little. I think my cousins showed me I Know What You Did Last Summer when I was about 8, and it took me a long time to forgive them for that. So, what really drew me to [Light as a Feather] was the fact that Liana Liberato was already cast. We were hanging out with some girlfriends a few days before I went in to audition and we were just all catching up and she was talking about a new project. I was like, “Oh, that’s so great. I’m so happy for her.” And then I get home and I check my email and I have an appointment for the project. I was just like, “Okay, done. I really want to get this.” But you don’t want to get your hopes up too high because not a lot of things work out in this business. But luckily, I got to chemistry read with her and I would have been worried if we didn't have chemistry. So it all worked out, and I’m very glad because I think horror is one of my favorite genres.

HC: Where there ever any scenes on set that actually scared you to film?

HR: The thing on set that really scared me was the prosthetic work because it was just so realistic. I have a scene in the first episode where I’m hallucinating and I think that something's happening to my face and it’s not. But the amount of time that I was in the prosthetic chair was probably the scariest of all of it. It was like two hours to get it on, two hours to take it off.

Other than that, we filmed in this house off of a street called Mariposa, which means butterfly in Spanish. And that’s a huge theme throughout the show: butterflies and a chrysalis. I thought that that was kind of an eerie fact that was happening, and so many horror films have been filmed in this house. There was just a noose hanging upstairs. It was clearly from filming, but I don’t care if it’s a prop, it’s still freaky.

HC: You were talking before about how you knew Liana before being cast in Light as a Feather, and some of your other cast mates have talked about how close you all became on set. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like working with a cast that got along so well?

HR: It’s always nerve-wracking going in to meet new people, especially when everybody is around the same age. But everybody got along so incredibly well that it’s almost surprising. I was a little bit nervous going into it because you never know with five girls. But everyone was so supportive of each other from the beginning and I remember the first night that we were all together in the cemetery and just looking around and thinking, “Wow this is going to be so much fun. We got so lucky. There’s nobody here who’s causing a problem.” So, it was a great time. When people weren’t on set we would miss each other, we would buy each other coffees and take turns doing coffee runs when somebody had a break. So yeah, we were very much there for each other.

HC: So, you're all hoping for a season two so you can be back together?

HR: Definitely! I know we didn’t really know going into it—we thought that it might be just a one-off—but the further we got into it, and the more we read towards the end, the more we really, really wanted to do a second season. I can just think of a million possibilities where it will go. I’m so curious what our writer R. Lee [Fleming] is thinking right now.

HC: Have you ever had any supernatural experiences or ghostly encounters like the characters do in the show?

HR: I thought that I had one, but I don’t know. When I was younger I was going into my acting coach's backyard, and she was also a family friend so I just let myself in. I peeked around back and I saw a girl sitting in a white dress, and I just thought, “Oh she has a client, I’ll just hang out in the front and come back.” I come back and there’s nobody there, and I asked her, “Where is the girl that was waiting?” She said, “There’s been nobody waiting.” And she lives in the middle of Hollywood, like close to the cemetery, and it’s a very historical area, like I don’t even know what’s happened around there. So I don’t know, I believe anything could happen. It could have just been my eyes playing tricks on me, too. But, I definitely believe for sure.

One time I was talking about my grandma after she passed away—I was kind of telling a story that maybe she wouldn’t have liked—and a picture of her fell. She was like, “Stop talking about me.”

HC: You’ve been working on some other really interesting projects, like Pimp with Keke Palmer and Banana Split with Liana Liberato, which seem pretty different from one another and very different from Light as a Feather. What drew you to these?

HR: Banana Split, our friend Hannah [Marks] wrote, produced and starred in as well. I received an audition for it and I knew it was her project because I had been reading her script, I think, for the past five years. We had all just been a part of the process with her, mainly hearing about what was going on and getting updates. So when I got the audition I was like, “Wait, is this your project?” And she was like, “That’s hysterical that you’re auditioning. Just do it.” And I did, and it’s so nice auditioning for a friend because you completely forget all of your inhibitions. You’re not nervous at all. I think that in my slate [before the audition tape begins] I said, “I love Hannah Marks,” my bra size and that I love hot Cheetos. It was so not professional, but it was fun. The fact that she gave me that opportunity, because it’s a character that I don’t think I would ever walk into a casting room and be cast as or seen as—but her being my friend, she could see that I could be silly in that way.

