After scoring 270 electoral votes, Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States. He will be the first U.S. president in history with no previous government or military experience.
It was a shocking upset for Trump, after polls had predicted for weeks that Hillary Clinton would win by a large margin. Trump won states that were widely assumed to be voting for Clinton, such as Wisconsin.
More than anything, Trump’s win depended on white voters. While The Los Angeles Times reports that the candidates were tied among college-educated white voters, Trump won white voters without a college degree by a large margin over Clinton. He won white voters overall by 20 points, according to The Washington Post.
John Podesta told Clinton supporters that the candidate will not be giving a speech until later Wednesday morning. Clinton did call Trump early Wednesday morning to concede the race.
Republicans kept the majority in the Senate on Tuesday, and more than one Supreme Court seat is expected to open during the next presidential term, meaning that Trump will likely control all three branches of government as president.
Let me be clear. I am not a girl who believes the world should fall at her feet. Quite the opposite. In fact, there's not a lot I expect to go my way. But as a resilient person by nature, I tend to pull a Mase and breathe, stretch, shake and let it go. A test didn't go my way, fine. A speech, whatever. My bank account, *shrug*. But what happened on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 is not something I can let go. Not because I'm disappointed. But because I am deeply and irrevocably terrified of what happens next.
I'm not afraid because the candidate who won is conservative and I am not. It's deeper than that. In a nutshell, it's because my very way of being is threatened by a president like the one who was elected last night.
I have always been well aware that my family was an immigrant one. My family mixed their culture with America, forging our own traditions, combining both cultures to create the person who writes this right now. I am very proud to be a first generation American. I followed in my mother's footsteps to have friends of many races and backgrounds, many just like me. Some are refugees, some are first generation children, and all have parents just looking for a better life, working hard for their piece of the American Dream. That was the America I was proud of, the America I knew to be strong and great. After all, isn't the United States a country literally built on immigration? But last night, this idealized America was flipped on its head by a man whose platform ran on xenophobia and racist lies.
I am not saying living in America has been easy for me as of late. My blackness has been under attack in a way I never thought possible. First came the Trayvon Martin verdict. Then, the screams of Ferguson. Of Baltimore. New York. Milwaukee. I remember being afraid to let my brother leave the house, lest he become a hashtag. Then I was afraid for my mother. For a while, I was afraid to go to church. I remember speaking to Bridget Anderson, the girlfriend of Anthony Hill, and choking back tears. Death for black people was far too close, and I developed a deep fear for myself and others. What would happen to me? My friends? My sisters? My brother? Were we all doomed to die at the hands of volatile police officers? I really hoped then we would at least elect a candidate who would ease the turmoil and pain. Someone who would cut through and see the effect of this trauma. Instead, we got a man who is endorsed by David Duke and the KKK. Someone who has called our protests "disgusting" and instead implied that innocent black boys were guilty of a crime they did not commit, just because he thought so. I guess I could give up on that dream.
You know what also scares me? The fact that I am a woman and a sexual assault victim. Electing a man who has been accused of the same things I was subjected to is not only hurtful to me, it makes me feel as helpless as I did when it happened. To legitimately have a man who said such vulgar things as "Grab her by the pussy" take the highest office in our land makes me feel sick to my stomach. What does that tell the man that assaulted me? That this is okay and he'll be fine?
What can you tell me at this point? What do you tell the child who remembers being pulled out of her second grade class in the Bronx that September Tuesday fifteen years ago? That a man who doesn't know the first thing about politics will lead the country for the next four years? What do you tell me, the child of an immigrant, of the inner city with immigrant and LGBT friends? That men who seek to tear them down and silence them have been elected to office? What do I tell the children I taught, whose parents were looking for better lives in the United States? That America is just a vestige of what they thought it was? What do I tell myself about dealing with the anxiety and pain that tomorrow will surely bring?
This is the trauma attached to my being following this election. It was just exacerbated over and over and over by each state that could care less about my life, my fears or progress in general. The United States of America now has a president who has run and won on xenophobia, racism, unpredictability, debt, sexual assault and division. Someone who promised to "make America great again" by restoring the old ways of white supremacy. This election has done more than shake my faith in America. It has terrified me to my core. All the things that make me an American are essentially under attack the moment this man is sworn in, all because of fear of people like me.
America is supposed to be built on progress, on freedom, on liberty and justice. If this is how progress works in America, I don't want it. I do not want progress that goes two steps forward, three steps back. That is not progress. It's stagnation and false promises. If my freedom comes with limits, it is not freedom. It is not what America has come to mean for so many of us. It is a doomsday.
Well, God bless America. It seems we need all we can get.
Wednesday morning, we woke up in an America where Donald Trump is president. And that meant Hillary Clinton had to give a concession speech—likely one of the hardest speeches she’s ever had to give.
Tim Kaine spoke before Clinton took the stage at 11:40 a.m. Eastern Wednesday morning in New York, to huge applause.
Clinton started off her speech with thanks: “Thank you so much, and I love you all too!”
She said when she called Trump on Tuesday night to concede the election, she offered to work with him during the upcoming presidency.
“Being your candidate has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” she told supporters. “This is painful, and it will be for a long time. But our campaign was never about one person or even one election.”
She said that while the election has shown the U.S. is more divided than most of us even expected, we need to continue working toward a more inclusive, hopeful America. And she encouraged supporters to accept the result.
“Donald Trump is going to be our president,” she said. “We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.”
