After an amazing experience at Beauty Con NYC 2014, I was so excited to return to the Big Apple for Beauty Con NYC 2015. My sister joined me once again, and we had a glamorous day, filled with plenty of free products, photo opportunities and engaging panels. Several YouTube creators, including Bethany Mota, were also in attendance for meet-ups and panel discussions.

When we arrived, we waited in line to get our tickets checked and to receive our Beauty Con Pro pass goody bag. We met some new friends in line, too!

Once we were all checked in, we walked over to the outdoor stage, where artists like JoJo would be performing later in the day. In the meantime, the DJ was playing only the best music to get everyone hyped for the beauty-filled day.

All of the YouTube beauty bloggers present at the event did their meet-ups outside as well. I was so happy to finally meet Meghan Rienks and Casey Holmes!

After spending a little time outside, my sister and I were ready to check out all of the action indoors. First, we stopped at the Physicians Formula booth, where you received a free Physicians Formula product after signing up for their newsletter.

Next, we went to one of the fragrance booths. You could spin their prize wheel for a chance to receive a perfume sample or a full-sized bottle of your choice. Lucky for me, I landed on perfume once the wheel stopped spinning, and I was able to take home a Taylor Swift fragrance mist!

After celebrating my fragrance victory, we headed over to the Maybelline booth, where guests received complementary mini makeup bags. The three slogans we could choose from were: NYC is My Boyfriend, Brows on Fleek and All I Need is Caffeine and Lip Gloss.

One of the highlights of my day was meeting makeup artist Angelique Velez, the founder of clothing and accessories brand Breakups to Makeup. I have been following her brand since she founded it in 2013, and I love her story. After experiencing a difficult breakup, Angelique poured all of her energy into makeup, which gave her an outlet for her time and energy. A few short years later, her products are now available at Sephora and her Breakups to Makeup cosmetic bags were featured in a partnership with Ipsy. Talk about the ultimate #girlboss!

After fangirling from meeting Angelique, I walked around to greet some other Beauty Con brand partners, including Carol's Daughter, PUR Cosmetics, OGX, Essie and Shea Moisture.

There were plenty of opportunities throughout the day for beauties to receive complimentary makeup touch-ups as well.

At the Eva NYC booth, YouTube star Lex Fleming of MadeULook was painting a galaxy-themed landscape onto a model. Talk about out of this world!

My day concluded with a quick meet-up with Michelle Tan, editor-in-chief of Seventeen. We reminisced over #HerConference, where Michelle was a keynote speaker. She was super sweet and her outfit was so cute!

Overall, my second experience at Beauty Con NYC was one for the books, and I had a fabulous time being in good company with other beauty fanatics. I’ll be looking forward to the next time Beauty Con is in NYC!

We college women are serious film buffs—from guilty pleasures to the movies that really make you think—we love any excuse to go to the movies. Though many of us wanted to be movie stars and directors when we were little, some of our college peers are actually making their way in the industry—and we are beyond impressed.

Canon U.S.A. Inc., the world leader in advanced imaging products, is sponsoring an initiative called Project Imagination: The Trailer, which aims to inspire and empower creativity in our everyday lives. Canon ran a contest where people could submit their own movie trailers—from their own footage they shot! Canon provided the tools so even a novice could enter: everything from adding movie titles, voice-overs and soundtracks—talk about a film student’s dream! The winner of the contest would have their trailer be made into an actual film with REAL Hollywood actors.

And guess what? A college student, one of our peers, won! Mark Mukherjee, a student in Florida, was selected from over 1,000 entries, and his trailer, “Tainted Water,” is now inspiring the short film, “The Rusted,” a psychological thriller starring Hunger Games stars, Josh Hutcherson and Jena Malone! Imagine being in college and having your trailer turn into a movie with Josh Hutcherson. We can’t even.

You don’t even need to go to a movie theater to see it, either. Watch the film here. It’s about a brother and sister’s attempt to renovate their childhood home into a recording studio, but strange happenings force them to deal with memories from their past. We’re really excited about this project—and super jealous of the college kid who inspired the whole thing.

Cooking dinner for your SO can be a fun way to show how much you care. Unfortunately, trying to figure out what he’ll actually eat isn’t as much fun. It can be pretty stressful, and you might end up making something he doesn’t like!

That’s why we came up with a list of meals you won’t have to slave over a stove all day to make. They’ll satisfy any guy’s stomach and are the perfect complement to a special night together!