For Pimp, I got that audition and my first thought honestly was, “I just need to impress my new agent.” And then the longer I worked on it, the more I loved it and really saw her as a character that I’ve never seen come across. I feel like the characters in Pimp would be the side characters in a movie that you don’t really get to hear about because nobody really cares, in a way. Or the scripts aren’t written in a way for you to care about them. This was shining a light on them in a new way. These two females in the Bronx are very much in love and they have their own love story going on, but they need to survive and they need to make money but the only way they know how is to hit the streets. Really understanding that psyche was really fascinating, that that was their only choice. And no matter what they were doing, even though it was prostitution, that was success to them, and that they were succeeding together. So I really liked the strong female aspect, and Keke is just so incredible. I look up to that woman so much. She walks on the set and it’s like she’s preaching to you and giving you life advice, and you’re like, “Please keep it coming. Don’t stop talking.” And then you get to do scenes with her and you feel so enlightened and connected. She’s just a really fabulous person.

HC: That sounds like such an awesome environment to be a part of.

HR: Yeah, really. That was my first time working with an actress my age on such an intense project where we were both showing up to take it so seriously, so I really appreciated her.

HC: You started acting at a pretty young age—was acting something you just kind of fell into, or did you always know you wanted to pursue it?

HR: It’s kind of both. I always knew that I wanted to do it, it was always in me. But, I kind of fell into it in the way that my dad found an acting class for me. I would just be dancing around my house, having fun and filming myself with my brother. My brother was always into sports, and I honestly think my parents were like, “We gotta give her something to do. She needs an outlet.” So they signed me up for an acting class. You know, when you’re little and in an acting class you’re just playing make believe. The older I got I realized that it was something I did like to do, and I had an agent in Dallas that told my parents that if I wanted to really pursue this and give it a shot then we should go to California for a couple months to try it out. My parents were great enough to believe in me and give it a shot, and we just kind of ended up staying out here. But, it’s always been a huge passion of mine.

But throughout the years as you get older it’s a love-hate relationship. The reason you stay in it is because you love it so much. There’s no other reason to do it because it can be so hard.

HC: Do you have any advice for aspiring actresses in regards to how difficult the industry is, how to navigate it, how to pursue their dream?

HR: My best advice would be to always stand up for yourself. Know what you want and don’t let other people get to you too much. At the end of the day, the business isn’t everything and it can’t be your everything. You gotta go home and have good friends to go to, or a dog, and chill out. Or another hobby. My best advice would definitely be having a second hobby to keep you sane.

HC: You’ve talked about your love for vintage clothing in the past, and your personal style is pretty cool. Is that kind of a hobby or an escape for you?

HR: Oh, thank you! It is actually. My boyfriend and I just got a van that we renovated and I want to start selling vintage out of it on my off-time. I think it’s so helpful to have something else to do. I think it’ll be fun. I’ve always wanted to have some sort of a store anyway, but I’m not that committed to have a real store, so I think I’ll just use the van.

We’ll go to flea markets and festivals. I have some friends that really like thrifting and selling vintage as well. We both kind of have vintage stores in our closet that we just need to put out there into the world. I really like seeing people pick something out that’s old and maybe you don’t know the story, but I know the story of how I got it, but I don’t know the story before me. I think that’s my favorite part about it.

HC: So aside from the van, are there any other upcoming projects you’re working on or anything we should be looking forward to seeing you in?

HR: Actually I have a movie called Seven in Heaven coming out around Halloween, but I don’t know the exact date or where yet. It’s funny because I have been doing all these projects for the past two years, and it’s so funny to me that they’re all coming out at the same time. It’s comical, but it’s fun.

Light as a Feather premieres on Hulu Friday, October 12!

In her upcoming memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, Busy Philipps describes her former co-star, James Franco, as a “fucking bully” and reveals that he assaulted her while filming a scene for the 1999 TV cult classic, Freaks and Greeks. 

Philipps had been instructed to lightly hit Franco in the chest while delivering a line. However, when she did, Franco immediately broke character and screamed at Philipps. “He grabbed both my arms and screamed in my face, ‘DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!’” She continued, “And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me.” 

Although Philipps chose not to report the attack to her manager, Franco was forced to apologize the next day by the show’s producers and directors. He then continued to work without consequence, she noted in the revealing excerpt obtained by Yahoo Entertainment. 

This is not the first time Franco has been called out for this type of behavior. Earlier this year, many women accused Franco of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior, according to Vulture.

Philipps tell-all memoir hits shelves on October 16.

Washington state’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled the death penalty unconstitutional on Thursday, HuffPost reports.