She thanked President Obama for his eight years of service, her family for supporting her, the volunteers, activists and employees who made her campaign run, and everyone who donated to the campaign.
Then she spoke directly to young men and women: “To the young people in particular, I hope you will hear this. I have spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I’ve had setbacks, sometimes very painful ones. You are at the beginning of your professional careers. You will have successes and setbacks too. This loss hurts. But please, never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”
She finished by encouraging young women to believe that they are powerful, and said Americans to continue to have faith in each other and their values.
In my 20 years on this Earth, I have never had an experience where even my worst nightmares are better than reality. At least that was until I woke up this morning to the news that Donald J. Trump is the next President of the United States.
While you’re probably wondering why I saw the news this morning and not last night, it’s because I could not bear to watch the country that I have grown up in, slip down a deadly slope. As the red electoral votes went slowly up, my hope went down. And I had great hope. I hoped that the polls would be wrong. I hoped that the angry white men that I walk past every day on my way to class were “all talk.” I hoped that this was just a dream and that I would wake up today and proudly shout that I live in a country with a Madame President.
I was wrong.
As I showered and brushed my teeth, tears continuously flowing, there was one question going through my mind: "How did this happen?"
While you can lecture me and tell me it happened because “X amount of people voted” etc, that is not what I mean. I want to know how we got to the point where women, minorities and LGBTQ+ people are no longer important to this country. How did we get to the point where a man with a pending rape trial can become the most powerful man in the world?
How did we get here? How can I accept that this is the path America is going to take?
Well, I can’t. I cannot accept that the person in charge of the “free world” leads a platform for racism, sexism, bigotry, and hate. I cannot accept that there are so many people in this country who would choose anger over love. I cannot accept that the most qualified woman in the world to be President of the United States lost to a man with zero qualifications.
Now, as a woman in this country, and a Jewish woman at that, I am terrified of what is to come. Before the election I would walk home alone at night fearful for my life, and now, I have even more reason to be. I do not feel safe in my own country, the one that I have supported and fought for, and that is why I cannot accept that we will have a President Trump.
In the midst of the frenzy surrounding Donald Trump's presidential win, women should still be celebrating some results of the election. While many are shocked that they did not wake up to the election of the first female president today, many minority women were appointed to the Senate.
On Tuesday, Nevada elected the country's first Latina Senator, Catherine Cortez Masto (D). Cortez Masto, who previously served as an attorney general in Nevada, defeated Representative Joe Heck and will take the place of Senator Harry Reid, according to The New York Times.
In addition, two Asian American women—Tammy Duckworth (D) of Illinois, and California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D)—will take their places in the Senate in January next to Senator Mazie Hirono (D), the first Asian-American woman to become Senator. Duckworth will not only be the first Thai-American Senator, but also the first female veteran in the Senate, while Harris will be the first Indian-American.
Minnesota also elected the nation's first Somali-American Muslim woman, Ilhan Omar, to a state legislature. "It is the land of liberty and justice for all, but we have to work for it," Omar told The Washington Post. "Our democracy is great, but it is fragile. It's come through a lot of progress, and we need to continue that progress to make it actually 'justice for all.'" These are words to live by in the aftermath of Clinton's defeat.
Finally, the first openly LGBTQ+ governor, Kate Brown (D), was elected in Oregon. Brown and the other minority women who were elected on Tuesday represent hope for the many American women who feel alienated by Trump's victory. They serve as a much-needed reminder that women can do anything they set their minds to.
Though our four years in college are supposed to help us cultivate our time management skills, we somehow still manage to find ways to squander our time every day—only now, we’ve gotten more creative in how we do it. If you’re looking to put off that 10-page paper for a couple more hours (or a couple more days…), here are just a few of the best ways to temporarily avoid that tedious assignment.
50. Practice your autograph for when you become famous.
49. Pretend the floor in your room is hot lava.
48. Teach yourself how to blow a bubble with bubble gum.
47. Go onto Google Earth and decide where you’re going to build your future home.
46. Write a haiku about something you’d like to further explore, such as the moment you lost your innocence or the mysterious smell lingering in the hallway outside your dorm room.
45. Try to see how long you can hold your breath.
44. Look at old pictures from when you studied abroad last semester and cry.
43. Order 40 Hawaiian pizzas from the pizza shop down the street and have them delivered to your cheater ex or that philosophy professor who didn’t appreciate your paper on “Why Plato is Pointless.”
42. Watch a YouTube beauty tutorial on how to create perfect barrel curls (and accidently burn off a small section of your hair in the process).
41. Facebook stalk people you haven’t spoken to since high school to find out who gained weight.
40. Attempt to figure out how many licks it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
39. Paint all your fingernails a different color, and then remove all the polish after deciding it looks stupid.
38. Make a list of all the books you’ve always wanted to read (then decide you don’t have time to actually read any of them).
37. Open up the Wikipedia site and search the most random thing you can think of, such as toast, glue or King Louis XIV. Keep clicking on different links within each article until you can’t remember what you began your search with in the first place.
36. Try to initiate a texting conversation with someone solely through emojis.
34. Stare out your window and wait until you see something interesting happen, like a secret romantic tryst or someone tripping over his or her shoelace.
33. Search real estate websites for apartments you will more than likely never be able to afford on the Upper East Side in New York City.
32. Put something random of yours for sale on eBay, such as the single red pump that you can’t find the match to or your Hello Kitty pencil sharpener.
31. Sort all the clothes hanging in your closet by color.
17. Stalk the Instagram account of the most obscure celebrities you can think of, such as former contestants on the Real World/Road Rules Challenge or anyone who has ever starred on a short-lived Bravo television show.