1. Spaghetti and Meatballs

If he doesn’t like spaghetti and meatballs, it might be time to find a new boyfriend. It is such a classic dish, and it’s incredibly easy to make! A box of noodles, a pot of water, pre-rolled meatballs and a jar of sauce is all you need to make him something he’ll be begging for seconds of.

“My mom makes spaghetti every Wednesday at home, so it’s my favorite,” says James, a student at Oregon State University. And if you’re feeling cheesy, try re-enacting the scene from Lady and the Tramp for fun!

If you want to get a little more adventurous with your pasta, try this spaghetti sauce recipe from Kludgy Mom. Garlic and basil, two aphrodisiacs, are in this sauce, which means it’s sure to stir up some romance!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 14.5-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons Italian or pizza seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and cook until soft.
3. Add garlic, cook for one minute.
4. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water and stir.
5. Add all seasonings and stir.
6. Continue to simmer until well blended.
7. Serve over pasta. Top with basil.

2. Tacos

What takes five ingredients to make and can feed your SO’s bottomless stomach? Tacos, of course! Some ground beef, lettuce, grated cheese, diced tomatoes and tortillas are going to be a lifesaver. Tacos are so easy to make—just stick everything in a tortilla, and voila! Tacos are a meal you can put any garnish on and every guy will like them, making them perfect for an easy, breezy date night dinner.

If tacos are too much of a hassle, taco soup is an even easier alternative! This taco soup recipe from Today’s Mama is perfect for date night.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 package taco seasoning
• ¾ cup water
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 15-ounce can corn
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles (an aphrodisiac)
• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• Dash of Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1 diced avocado (an aphrodisiac)
• Tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef until crumbly.
2. Add onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir until meat is evenly coated.
4. Add in black beans, corn and chiles. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and simmer for up to 20 minutes.
6. Add spice with Tabasco and hot green chiles.
7. Serve with grated cheese, avocado and tortilla chips.

3. Personal Pizzas

Personal pizzas are a great way to get your guy in the kitchen with you too! Smear your dough with tomato sauce and have a competition while you decorate to see who can make the best one. “Making a pizza with my girlfriend is fun because we actually get to goof off while making dinner!” says Anthony, a student at Santa Clara University.

Get some grated cheese, pepperoni, sausage, peppers and any other ingredients you love on your pizza and see who can make the better design! Everyone—and we mean everyone—loves pizza, so there’s no way he won’t love the cheesy goodness that is your creation.

If you want to get creative and make your own dough, follow this recipe from Creative Juice.

Ingredients

• 3 ¾ cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 packet dry active instant yeast
• 1 ½ cups hot water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Combine flour, sugar and yeast into mixer with hook attachment and stir to combine.
2. With mixer on low, slowly add hot water and oil.
3. When dough starts to come together, add salt.
4. Continue to mix on low until the dough comes together to form a ball.
5. Remove ball of dough from hook and knead by hand on floured surface.
6. Oil a large bowl and place dough inside and cover with plastic wrap.
7. Keep dough in a warm place and allow dough to double in size (takes about 45 minutes to an hour).
8. When doubled, put dough on floured surface.
9. Cut dough in two pieces and shape dough into two large pizza rounds about ¼-1/2 inches in thickness.
10. Add pizza toppings.
11. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

4. Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese was an essential meal for him growing up, so he’ll definitely love it. “I make myself Kraft mac and cheese at my apartment all the time, so I’d love it if a girl made it for me,” says Charlie, a student at the University of Oregon. You’ll save yourself hours in the kitchen, and the cheesy goodness is too good to not have on date night.

Try Taste of Home’s amazing homemade mac and cheese recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups uncooked macaroni
• ¼ cup cubed butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups 2 percent milk
• 5 cups (20 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
2. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.
3. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.
4. Gradually whisk in milk.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
6. Reduce heat. Stir in 3 cups cheese and Worcestershire sauce until melted.
7. Drain macaroni and stir into sauce. Transfer to greased skillet.
8. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and paprika.
10. Bake 5-10 minutes until bubbly.

5. Quesadillas

With only a cheese and a tortilla, does it get any easier? All guys love cheese, and this simple favorite is sure to be a hit on date night. “Mexican food is really good. My go-to is Mexican on date night,” says David, a student at Northwest Christian University. For all the time you save making this, you can spend more time with your SO!