The decision comes on the 16th World Day Against the Death Penalty, organized by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty. The group’s website says it “aims at raising awareness on the inhumane living conditions of people sentenced to death.”

The court, which declared capital punishment “arbitrary and racially biased,” was prompted by one of the inmates currently on death row, Allen Eugene Gregory. NPR reports that Gregory was found guilty of murder in 1996, but he argued that the death penalty is “unequally applied” in Washington.

Gregory commissioned a study that found “black defendants were four and a half times more likely to be sentenced to death than similarly situated white defendants,” NPR adds.

This inequality is corroborated by a 2014 study by University of Washington professor Katherine Beckett, which found that black defendants in Washington state were three times likelier to be sentenced to death than their white counterparts.

The Death Penalty Information Center adds that 76% of murder victims in cases that result in the death penalty are white, despite the fact that only 50% of murder victims nationally are white.

Washington is now the 20th state to abolish the death penalty, while three other states have governor-imposed moratoria on the punishment.

The decision is, of course, controversial. In June of this year, the Pew Research Center reported that 54 percent of people surveyed supported the death penalty, up from a four-decade low of 49 percent in 2016. 39 percent of respondents in the 2018 survey were opposed.

The Center adds that capital punishment remains a strongly partisan issue, with 77 percent of Republicans in support of it, compared to only 35 percent of Democrats. Until this shifts from a political, “us versus them” issue to one of humanity and empathy, the 30 states that have yet to outlaw the practice may find themselves in impossible stalemates.

It can be difficult to eat healthy in college. Although cooking has the potential to be fun and easy, sometimes, between classes, clubs, student orgs and that all-important social life, it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day! Luckily, there are several food subscription boxes that can do the work for you. They send healthy foods right to your door so all you have to do is start snackin’ to feel the benefits of a nutritious diet. Here are some of the best food subscription boxes out there for college students!

1. Love With Food (Starts at $7.99/month)

Love With Food sends you a box of all-natural, organic or gluten-free snacks every month. There are three different options you can choose from depending on your price range, the number and the kinds of snacks you want.

The Tasting Box is $7.99/month, and according to the Love With Food website, includes “7+ new and surprise snacks each month,” while the Deluxe Box is $16.99/month, and has 15+ snacks. There’s also a Gluten-Free Box for $19.99/month, which includes 10+ — you guessed it — gluten-free snacks each month. The snacks are all typically things you can’t just find in the grocery store, like gluten-free muffin mix, green tea latte flavored candy and pasta made from chickpeas!

Rachna, a freshman at Dartmouth College, has a friend that orders one of the boxes. “She orders the Tasting Box, which gives her seven snacks a month that are organic, without trans fats or hydrogenated oils, without artificial flavoring and coloring.” Also, for each month that you’re a member, and for each purchase that you make, Love With Food donates one meal to hungry children. You get healthy, yummy snacks, and you get to make a difference! It’s a win-win.

2. Freshly ($49.99/week)

Freshly is a great option if you have your own kitchen but find yourself too busy to cook healthy meals. (Has anyone else gotten into the habit of coming home after a long day and pouring yourself a bowl of Cheerios for dinner?)  

Freshly has over 30 meal options, which are all gluten-free, and each week you select the ones that you want sent to you. They’re all cooked by professional chefs, so you know that they taste delicious. Plus, none of the meals have any refined sugar, gluten or artificial ingredients (which is great because artificial sweeteners can sabotage weight loss). It’s super easy! They send you meals big enough for one adult, and you just have to heat them up – they’re ready in under three minutes. Some of their “top rated” meals are buffalo chicken breast, veggie baked penne and chicken and rice pilaf. Definitely a level up from Cheerios and ramen!

Related: The Only Dorm Grocery List You'll Ever Need

3. Urthbox (Starts at $19.99/month)

Urthbox is another awesome choice for all of you snackers.  Basically, you choose what size box you want (from Mini, which is $19.99 per month for 6+ snacks, all the way up to Large, which is $49.99 per month for 25+ snacks.)  

You also choose which kind of box you want, with options like the Classic (“healthy snacks” according to Urthbox), Gluten-Free, Vegan or Diet (“calorie/fat/carb conscious”). Regardless of which box you pick, all of their snacks are organic, non-GMO and all-natural. Depending on which kind of box you select, the products can range from juices to dried meats to snack bars.