16. Photoshop the faces of you and your friends onto various people’s bodies, such as the Spice Girls or the members of One Direction.
11. Send an inbox message on Facebook to your best friend from the first grade, updating her on what you’ve been up to for the past 12 or so years.
10. Watch a YouTube video tutorial on how to twerk.
9. Try applying your makeup with your eyes closed.
8. Write a letter to your future self asking important questions, such as if you’ll end up with a fulfilled life and if the spring concert will be any good this year.
7. Binge watch several episodes of your favorite childhood cartoon show.
6. Take several unflattering Snapchats of yourself bleaching your upper lip or appearing to have seven chins and send them to all of your friends (and then freak out when you accidently send one to your crush).
Donald Trump's win in the 2016 presidential election may not feel like a win for women, but his campaign was the first to be successful with a female leader, according to The Week.
Kellyanne Conway became the first woman to ever run a Republican presidential campaign when she took the position in August, according to Cosmopolitan, but now she broke even more new ground by actually winning.
Conway, 49, is an expert in advising politicians on how to appeal to female voters, according to Cosmo. A magna cum laude graduate of Trinity College in D.C., and a law graduate of George Washington University, Conway is well-educated in politics.
It's only appropriate that a woman who broke a significant glass ceiling in this election was raised by women. Conway's parents divorced when she was 3 years old. "I grew up in a house with my mom and her mom, and two of my mother's unmarried sisters. So four Italian Catholic women raised me," she told Newsmax.
Conway was initially hesitant to join Trump's campaign, Bustle reports, but after working for a Ted Cruz Super PAC until he lost in the primaries, she decided to get behind the nominee. She originally met Trump in 2006 when she served on the board of one of his condos.
That this campaign went the way it did with Conway in charge was no coincidence—there's a line of success that can be drawn from when Conway joined the campaign to Trump's historic upset Tuesday night. Bustle reports that it is clear that Conway's management turned the Trump campaign around when the controversial figure was facing a downturn in the polls. Although behind every powerful man is an even more powerful woman, it will be interesting to see whether this real-life Olivia Pope can get Trump to change his approach towards women.
Like most Mindy Project fans, when Mindy and Danny finally got together in season two, I was the epitome of the heart-eyes emoji. Danny and Mindy seemed like the OTP: full of passion, best friends, and totally in love. Although they bickered, they did it out of love and always found their way back to each other. And when Mindy got pregnant with Leo, all seemed perfect in the Lahiri-Castellano household.
However, since baby Leo's birth, Danny has become quite the hated character. He began to criticize Mindy for little things, including her weight—NOT cool. And when he tried to force Mindy to be a stay-at-home mom, he showed his true colors as a backwards, misogynistic partner. Then he disappeared off to California for almost an entire season, leaving Mindy to act as a single working mom to a newborn. All of a sudden, Danny was no longer the romantic and adorable guy—and surprisingly sexy dancer—that I loved so much in the first two seasons. Now he was the kind of guy I would tell my friend she is way too good for.
Mindy is def someone I would call my friend. I mean, she's hilarious AF, loves donuts as much as me and has clothes I'd die to borrow. So when she considered breaking up Danny's upcoming wedding, I was SO disappointed. Danny hurt her, left her and lied to her about his engagement—why would she want to get back together with him? Thankfully, her wise mama talked some sense into her with some advice we could all use: you're already your biggest critic, so find someone who loves you, not judges you.
I was the president of the Mindy + Danny 4eva fan club, but I can safely say that I don't miss Danny on The Mindy Project. His sexist ways, mean jokes about Mindy and obvious commitment issues turned him into a toxic person in her life. I wouldn't want someone like him in my life, so I'm glad Mindy finally had the courage to end things with him once and for all. Whether she ends up with Ben or not (they did break out the big L-word this episode, so maybe!), I'm just glad she has realized she deserves better than Danny.
If the election didn't turn out as you would've hoped, and you're serious about heading north, there's a dating app that can help. Yes, there's really an app for that. Maple Match is a Canadian dating app that connects Americans and Canadians looking for love.
The app is set up similarly to other dating apps, like Tinder and Bumble. Users begin by setting up a profile and answering basic questions, such as gender and location. Then some more unique questions come up, including some about political opinions, the type of citizenship the user is seeking and a couple of personal questions. After the questions are completed, the app finds matches for the user based on the answers given. If you're curious to see more, one Business Insider reporter did a whole trial run of the app showing the interface, examples of the questions asked and even some of the guys.
You may think this app is a joke, but it most certainly is not. It's as serious as the fact that Trump has been elected. According to the site, "Maple Match is a very real company with the goal of bringing Americans and Canadians together in a fun, meaningful way. Tens of thousands of you have told us that they want to use Maple Match for dating, so we look forward to building the best experience out there for meeting quality matches online."
We have a feeling that now that Trump is the new president-elect, the number of users on this app will increase drastically.
As last night's coverage slowly unfolded, I was left a sobbing mess on the floor of my apartment. Growing up in Vermont, and now as college student on a relatively liberal campus, I can honestly say that I never saw this coming. Since June of 2015, when Donald Trump was announcing his campaign, my peers and I silently shook our heads and laughed, knowing that someone like him could never possibly be elected.