If you want to add a little zest to your tortilla, try La Tortilla Factory’s barbeque chicken quesadilla recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• ¼ - ½ cup BBQ sauce
• 2 La Tortilla Factory 100-calorie tortillas
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Add BBQ sauce to chicken in a bowl to coat; set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
3. Place tortilla inside skillet and sprinkle one half with ¼ cup cheese.
4. Add half the chicken and other ¼ cup cheese and fold tortilla over.
5. Cook for 3-4 minutes for each side.
6. Repeat with remaining tortilla and other ingredients.
7. Let quesadillas cool for 2-3 minutes and cut into wedges before serving.

6. Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast food is delicious, and if your boyfriend likes to sleep in, he most likely misses breakfast most days anyway. Give him his daily dose of eggs (scrambled eggs are the easiest!) with bacon and hash browns! Nothing makes a guy happier than the smell of hot bacon. “If there is bacon on my plate, I will eat it,” says Scott from Loyola University. “Bacon is my favorite food of all time.”

Try this super easy scrambled eggs recipe from All Recipes for your date night breakfast dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk with a fork.
2. Whisk in salt and pepper.
3. Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat.
4. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook.
5. Stir, scrape and cut up eggs while cooking until no liquid remains.

But what about his sweet tooth?

It isn’t truly date night until you’ve had something sweet! Chocolate and whipped cream are perfect for setting the mood on date night, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours rolling pie dough and adding whipped cream.

We found the perfect recipe for chocolatey goodness that you can leave in the crockpot for a few hours while you cook everything else and fix your hair for the seventh time. Crockpot chocolate lava cake from Jamie Cooks It Up is your new best friend.

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 3.9-ounce container instant chocolate pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 1 12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips
• Parchment paper

Instructions

1. Line a ¾ quart crockpot with parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray.
2. Pour cake mix into mixer. Add in 1 ¼ cups milk, ½ cup oil and 3 eggs. Beat on low speed for 1 minute.
3. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour batter into crockpot.
5. Pour chocolate pudding into mixer.
6. Add 2 cups cold milk and beat until pudding thickens.
7. Pour pudding over cake batter and don’t stir.
8. Pour chocolate chips over the top of pudding. Do not stir.
9. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 2 ½ hours or until top of cake is set.

The focus of date night shouldn’t be when to take the food out of the oven or whether you have enough flour or not. The main focus of the night should be on you and your SO and your time together! So take the stress out of your night and use these simple, quick meals that your guy will love no matter what. Not only will they taste delicious, but you made them. Time to get cooking!

Editor’s note: The use of both male and female pronouns throughout this piece represents the author’s stylistic choice. When writing about the transgender community, it is ideal to use a person’s current pronouns, and not pronouns referring to that person’s birth sex.

We were laying in bed one afternoon—post-coitus—my head on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair. The blissful moment was unceremoniously interrupted when my boyfriend said to me abruptly, "I have to tell you something."

Immediately, my stomach dropped. I started to run through everything I knew about him, digging through the depths of my mind to figure out what his big secret was. He's a male, straight women's studies PhD student. Yeah. Yeah. My dream guy. And rare. Like not-chipping-your-nail-polish-during-the-first-week rare (or is that just me?). Avoiding-everyone-you-know-at-the-grocery-store-when-you-look-terrible rare. Or, well, male-straight-women's-studies-PhD-student rare. And not only was he smart and successful (not to brag, but he has a prestigious fellowship from the best program in the country), he was also handsome, sweet, funny, and of course, a feminist. So, I guess it shouldn't have come as a huge surprise to me when my Mr. Perfect had to tell me something.

"What is it?" I asked, not knowing that I was really prepared to hear the answer.

"I want you to guess," he told me.

Guess? Was this some sort of game to him? Some kind of cruel game? He wanted me to guess, so he didn't have to tell me. It had to be something bad. Really bad.

I began running through details in my head once again. He was 25, three years my senior. I met him when he was the teacher's assistant for my women's studies class. He introduced himself by citing a love for Arrested Development and chicken tikka masala. He was my favorite kind of charming: nerdy and a little socially awkward, but still adorable. 

So naturally, I assessed his sexuality. Well, can you blame me? A tall, skinny, socially awkward male women's studies PhD student. You can't say it wouldn't cross your mind. Either way, I came back with the assessment of "straight" after a series of flirtatious interactions—including one where I went to his office hours to discuss the readings for the next class (riiiiiiight)—and his style was a little… clueless? But now, in bed together months later, my mind drifted back to that initial insecurity.