Urthbox is a great option because the choice in boxes allows you to have more say in the energy sources you want. Sarah Ball, a MPH and RD who works in the University of Michigan School of Public Health, says that “Snacks (and meals) should ideally contain a mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fat. This will provide ample energy and will stabilize blood sugar levels so that you don’t experience the blood sugar roller coaster as you might with a snack containing lots of sugar or refined carbohydrates.”

4. VeganCuts ($22.95/month)

With the popularity of documentaries like What the Health, lots of people are making the decision to go vegan. VeganCuts makes it way easier to do that! For $22.95 per month, you’ll get ten or more treats, which includes lots of fun snacks that might be hard to find as a vegan, like “vegan eggs” and peanut butter cups. They have full-sized and sample-sized snacks, ranging from chips and cookies to sodas and teas. And the longer you subscribe, the better the deals: a six-month subscription is $20/month, while a one-year subscription is only $18.50/month!

5. Graze ($13.99/week)

Graze is another popular food subscription box, and it chooses snacks based on your personal preferences. You get eight snacks per week, and each snack has a specific health benefit. Their snacks include “cinnamon pretzels” and “summer berry flapjacks” – definitely not stuff you can find in your school dining hall. And you’ll never get the same combination of snacks twice! Graze’s website says that “we have developed a range of over 100 delicious snacks and designed an intelligent algorithm, that we call DaRWIN, to customize each and every box specially for you.”

Emily, a third year student at the University of Nottingham, says, “I've subscribed to Graze for a few years now, on and off, because it's a great way to get healthy snacks that are perfectly portioned for you already when you're on the go. It also feels like a treat to yourself when it comes through the letterbox!”  

Graze is definitely worth a try, especially since you can get the first box half-priced!

6. Naturebox ($5/month)

Naturebox is different than the other food subscription boxes because instead of paying a flat rate for a box each month, you pay $5 for a membership, then choose which food items you want in your box, and pay for each of the food items at a special membership rate.

The membership also gets you free shipping for as many snacks as you want. Naturebox has categories like “popcorn and pretzels, pantry staples, cookies & bars,” and more. They also have the option to buy in bulk to stock up those bare college-student cupboards! Naturebox is a great option if you want to choose which snacks you’ll receive and don’t have the time or transportation to go shopping. Plus, if you don’t like a snack, just let them know within ninety days and they’ll give you store credit for the price of that snack.

Clearly, eating healthy in college isn’t as hard as you thought it was going to be! Of course, as Sarah Ball notes, the healthiest option is usually food you prepare yourself, such as “deli turkey wrapped around guacamole and some spinach; apple slices with nut butter; trail mix with nuts/seeds, dried fruit and oats; cheese on whole grain crackers; hummus with veggie sticks.” But if it’s between ramen noodles for every meal and subscribing to one of these boxes, these boxes win every time.

You might recognize Ajiona Alexus from her role as Sherri Holland on Netflix's hit 13 Reasons Why, but she’s got a lot more going on these days. Most recently she was in Tyler Perry’s Acrimony and Breaking In with Gabrielle Union, both movies with strong female leads—something that Ajiona says she’s extremely passionate about. Even more exciting, though, is her upcoming role in Light as a Feather, premiering on Hulu on October 12.

Following the insidious aftermath of a sleepover game gone wrong, the show isn’t for the faint of heart. Ajiona sat down with Her Campus to talk about her love for horror movies and all things “weird and creepy,” the importance of celebrating who you are and following your vision, and her goals for the future.

HC: Your new show on Hulu is called Light as a Feather and I have to say, the trailer is absolutely terrifying. What drew you to this project and what was it liking filming something like that?

Ajiona Alexus: I’m such a weirdo because I love weird and creepy things. But I was so excited about this show because it had five strong female lead characters of all different races that are carrying the full show.

HC: You said you like things that are creepy and weird, so assuming you're a fan of horror movies?

AA: I’m a big fan. I’m such a weird person actually, I love diversity. I love everything from American Horror Story to Rick and Morty to Spongebob, so I’m just so happy that I’ve been able to do a different variety of projects right now in my career.

HC: Was there ever a moment where on set you were actually scared, or a scene that was terrifying for you to shoot?

AA: Yes, actually there was. The scene were we play the game Light as a Feather, we actually went to a real life graveyard. So we were filming in a real graveyard late at night doing crazy chants and spells and I was just like, “Well...this is a little weird.”

HC: Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had any supernatural encounters?

AA: I absolutely, 100 percent, believe in ghosts. I try to keep all the bad spirits out of my life. But I definitely believe in ghosts.