Last night, everything I thought I knew was shattered. For months now I have been conversing with my friends and family about how disgusting Trump is, not only as a person, but also as potential representative. It baffles me that someone who has been continually outspoken about his discriminatory views on immigrants, the LGBTQIA community, Muslims, African-Americans and women could receive the support of my fellow Americans. Moreover, the fact that a woman far more qualified to hold office lost to a man who has constantly objectified intelligent women angers me to no end.
Today, I am incredibly disheartened by what has transpired in this election. But that is today. Tomorrow, after I have had time to grieve, I will wake up with a sense a purpose greater than I have ever felt. This, the first presidential election I’ve had the privilege to vote in, has strengthened my political convictions more than I could ever imagine. I am not going to try to shove my views down your throat–now is just not the time. But I will say that if you believe in equality and taking care of your neighbors, now is the time to act.
We have suffered a tremendous loss, and while we may be angry, the best way to make light of this situation is to see it as an opportunity to create change. As a young woman in the course of my education and with high hopes for my future, I feel more motivated than ever to create this change.
I cannot speak to the fear some minorities may feel right now, but I can speak to how I feel as someone Trump has continually demeaned. Many women my age may feel that his presidency and Hillary’s loss are a major setback in breaking the glass ceiling. While I agree with this, I think we need to view this as an obstacle that will only make us stronger. Within the past 24 hours, my dedication to getting educated, standing up for my equal rights and becoming involved in the political process has increased tenfold. Donald Trump’s win endangers my right to equality in the workforce. I am not okay with that and you shouldn’t be either.
So, what are we going to do about it? We are going to vote. For many young people, this election has been a wakeup call. I know several people who simply did not vote because they did not agree with either candidate. No matter your political opinions, you should have a basic understanding of your own views on human rights and which candidate will represent those views best. Your vote matters, as this election has made clear. You may not agree with either candidate fully, but not casting a vote is a disgrace to American democracy, especially when so many basic rights are being threatened. And when Harambe gets 15,000 votes, clearly there is an issue.
If, like me, you feel threatened by our new commander-in-chief, take your fear and your anger and make something positive out of it. Get involved on campus. Figure out what your views are how you can represent them. Value your education, for it is so vital in making progress in this society. Listen to other opinions and be open to discussion. Gain inspiration from these strong women, who understand what needs to happen next. But most importantly, do not let this opportunity for advocacy pass you by. I hope anyone who is reading this will be outspoken about their beliefs and fight for them. The next four years are uncertain. But if we take those four years to learn and grow, who knows what we can achieve in 2020?
You may have seen this map floating around on your social media feeds today. It's a map of what the electoral votes would have looked like if only millennials voted.
Many have been posting the image along with a caption that expresses hope for the future.
This is how the millennials voted. Hoping this means the next generation will turn this planet around pic.twitter.com/TZrUv4LEbz
This is how the future voted. This is what people 18-25 said in casting their votes. We must keep this flame alight and nurture this vision. pic.twitter.com/ivuXrar869
While this map may give you hope that our generation will make change in the future, there's something else very important to keep in mind. While this map obviously just shows millennials voting on their own, it doesn't show how many millennials voted. And it turns out not enough of us turned out to vote.
According to Bustle, there was much lower millennial voter turnout for this election than there was in 2012. And Clinton didn't do as well with those who did vote as her predecessor. While Obama won 60 percent of the under-30 vote to Mitt Romney's 37 percent in 2012, Clinton was only able to score 51 percent of the millennial vote.
This doesn't mean you should lose hope. We still have the power to make the change we want. All together, millennial voters outnumber baby boomer voters, which means that if we all vote, that blue map above is very possible. If all millennials had voted this year, we could have gotten a lot closer to the map we wanted.
Voting is a right and a privilege. Exercise your right to vote in local elections and in the next presidential election in 2020!
Now that Donald Trump has been chosen as the president-elect, many people are afraid. Women, LGBT, blacks, Muslims; the list goes on. Many believe that the hatred Trump used in his campaign and spread among his supporters will become even more pronounced now that it's been "accepted" through the election. Now is the time to stand up. Now more than ever is the time to focus on safety and to become an ally for the groups that will now need support.
MuslimGirl is a website dedicated to furthering the safety and support for Muslim women, especially after this election. We've pulled a couple of their valuable articles to share with you.
First off, for those Muslim girls who are feeling vulnerable right now, we recommend checking out this Crisis Safety Manual for Muslim Women. Their tips include carrying your phone everywhere, remaining diligent in public and learning self defense.
For those of you who aren't Muslim but who support Muslim men and women, check out MuslimGirl's A-Z Guide for Being a Good Muslim Ally. They've got tips for being a great Muslim ally all the way through the alphabet, from reading informative articles to zero tolerance, with education and opinions along the way.
Whether the election went they way you wanted or not, we can agree that many groups are feeling scared and threatened today. Educate yourself and become an ally.
At this point a true Gilmore Girls fan has no doubt seen the trailer for the show's four-part A Year in the Life Netflix revival, set to be released the day after Thanksgiving. If not, well here you go.
Now you'll notice all of Rory's major love interests have returned. Dean, Jess, Logan—the gang's all there. Or are they? If you watch carefully, you'll notice that Marty, AKA "Naked Guy," wasn't in the trailer.
Yes, sadly Marty won't be returning for the GG revival. Even though he never reallydated Rory, his crush and their friendship was adorable. Besides Paris, he was her first friend at Yale. He was plenty likable—unless you hated him, which is totally your prerogative—but couldn't compete with the suave, impressive, charming Logan Huntzberger. Apparently he's still taking a back seat to Rory's other love interests.
Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the executive producers of Gilmore Girls, said they would have liked to include Wayne Wilcox, who played Marty in the original series, but had to limit the storylines to fit into their allotted four 90-minute mini-movie slots. "We absolutely tried,” Sherman-Palladino told TVLine. “Organically it just didn’t fit in. We love Marty. We love Wayne."
Even if you're Team Jess, Team Logan or (God forbid) Team Dean, a cameo from nerdy Marty would have been a treat.
I am speechless, but I know that if ever there was a time to speak, it is now. It is time to speak loudly and often. For me, this election was not one of liberal versus conservative. Last night, we fought for the dignity and the very soul of this country. We saw a victory for hate and a defeat for America.
This election brought out the ugliest side of the United States. My people were dehumanized. The Trump campaign ignorantly grouped and belittled the rich diversity of narratives of immigrant families like mine in one destructive, racist sweep. My mother’s father spent much of his time away from his family. He came to this country with a work visa in order to send money back, and only returned a handful of times every year. Eventually, he was able to acquire green cards for my grandmother and his ten children. My aunts and uncles are now teachers, counselors, homeowners, landowners, college graduates, mothers, fathers, and American citizens. They love this country, they serve this country, and they are American in every sense of the word. Their stories are their own, as are the stories of millions of immigrants who make up the heart of this country. Trump cannot and will never take that from us. We cannot let him divide us.
To those who voted for Trump—I know you don’t need validation from me on your choices, but this needs to be said. I am sorry the system has failed you to the extent that you saw this choice as your way out. I am sorry you have felt that your most treasured values have been demeaned and tossed aside by the machine. The system has failed all of us. I urge you to remember that hate and division is not the way to change. I remind you that when token Republican posterchild, and my favorite president, Abraham Lincoln chose to engage in civil war, pitting neighbor against neighbor as we have seen happen in this election, his primary motive was keeping the country united. I want you to know that I value your ideals and beliefs as part of the dialogue toward achieving real positive change. Donald Trump does not represent your ideals. He does not share your values. Let us help you reclaim your party and your beliefs.
To those who espouse hate and separatism—You do a disservice to yourself and to your country to which you claim to be so loyal. I have no other words for you, and I hope the next four years will bring you clarity.
To those who are afraid, hurt, and confused—Please, do not turn to hate. Rise above. Right now is time to mourn, because the soul of America is lying on its death bed. Right now is the time to come together as one nation, indivisible. It is not acceptable to speak about change and simultaneously engage in inexcusably divisive rhetoric. Don’t engage in separatist fantasies of leaving the country or your state seceding from the union. We are stronger together, and we cannot be the America we want to be without the diversity and differences which define our nation. Adversity must become dialogue. Dialogue must become compromise. And compromise will give us change. Now is the time to come together as Americans. We do not look the same and may not share all the same beliefs and values, but we do not stand for hate. We do not stand for misogyny. We do not stand for racism. We do not stand for injustice.
To my fellow Berkeley students—I give you this quote. “There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.” We’ve all heard it. We all know it. It is now our time to live it. The machine is broken yet we continue to let it run. That being said, be smart, be safe, and be kind. Spread love not hate. Our mission is not to present problems and to assign blame. We know the problems and and blame is pointless. It’s time to change the machine and to come together for the sake of this country and for the sake of each American’s right to think, say, and do as their value system would have it. The machine will be made to work for all Americans of all walks of life. We will be free.
To all of my fellow Americans—I am proud of the unprecedented levels of voter turnout. No matter how you cast your ballot, I hope you realize that your vote and your opinion is valuable. I still believe in us. We need only choose to stand together and not apart. This election has lit a fire beneath us, and we will not lose that momentum. We do not stand for violence. We do not stand for oppression. We do not stand for prejudice. We stand for hope and we stand for change.
With Batman v Superman, we already got a taste of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, who will be featured in her own movie next summer. Along with the general hype about this badass female superhero hitting the big screen, people are also curious about the sexual orientation of Diana Prince, especially after some recent comments from comic book writer Greg Rucka.
Rucka said earlier this fall that he thinks Wonder Woman could be bisexual. In an interview with Comicosity, Rucka said, "Now, are we saying Diana has been in love and had relationships with other women? As [comic book artist] Nicola [Scott] and I approach it, the answer is obviously yes."
Gadot told Variety in October that the upcoming movie doesn't openly explore bisexuality, but that doesn't mean Diana isn't bisexual. "In this movie she does not experience any bisexual relationships," Gadot said. "But it’s not about that. She’s a woman who loves people for who they are. She can be bisexual. She loves people for their hearts."
Most recently, in an interview with an Israeli talk show, Gadot specified that she could see Halle Berry as a romantic interest for Wonder Woman. Gadot elaborated, “I saw her the other day, Halle Berry. She’s so beautiful. Wow! She’s gorgeous! So… yeah, I could do it with her,” in regards to whether she thinks Wonder Woman could ever have a girlfriend.
We're not complaining about seeing dreamboat Chris Pine as Diana's love interest, Steve Trevor, in Wonder Woman, but in future adaptations, it could be cool to see Diana get together with a character portrayed by Halle Berry—or any female actress.
Having a small frame is awesome, but shopping for clothes that fit perfectly can be a major struggle. You always seem to be cuffing up your jeans, rolling up your sleeves, belting literally every pair of pants and swimming in your riding boots. Luckily, we’re here to save you. We’ve compiled 11 of the best style tips for our gorgeous petite collegiettes so you can walk through campus with confidence.