"Are you, um, bisexual?" I asked. As a godless, feminist liberal (and proud!), I'm totally cool with bisexuality. But how did I feel about my boyfriend being bisexual? Was I cool with it when it was a part of my own relationship? I didn't find out. Because no, he said, he was straight.

My mind again returned to the progression of our relationship. After weeks of mutual flirtation and a revelatory Valentine's Day, he stopped being my TA, and I stopped having to just fantasize about him. He told his mom that I "hunted him down like a wild animal" (mildly accurate), and I told him that I had found the only male, straight women's studies PhD student in existence, and he was delusional if he thought I was ever going to let him go.

His dissertation and research focused on fetishism. Kinky, right? Then he told me about the paper he recently wrote about bodily release fetishes. You know—sneezing, vomiting and the like. So, not the Cosmo kind of kinky (Use furry pink handcuffs! Use his tie as a blindfold! Leave the light on tonight!). My next question followed this line of thinking.

"Do you have some kind of fetish I don't know about?"

"Yes. Well, yes."

When she started transitioning, there was no question in my mind that we would stay together. I loved her, regardless of her gender. I reasoned that it wasn’t as if she was becoming a different person; just a different gender. And I knew she needed me there. Every single, small interaction was now a struggle. She worried about passing, meaning she worried that others would be able to tell she was transgender. Her voice. Her Adam’s apple. Her height. I got hushed, frantic phone calls from the Panera parking lot where she sat, frozen in her car, terrified to go in and order a sandwich. I was angry that we lived in a society where she was forced to have this fear. I comforted her, told her she was beautiful, and hung up.

To build her confidence, she became active on social media, cultivating an online presence that she had never cared about before. She became an advocate for transgender rights, and I was proud. It felt amazing to have her on my arm. She was first prize, and I was the winner.

It felt like her transition was something we did together. I chose her name. I picked out her clothes. I did her make up and her hair. I joked that she was my life-size Barbie doll. In the beginning, I was constantly nervous that I would slip up and use the wrong pronouns, and using the wrong pronouns with someone who is transitioning his or her gender is a deeply hurtful thing to do. Slowly, I truly saw her as my girlfriend—even without her wig or breast forms or make-up—and it was natural. Our sex life oddly didn’t change much. Our dirty talk did. She liked to feel pretty. She liked to feel delicate. And she liked to pretend she had a vagina. But it was the same naked body I was used to, so it didn’t feel like such a big change. Mentally, maybe, but not physically.

So, I was dating a woman. This meant wolf whistles when we kissed on a street corner and lying about her gender to my elderly grandmother. During part of her relationship, I was a teacher at a high school in Florida. One day, she called me when I was helping out at a speech and debate meeting. One of my students asked who was calling. I lied.

It feels terrible to lie about someone you love. It felt dirty. It felt wrong. But I wasn’t ready to come out at work, especially at a school in a state where you can be fired for being gay (fun fact: there are still 29 states where you can be fired for being gay and 32 states where you can be fired for being transgender. America!). This caused tension in our relationship. She thought I was ashamed of her; I assured her that wasn’t the case. I was being honest, but it wasn’t good enough.

When I graduated from college, logistics were not on our side. After fruitless months of job searching in Atlanta, where she lives, I ended up taking a position in Washington, D.C. Our relationship had been far from squeaky clean before this point—she was still close with her ex-girlfriend and had repeatedly lied to me about the nature of their relationship over the course of ours. There were trust issues. She gave me an ultimatum: either we lived in the same city, or we were engaged. That wasn’t going to work. This move was the final nail in the coffin.

She was supportive at first, but I knew she didn’t like the idea of living apart with no definitive end date. I drew up scenarios of her moving to the District with me, but I could tell she wasn’t into it, which made me feel like I wasn’t a priority to her. I realized she wasn’t the same person I had met in my women’s studies class. She liked the newfound attention she got from online admirers. She didn’t support me. She held me back. She was selfish. And maybe she had to be. After all, she never before had experienced being a young woman. She needed to focus on herself. It was hard to feel like I had helped her through such a difficult part of her transition—telling her employers, telling her devout Mormon family, coming out to her friends—and then was dumped when she had enough confidence to go on without me. I’d spent more than a year putting her first, and it was time to be my own number one. Though the break-up was nasty, I learned a lot from our relationship: about the transgender community and about my own sexuality. I’ve become a more open-minded person, and I’m grateful for that.