HC: Back in June you did an interview with Essence magazine where you talked about your relationship with Gabrielle Union. You talked about how she taught you to create opportunities for yourself, not to limit yourself in your career and not to “wait until you’re older” to do something you want to do. Are there any goals that you’re working towards right now?

AA: I think just in general doing what I want to do and doing it at a high level—as far as doing music as well, and being able to be multi-talented and being able to do all these things is what I’m interested in right now. Breaking into the fashion world more, and just celebrating all of my real talents at such a high level.

HC: Do you have any other actors or actresses you’d love to work with?

AA: I definitely love Zoe Saldana—she’s amazing. Angelina Jolie and Rachel McAdams, I would definitely love to work with. And Cameron Diaz as well.

HC: So aside from acting, you’re also a singer. You used to post a lot of covers on YouTube and just recently you released the lyric video for your song “Baggage.” Are you working on anything new now?

AA: Yeah! I have a full project coming, it’s going to be a little of the “Baggage” style for sure. I’m so happy for people to see a full project that I’ve been working on, I think they'll really enjoy it.

HC: Has music always been something you’ve wanted to pursue, or is it more of a new interest?

AA: No, actually I grew up around a family of musicians and singers so something we’d always do when we got together was sing—and we still do it to this day. So music has always been something very dear to my heart ever since I was young. At six years old I would try to write music, and I’ve just gotten better and grown over the years.

HC: So it must feel amazing to finally reach that goal of releasing an album.

AA: Absolutely.

HC: You said before that you really want to break into the fashion industry, can you talk a little bit about that?

AA: Yeah, for sure. I feel like, with clothes, everything you do is an expression of you. So I always feel like everyone has something different to bring into the world and different industries. That’s why I’m someone who loves to celebrate doing all of those things and everything that represents you, and doing it at a high level—because everything is art. To me, fashion is art, what I do is art and music is an art as well.

HC: In what aspect do you want to get into fashion? Do you want to design?

AA: I definitely want to get onto the business side for sure, as far as having my own line and being invested in the creative sides of things.

HC: How would you describe your personal style?

AA: I’m a very big tomboy. I grew up playing basketball so I’ve always been really rough. I’m not a “wear heels and put on this tight dress” person, I’m more into baggy pants with some zippers on it, some chains, but then a sexy top—something to balance it out. And possibly with heels. I love the tomboy/sexy/swag all in one.

HC: What advice do you have for someone that has a lot of different passions, like you?

AA: I think my best advice would be to always have a clear vision of what you want to do. When you have a clear vision of it that’s when you can execute the plan better. And not only that, but get real people around you that really support your vision and understand you, and aren’t trying to misguide you or steer you in a different direction because they don’t think [your dream] is possible. It’s always [about] being secure in who you are, your ideas and what you’ve got planned. And if someone can’t get with it, let ‘em go.

Make sure to catch the premiere of Light as a Feather on Hulu October 12!

You heard it here: Vogue has announced the theme for the 2019 Met Gala and people are buzzing! From iconic hosts to an unconventional yet totally exciting theme, next year's gala is set to be so extraordinary we can hardly wait.

The Theme

It’s out with the old and in with the….camp?

As tradition would have it, the theme for the exhibition is appropriately the theme of the Gala itself and guests are expected to dress accordingly. Next year’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme is inspired by writer-activist Susan Sontag’s profound 1964 essay titled "Notes on Camp". While most of you are probably envisioning fireside s'mores and tents under the night sky, this "camp" is described by Sontag as being "a certain mode of aestheticism" and having an essence of "love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration". In other words, "camp" is a way of looking at things and realizing they aren't what they are initially perceived to be, a blend of art and pop culture. We're definitely going to have to leave it up to the celebs and their stylists to make the idea of "camp" uber-clear!

The Hosts

Professional tennis player Serena Williams, former One Direction member Harry Styles, and the one and only Lady Gaga are set to host the 2019 Met Gala and we. are. pumped. These iconic three have been making waves recently with Serena dressing outside the norms of tennis matches and launching her own fashion line, Harry being the face of Gucci Men's Tailoring Campaign, and Lady Gaga being, well, Lady Gaga. 

According to Vogue's announcement, the gala will take place on May 6 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, preceding the exhibition which will run from May 9 - Sept. 8, 2019. Until then, we'll be reliving last year's Heavenly Bodies themed gala and try to contain our excitement.

Related: 9 Makeup Looks from the Met Gala that We're Definitely Going to Copy