1. Avoid pieces that hit below the knee—embrace minis
While this tip isn’t a “must-follow,” it’s encouraged that petites avoid longer pieces, or choose them wisely. “The fabric pretty much swallows you right up,” says Kayla, a sophomore at Kennesaw State. As cute as they are, midi skirts, tea-length dresses and Bermuda shorts seem to be made specifically with those women that are blessed with long legs. Instead, opt for cute A-line mini skirts or dresses that hit a few inches above the knee. Your legs will look a mile long.
2. Make vertical stripes your best friend
Patterns can be a blessing or a curse for petites. When picking patterns, Mara, a graduate of University of Southern California, stays away from horizontal stripes. “It’s not that shorter people can't wear that pattern, but it typically makes you look wider and doesn't do anything to lengthen your body as opposed to vertical stripes,” she says. Flip those stripes around, ladies. Vertical stripes elongate your figure making you look taller and slimmer.
3. Find petite-friendly stores
All hail the stores that recognize there’s more than just “short” and “tall” women! Sarah, a junior at the University of Iowa, loves stores that cater to her small frame. “I run into dresses and jeans that are too long or just don't fit right! Places that offer petite sizes, like Old Navy and Topshop, are lifesavers! Otherwise I end up rolling my jeans, which isn't always the look I want to go for,” she says. Some of our favorite brands that offer petite lines are Old Navy, Loft, Topshop, ASOS, J.Crew and Anthropologie.
4. Choose “boyfriend” pieces wisely
Sorry ladies, but boyfriend jeans, men’s flannels and oversized sweaters just don’t always do your figure justice. “I think petite women should steer clear of anything that is abnormally baggy or boxy,” says Isabel, a junior at NYU. “It is very easy to look like an outfit is eating you up so things that show off your figure even in the slightest bit are really helpful.” If you do wear boyfriend jeans or oversized sweaters, pair them with more structured pieces to add balance.
5. Use mini purses
Don’t be swallowed up by your purse; instead, find a cute bag that’s proportional to your body size. Amy, a sophomore at Temple University, says, “I have a stockpile of little clutches and cross-body purses,” she says. “They’re more fun than giant purses because they usually have more flair, and the designs don’t overwhelm the rest of my outfit.” Oversized bags are too heavy, anyways.
It’s a total myth that petite girls have to wear heels all the time. “It’s weird but the lower the heel, the longer the legs look sometimes. If you try and wear huge heels, it will look super weird and disproportionate,” says Isabel, “Overall, petite women can wear whatever they want but knowing what works for your body is a must.” Pointed-toe flats are stylish, sophisticated and can take you from class to your internship to your dinner date. They create the illusion of a longer leg, and they’re on-trend this fall, too.
7. For those that ~love~ heels, say yes to patterns and no to ankle straps
Ankle straps just make your legs appear shorter. “My rule of thumb is to NEVER wear heels that visibly divide my leg, meaning that they have a strap on/around the ankle,” says Alani, a junior at Northwestern. “They make your legs look even shorter than they are. Pumps or any heel that don’t have ankle straps make your legs look longer.” However, wearing a pair of statement heels draws attention to your legs and actually makes them look longer. Plus, they’re so fun.
8. Find a good tailor
Having a tailor probably hasn’t crossed your mind as a broke college student, but it should. Wearing clothes that fit you properly is key when it comes to walking around with confidence. If you can’t afford an actual tailor or don’t have one near your university, teach yourself or find a friend that can help tweak hemlines, adjust your sleeves, or take waistlines in. Some stores, like Banana Republic and J. Crew offer tailoring service if you have a store card. Department stores like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales offer tailoring service for any clothes you buy at their store. It makes all the difference; we promise!
9. Bring your waistline up
We are so glad high-waisted skirts, pants, and shorts are trending again. These pieces give the illusion that your legs start at a higher point than they actually do. “If I wear anything high-waisted, I either wear a tighter crop top or a tucked-in shirt to accentuate my small waist,” says Bridget, a junior at UMass Amherst, “Plus, it looks weird with anything else.” Pairing high-waisted bottoms with a cropped or fitted top also emphasizes your gorgeous petite frame.
10. Structured pieces are a must
Clothes with clean lines will always do wonders for your shape. Pick monochromatic pieces to streamline the rest of your outfit. Just watch out for long, structured coats — you don’t want to be swimming in your outerwear. Cropped blazers and jackets elongate your torso, while skinny jeans and fitted dress pants emphasize your shape.
11. Boot season? Aim for ankles
Unfortunately, most riding boots just swallow you up. Like heels with ankle straps, mid-calf and knee-length boots just divide your legs and make them look shorter. A pair of trendy, dainty ankle boots elongates your legs. Plus, velvet, suede and embroidered styles are seriously trending this season.
12. Don’t be afraid to try something that’s usually a “don’t”
If you’re one of those girls that defies the norm, then we say go for it. Some midi skirts actually look super cute on petites. If you choose an A-line shape with a high waist, it will actually elongate your waist. Midi skirts with slits and draped fabric are sexy and won’t swallow you up. Heels with ankle straps aren’t always a bad idea, and they’re just so trendy right now. Wearing boyfriend jeans doesn’t always have to be a catastrophe; pair them with a fitted tee to flatter your figure and finish off your look with pointed heels to lengthen your legs. Nailed it.
The bottom line? If you embrace your small frame with confidence, you can rock ~anything~. Don’t let the body you were born with be a hindrance when finding cute outfits. Use these tips and struggle no more.