Now, I’m in an amazing relationship with a straight, male feminist (no women’s studies PhD, but hey, nobody’s perfect). The greatest difference is that I’ve found someone who loves me unconditionally and wants the best for me, and I couldn’t be happier.

For more information about the transgender community, visit the National Center for Transgender Equality or GLAAD.

Do you have a story to share? Submit your story to Her Story!

Who says you need a man to make you happy? We’re not claiming that being single doesn’t get boring or lonesome at times—just that we often forget the amazing perks that the single life has to offer. It’s natural to desire what we don’t/can’t have and ignore the things we do have. So why not put everything into perspective and appreciate these 25 perks of being single? Trust us, you’ll never again think of your SO-less existence as such a negative thing!

1. You have a lot more YOU time.

2. No drama!

3. You can be incredibly selfish.

4. You aren't financially tied to someone else.

5. You can pull out the “Single Ladies” dance while your BFFs just sit around and watch.

6. You never have to worry about looking nice.

7. You can be as lazy as you want…whenever you want.

8. You don't have to share your bed with anyone.

9. You don't have to worry about getting into arguments about stupid sh*t.

10. You're not the annoying friend with an SO.

11. You can watch whatever you want.

12. You can fart without shame.

13. You get to flirt.

14. You don't have to clean up after anyone.

15. You can spend more money on yourself.

16. You can listen to your BFF's relationship problems without making it all about you and your SO.

17. There's no having to worry about why he hasn't texted you back.

18. Your web browsing history is under no scrutiny.

19. The leftover pizza is always yours.

20. You'll never be asked who you're texting and why.

21. There are no important dates to remember.

22. You can truly be yourself.

23. You never have to wait on anyone.

24. You have so many wingwomen.

25. You'll learn from their mistakes.

Everyone wants to have the cutest dorm room in their hall, but buying decorations at retail stores can be so expensive and sometimes they don't even have exactly the style you're looking for! If you're searching for a way to spice up your dorm room without spending a ton of money, why not make some adorable (and inexpensive) decorations yourself?

These easy dorm room DIYs will cost you less than $15 and will brighten up your space in no time!

1. Ping Pong Ball Lights

Super cute and super affordable!

2. Metallic Brick Bookends

Keep your books in place while adding flair to your bookcase.

3. Wooden Necklace Organizer

Your room will look organized and rustic.

4. Geometric Mobiles

Who knew straws could turn into awesome decorations?

5. State Cork Art

Show off your state (and your love of wine) in the form of some awesome wall art.

6. Earring Cheese Grater

Keep your earrings organized while adding a unique touch!

7. Nail Polish Spice Rack

Put your nail polish on display in an adorable way.

8. Customized Curtains

Add some bling to those plain white curtains.

9. Yarn Art

You'll be the only one with wall decor this cool.

10. Marbled Votives

You can get this expensive-looking marbled effect just using nail polish!

11. Wastebasket Side Table

This inexpensive idea can be catered to fit your specific style.

12. Braided T-shirt Rug

Finally, a great way to put all of those old t-shirts to good use.

13. Wrapping Paper Clock

It's easier than you think to design your own clock with wrapping paper.

14. Washi Tape Picture Frames

There SO many things you can do with washi tape, but this one is our favorite.

15. Paint Swatch Calendar

This calendar will keep you organized while adding some color to your dorm room walls!

Which of these DIYs is your favorite, collegiettes?

French deisgner Olivier Rousteing took a major stance against thinness in the fashion industry in a recent interview with WWD. 

"I believe in strong women," Rousteing declared. "Women with all shapes. We have to get away from the real skinny girls."

Rousteing has been Balmain's creative director since 2011. From collaborating with H&M to contributing to the high-end line's sexy image, he's been a major fashion figure—and we hope his prominent position means that the entire industry takes this more seriously. His collaboration with H&M led him to appreciate and notice more diverse body types, according to the interview. 

It's unclear, however, what this means for Balmain and its models. So far, the faces of the brand seem to be girls like Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn; so it remains to be seen how exactly Rousteing will bring his message of body positivity to his line.

No matter what this means for Balmain, Rousteing's stance on thinness in fashion reflects a much-needed change. We hope that his body-positive attitude actually becomes a trend in the fashion industry worldwide.

The raw food diet. The five bite diet. The baby food diet. Every day, it seems as though we’re introduced to a brand new (and kind of bizarre) diet with even faster and more weight lossresults than the others. Most fad diets will try and convince you that sticking to a specific group of food will result in a ton of weight-loss in a short period of time. However, regardless of the results, fad diets can actually put your health in danger – in a lot of ways.