For some of us, our bodies have two temperatures—sweaty hot or freezing cold. And in the course of one day, our bodies may switch between these temperatures 100 times. There are some things only sweaty girls understand, and there are other things that only girls who are always cold understand. If you're always freezing, no matter the season, then you'll definitely get these 17 things!
1. Using your pets as body warmers
The bigger your pet, the more body warmth.
2. Stealing all your friends' sweaters
Every time we go to someone's house: "Do you have a sweater I can borrow?"
3. Uggs are your favorite type of shoes
IT'S LIKE WALKING ON CLOUDS.
4. Going outside in winter is not an option
And once the snow starts, you can catch us under a comforter 24/7.
5. And the Snuggie was probably the best invention ever
You can make fun of us all you want, but we're warm.
6. And your heating bill is like $3 million
7. Big sweaters aren't sexy but they're your saving grace
8. People don't understand that there's a type of cold that you can feel in your bones
Solution: whiskey and wine.
9. You don't like going to the club during winter
For some reason, freezing your nips off shivering isn't a very club-friendly look. Who knew?
10. And getting naked for anything is completely out of the question
11. Winter means you're on the soup diet
IT'S WARM.
12. Socks are required all the time
We sleep in our socks. We don't even want to take 'em off to shower.
13. Any cold food is completely out of the question
Hot chocolate pls.
14. When your nose runs cause you're cold and you think you have boogers everywhere
15. Your bed is like a mountain of blankets
16. You're always cold at work and school
Turn OFF the AC. Same goes for movie theaters and all restaurants.
17. You always have a cold—cause you're always cold
Some weeks (or every single fucking week of the semester), life is just not so chill. Whether you've got five tests coming up, haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time, have been drowning out your stresses with way too much comfort food, or have just flat-out lost your damn mind, don't fret. The weekend is only days away! Read below for 15 signs you just need to make it through this week.
1. "I just need to make it through this week…"
You tell yourself. Every week.
2. Your health is in shambles
We're talking mentally, physically and emotionally.
3. Your motivation is at an all-time low
Even your scariest professors don't scare you anymore.
4. You've ordered takeout far more times than you'd like to admit
Pizza here, pizza there, pizza everywhere!
5. You barely find the time to shower
"I'm sorry for my appearance today…and yesterday…and the day before."
6. Let alone do your laundry
Alas! Just when you thought hope was lost, one last pair of socks was found in the bottom of your drawer.
7. The assignments are piling up
And you have nowhere to run.
8. You haven't had groceries in a long-ass time
So you're forced to get creative with the bare minimum.
9. You have a dollar in your bank account
And payday isn't until next Monday.
10. Dropping out is getting more appealing by the day
Is there a college degree for failure?
11. Not even coffee is lifting your spirits up
"That'll be cup number 17."
12. You're not sure what today's date is
Or what month it is. Wait, when's Thanksgiving?
13. You honestly feel like an old woman
If how we've been feeling lately is any indication of our overall appearance, we all definitely peaked in high school.
Living as a woman with anxiety is a struggle––dating as a woman with anxiety is impossible AF. You’re already tense because any little thing could send you into a full on apocalyptic meltdown. How are you supposed to bring another person into that? From second-guessing that awesome sex you just had to tearing up at everything to wondering if they’ll ever be able to understand you, saying that your romantic relationships are “complicated” would be the understatement of the century.
You’ll totally relate to all these struggles that women with anxiety have while dating, but we also have some practical advice to help you get through them. Don’t worry girl, we gotchu.
1. It’s hard to find someone who understands you
Anxiety is the most common mental illness around, but that’s no guarantee that your partner can understand and empathize with you. At the start of a relationship, your new SO probably tries to relate to you and give you advice on how to get through your anxiety attacks, which just. doesn’t. help. As things get more serious your anxiety may even lead to resentment between you because they just can’t grasp the deep, complicated aspects of your personality, while you’re hurt that they can’t understand.
Carly, a senior at the University of Michigan, has dealt with this before. “I’m a stressed-out mess, and I know that my emotional spectrum is a heavy burden to take on,” she says. “In my one serious relationship my boyfriend eventually learned the best ways to interact with me when my anxiety was at its worst, but that’s not the same for casual relationships that might not go anywhere. Sometimes boys probably think I’m crazy, which hurts, and it also makes me a more bitter person towards dating in general.”
You’re no stranger to the difficulties that come with dating you, but you should also know that any issue with your anxiety is made up by how hard you love. People with anxiety are dedicated, and if you can handle it, they’re some of the most loving people to spend your time with. You get anxious about everything because your partner and certain aspects of your life mean that much to you. The next time it feels like your SO just doesn’t get what you’re going through or you feel bad about yourself, take time to notice all the good you do in your relationship and how much you care. If the person you’re dating doesn’t try to see that, then it’s time to move on to someone who does.
While the rational side of you knows that everything is chill and your SO loves you like crazy, the anxious part of your brain is telling you that you’ll never be able to keep your partner’s interest and they’ll be gone soon enough. Fun stuff, isn’t it?
“A very significant source of anxiety in your relationship may be you wondering if your partner is going to leave you,” says Dr. Mary Pat Kelly, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine. “Your interactions will cause peak anxiety if your critical inner voice is telling you things like ‘you’re not good enough, you can’t trust him, you’re not going to keep his interest.’ When this happens, you get snared fixating on what you’ve fictionalized or problems that are completely hypothetical, so that you get distracted from the reality of your relationship.”