1. Fad diets don’t produce long-term effects

It’s great to know that there are diet plans out there that would actually allow us to lose a set amount of weight in a short period of time, but what happens when we go back to our regular eating habits? “Fad diets aren't designed to develop permanent changes in your eating habits,” says nutritionist Joanne Larson. “Any diet that has fewer calories than you need to maintain your weight will cause weight loss. The problem is when you go off the fad diet and return to your former eating habits, you will probably re-gain weightbecause you haven't learned how to eat to maintain your lower weight.” If anything, try developing healthier eating habits, just to make sure that you don’t risk your healthby fluctuating your weight.

2. Fad diets are deficient in important nutrients

More often than not, fad diets can require you to eliminate entire food groups, which can ultimately have a pretty drastic impact on your health. If the diet urges you to ditch groups of foods like starches (bread, rice and pasta) or fruit, you definitely will be lacking in nutrients that are vital to your health. “Any eating plan should include a wide variety of foods from all groups such as fruits, vegetables, starches, meat, dairy and healthy fats like olive and peanut oils,” says Larson. “There should be no food off limits, though foods high in fat, sugar and salt should be limited to once or twice a month.” Yes, you read that correctly -- laying off the greasy and fattening foods does sound like a pretty legit diet plan, but just remember that there’s no such thing as never being allowed to eat ice cream every once in a while. Let the church say amen to that.

3. Fad diets are difficult to follow

So you want to lose a few pounds? Okay. But are you sure you have the discipline to follow a plan as strict as the three-day military diet? There’s even something as drastic as swallowing a tapeworm. Some fad diets have a specific (did we mention bizarre?) set of rules that make them pretty difficult to stick to. “You usually can't follow a fad diet long term as they are often difficult to follow with lots of rules and deficient in vitamins/minerals your body needs,” she says. “There is often no plan offered by fad diets on what to eat to maintain your weight loss.” Before you consider starting a diet, it might be best for you to think realistically about the restrictions of the diet, the possible results, and the effect it might have on your health.

Related: I Tried the Whole30 Challenge & Here's What Happened

4. Fad diets usually aren’t supported by research

Word of advice: if it sounds a bit sketchy, it probably is a bit sketchy. According to Larson, the problem with fad diets is that they’re just that – fads. They aren’t necessarily designed or created to actually help you follow them for long periods of time nor are they backed up by any facts or evidence. “Unfortunately, people who have no education in nutrition try various ways to lose weight,” she says. “Their diet becomes the latest fad, especially, if the person is famous and gets spread by the media, TV and the Internet. Often there is no scientific research to support the diet.” In other words, Jared may have been the first person to lose over 200 pounds from eating nothing but Subway, but that doesn’t make it a legit diet. Do your research and make sure that what you’re planning on going along with is safe and healthy.

Ultimately, the best way to diet is to not diet at all. Simply develop a healthy eating plan that will help you control your portions without sabotaging your health. Your body will thank you in the long run.

There are few feelings worse than showing up somewhere wearing the same outfit as somebody else. Can you say awkward?

Thankfully, Oak73 is on a mission to provide unique and beautiful clothing that you can’t find anywhere else. Their line is responsibly in the USA and it’s printed in small quantities—so it will be easier than ever to avoid a fashion faux pas. We simply love their patterns and fabrics! You can find anything from feminine florals to black lace polka dots and beyond; Oak73 truly offers unique items of clothing for every personality and every occasion.

We are giving one lucky winner a $250 gift card to shop Oak73’s limited edition styles. Enter now to win!

Oak73

Fall seems to be the season for new flavors. Everyone’s favorite breakfast/dessert, Pop-Tart is rolling out a new collection of limited flavors from December until spring 2016, according to Cosmopolitan.

The first flavor is Chocolatey Caramel, where the chocolate “toast” is filled with caramel cream and drizzled in chocolatey goodness, just in time for the December season.

The second flavor is Maple Bacon—so if you’ve never tried maple and bacon together, here’s the tart for tasting! Topped with a white frosting, the Pop-Tart is drizzled with the bacon-flavored and salty “chrunchlets”.

Frosted Watermelon also made the list and we already know how sweet it is going to be. Its pink and green frosting will make the perfect splash into the new era of the Pop-Tart.

As one of the first flavors to debut in the spring, the Frosted Spring Strawberry lives up to its name. Completely decked out with cartoons from the “crazy good” commercials we all love, breakfast will definitely become more fun.

The final and fifth flavor, Pink Lemonade is not only topped with pink sprinkles, but contains lemonade-like filling, making us think it will as fresh as pink lemonade in Bridesmaids.

Which flavors do you want the most? Tell us in the comments, collegiettes!

It’s your first day at a new job. The office manager gives you a tour of the place and introduces you to your new coworkers. You lock eyes with the most attractive person you’ve ever seen and think to yourself, “How great would it be if we dated?!” By the end of the day, you learn that this hottie is your boss. Be careful what you wish for.

We all know to be cautious before mixing work with play, but sometimes we can get blinded by love and forget that the same applies when mixing work with romance. You don’t want your coworkers to get the wrong impression and think that you’re dating someone just to move up in the company, or that you don’t take your job seriously. But you don’t want to lose the love of your life either. Is it possible to keep your awesome career and partake in a little office romance at the same time?

Career coach, expert, and author of Big Career in the Big City,Vicki Salemi, weighs in on this tricky topic. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about office romance.

Why can office romance be a bad idea?

Dating a coworker can be a challenge as this type of relationship requires a little extra effort to stay together. You need to know when to treat him or her like your love interest and when to treat them like your colleague. There’s a time and place for PDA, and the office isn’t one of them.

Remember that awful feeling you get when you see that random person you met at the bar in your early morning lecture, and end up being paired up with them for an assignment? Or dating someone from one of your classes and then having a horrible break-up? You still have to see your ex in class each day, no matter how badly things ended. A similar feeling occurs when you date someone from work and things turn sour. “It just gets tricky to navigate and keep under wraps and if things don't work out, well then you're stuck having to work next to the person,” Salemi warns.

What should you consider before dating a coworker?

Office romance can appear where we least expect it—at the office holiday party, on a business trip, or even during an ordinary day at the office. But just because you get butterflies when you’re around the office hottie doesn’t mean you should date (or hook up). Before you fall head over heels, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Whether you see your colleague as a potential long-term SO, or a friend with benefits, make sure you weigh the pros and cons before getting romantic. “It could be awkward, especially if things don't work out. And if things do blossom into a full-fledged relationship, do you really want to work alongside the love of your life anyway?” Salemi says.

More importantly, be sure you know where your company stands on office romance. Some offices have certain policies on dating a coworker, and others may ban it entirely. If you know it’s not a problem at your place of work, just be sure to keep your personal and professional lives separate. But if the employee handbook includes a policy on dating within your company, make sure you follow the rules—like disclosing your relationship to the HR Manager or transferring to a different department.

What are the pros of dating a coworker?

Despite the negative stigma associated with dating someone from work, office romance success stories do exist. Lauren* and her boyfriend, who both work for the same company, have been dating for almost three years. “Finding someone with a similar background and interests is a plus to dating a coworker,” Lauren says. “They completely understand what it means when you’ve had a bad day at work and can help make it better instantly.”

Another plus to dating someone from work is always having someone to hang out with, whether you have lunch together, take a walk around the building, or just share a few laughs in the break room. Yes, you can do all of this with another colleague, but there’s something special about bonding with your SO while at work.

What are the cons of dating a coworker?

Although Lauren is in a happy relationship, she admits there are downsides to dating a coworker. “Your cover gets blown when you take a vacation together and both come back tan,” she says. In the beginning, Lauren wanted to keep her work relationship a secret because she didn’t even know if they were dating or if it was just a short-term fling. “After establishing our relationship, we still kept quiet because we work very closely together and wanted to remain professional,” Lauren says.

Having so close a relationship with someone else in the office might also make your coworkers uncomfortable, or cause your superiors not to take you seriously. Maybe they feel like they need to keep a closer eye on you to make sure you’re actually spending work hours on work, or perhaps your peers have a hard time teaming up with you because they can’t help but feel like they’re third-wheeling. “We really don’t try to bring it up because we don’t want people to feel awkward around us,” Lauren says.

Another problem with dating someone who works at the same company, especially if they have the same role and responsibilities as you, is competition. Even though a little friendly competition is a sign of a healthy relationship, trying to one-up each other while on the job is not necessarily a good thing. Just imagine all of the tension that could cause. “At that point it's best if one of you worked in another department,” Salemi says.

Who is off limits?