Dr. Kelly totally gets what it’s like to constantly second guess your relationship. What’s important is to catch yourself when you overthink and worry about problems that aren’t problems at all. Taking deep breaths, distracting yourself for a while and revisiting the problem later when you’re not overcome by anxiety will help you work through it and train yourself out of that harmful behavior. Bae loves you, just recognize it!
3. You punish your partner
Your anxiety doesn’t just come out as stress and overthinking. Sometimes it manifests as anger, frustration and depression. All of us know that hands down one of the biggest struggles of dating is when you unintentionally punish your partner for your anxiety disorder. Something they do may set you off and make you yell at them or be cold AF, which you know wouldn’t happen if you hadn’t been under an attack. You might find yourself trying to set rules limiting what they can and can’t do because you can’t control your own anxiety. When this happens, take a hella deep breath and think about whether you’re acting rationally to something your partner did or whether you’re acting out because of something that’s happening internally with you.
Dr. Kelly tactfully explains just what’s happening inside us when anxiety turns us from Jekyll to Hyde. “When anxiety flares up, it surges the body with cortisol and adrenaline to get the body ready to run for its life or fight for it,” she says. “This is the fight or flight response and it’s in everyone. It’s just that in some people with anxiety, the ‘go’ button for fight is a bit more sensitive.”
When you find yourself with smoke coming out of your ears and carrying a blazing sword of vengeance against your partner, that’s a great time to pause and not panic or act out. Go outside and breathe in the fresh air, smell some lavender soap and let yourself calm down and think through things before you act. Once the anxiety attack pass, rethink whether your partner has done something to make you upset. Just because you have anxiety doesn’t give you the right to bully or control them. Keep yourself grounded in the reality of your situation, and your unprovoked anger will become less of a struggle.
4. You’re always suspicious
In the middle of an anxiety attack, nothing makes sense. For some reason, you think your partner is lying about where they were. You think they’re hiding a bad habit or texting their ex-girlfriend. It will feel like your world is falling apart, even if nothing has happened and your anxiety has tricked you into being suspicious without reason.
“Anxiety affects my trust a lot,” says Isabella, a senior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “It’s like even if I know nothing bad has happened, I’m still convinced my boyfriend is lying to me about something. Whether it’s where he is or who he’s with, I convince myself he’s not telling the truth. I think it also comes from my having low self-esteem, but anxiety coupled with that just leaves me with trust issues.”
People with anxiety have overprotective brains that are trying to realize the worst before it happens, and dating only amps this a whole new level. It’s crucial to realize that your suspicion about what your partner is doing is unwarranted, otherwise you could easily sabotage your relationship. It’s not fun (or healthy) to date a person who constantly distrusts you. Your partner has their work cut out trying to reassure you, and you should meet them halfway by trying your best to approach sensitive or troublesome situations with a clear mind.
Having anxiety can make you clingy unintentionally––but clingy nonetheless. When your brain is simultaneously telling you that your partner is pissed at you for that thing you said about his haircut, is cheating on you and is also going to die in a horrible fiery accident, how are you supposed to react? By being as close as physically possible of course. It’s very probable that your anxiety could leave you as that clingy girl you don’t want to be, just so you can make sure your partner is okay and is still into you. But isn’t it such a struggle when you realize how overwhelming you’re definitely being? Nobody likes to be smothered, and desperation is not attractive, but us ladies with anxiety just can’t help it.
Aside from being the world’s clingiest girlfriend, having anxiety also puts you at risk for becoming dependent on your partner to help you through things that make you anxious. It starts out with a simple situation where your boyfriend calls and orders takeout because he knows how much you ~hate~ talking on the phone. It’s a slippery slope of dependency where you could potentially end up useless without their help to get you through a stressful situation instead of a powerful, independent woman who can deal with her own anxiety disorder.
When you start to feel as though you’re losing your independence or can’t stand on your own, remember how strong you are. Your entire life your anxiety has constantly put you in circumstances that challenge you, and that just shows the strength of your courage.
So, we get it, dating with anxiety feels impossible and improbable, but it’s so worth it. We know that every small thing feels like the end of the world, and that increases by 100 percent when you bring bae into the mix. But if you have a supportive partner and always love yourself through your anxiety, these struggles that seem so big will become less.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has made it very clear that he is anti-choice and plans to defund Planned Parenthood, and his running mate, and now the next Vice President, Mike Pence has been opposed to reproductive rights in the past. In addition, Trump has said that he will try to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which according to The Huffington Post, currently requires insurance companies to provide free access to contraception.
Now that America is facing the reality that Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States, women across the country are encouraging each other to get IUDs before Trump makes it so they can’t.
An IUD is a small t-shaped device inserted into the uterus, and according to HuffPost, it’s one of the most effective types of contraception. According to Cosmopolitan, IUDs are safe, effective, and can last up to 12 years. So the good news is that if you got one now, while you’re easily able to do so, it could, as Erin Gloria Ryan said, last you through the Trump administration.
While it’s still too early to tell if there will be an increase in requests for an IUD as a result of the election, Planned Parenthood’s Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley told HuffPost, “While we truly hope that birth control methods will be available, accessible, and affordable to all women under the Trump administration, we understand people’s real concerns about losing access to birth control, which is basic health care for women.”
Women have been taking to social media, urging their fellow women to look into getting an IUD, and these tweets might just encourage you to.
Women, call your docs. Today. Take charge of your health before Jan. 20. Get an IUD, get mammograms, get ultrasounds, get Paps. Do it now.