Is he or she your boss? Are they related to someone high up in the company? Do they have the same job title as you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to be extra cautious before getting romantically involved with this person. There are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed, and dating your boss is definitely one of them, especially if your company forbids it. If your relationship suddenly ends, your career could end too. Whether you want to admit it or not, if your love interest has ties with the company management, he or she could sabotage your career if your relationship takes a turn for the worse.

If your workplace doesn’t allow it, don’t do it, period—even if you think you can keep the relationship under wraps. If you feel strongly about starting a relationship with someone from work and the relationship is more important to you than your job, it might be a good time for one of you to move to a different company.

What should you do if a coworker starts flirting with you and you’re not interested?

It’s important not to give into the flirtatious actions, especially if relationships aren’t allowed in your office or you have no romantic feelings for this person. Be polite, but don’t flirt back. Steer the conversation back to work-related topics and hopefully your colleague will get the hint that you’re not interested in dating. It can be difficult to diffuse the situation without making your professional life awkward, but it’s important to make sure you feel comfortable when you go to work each day. If your coworker keeps trying to pursue a relationship with you or if your boss makes an unwanted physical advance or inappropriate comment, make sure you discuss the situation with HR.

How do you deal with an office break-up?

Seeing your former SO at work each day is the last thing you want, especially if they were the one to break up with you. But when you work with your ex, you can’t suddenly cut him or her out of your life. Put your career first and leave any former relationship drama at the door. If your break-up prevents you from completing your tasks, or if you feel threatened by your ex, it might be a good time to talk to HR to either help mediate the situation, or even move one of you to a different department within the company. A good way to move on from an office break-up is to be the bigger person and focus on your job instead of dwelling on your failed relationship.

How can you make an office romance work?

Our best advice is to keep your love life separate from your work life, even if your SO just so happens to work with you. While you’re at work, keep things professional and treat each other like you would any other coworker. It’s best if the two of you are in different departments or even buildings. But if you do work side-by-side, like Lauren and her boyfriend do, avoid being lovey-dovey with each other. “Don't leverage work hours to meet up for a brief coffee date, don't use work email to get flirty. And whatever you do, do not date your boss!” Salemi says. The best way to make an office romance work is to carry on with business as usual while you’re at the office. Save the romance for after work hours.

The decision to date a coworker can be a complicated one, and whenever possible, one that’s best to avoid. But we all know that love comes to us in unexpected ways, though, so follow our tips whenever you encounter a tricky office romance situation. With this guide, you’ll be prepared next time love enters the workplace.

Name: Emily Motayed

Age: 27

Job Title and Description: Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Havenly

College Name/Major: Vanderbilt University/BA (2010) and UPenn Wharton School of Business/MBA (2016)

Website: www.havenly.com

Twitter Handle: @emotayed

Name: Lee Mayer

Age: 33

Job Title and Description: Co-Founder and CEO of Havenly

College Name/Major: Columbia University/BS (2003) and Harvard University/MBA (2010)

Website: www.havenly.com

Twitter Handle: @ellemot

What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?

Emily Motayed: There’s no real typical day! There is a lot of travel involved with my role, as we have small teams on both of the coasts and our headquarters are in Denver. My responsibilities include thinking about growth, scalability and new customer acquisition as well as working on strategic partnerships and opportunities (such as our latest team up with Domino). Also just making sure that everything keeps running smoothly on a day-to-day basis!

Lee Mayer: As CEO, I focus most on building out our winning team, including hiring and identifying what type of roles we need. I also make sure that the company has the resources it needs in order to succeed - which includes a lot of investor meetings and pitching the company and our product!

What is the best part of your job?

EM: One of my favorite things about this job is working with our amazing designers. They are a diverse group of people and so creative. They come up with beautiful combinations that I could never even dream up. It’s amazing what they put together even when working with the smallest budgets. It’s also really fulfilling that we’re giving these talented professionals a new avenue to grow their careers.

LM: Seeing the finished product or final outcome of the collaboration between Havenly, the designer and the client. It’s fun to see the unique personality of every client come through in their decor style.

What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?

EM: My first entry level job out of college was in healthcare consulting - it was 2010 and I participated in on campus recruiting at Vanderbilt. It was a tough year for a lot of college grads and jobs, and I was lucky that Vanderbilt had a robust career services program.

LM: My first job out of college was at Accenture in consulting. I had interned there the previous summer when I was in college, and received a full-time offer then.

What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?

EM: Startups are more demanding and draining than any other job because there’s an emotional factor. You build the team. You build a product. You build a brand. So, it’s very personal because you pour yourself and your vision into it. It’s super hard work because at the end of the day, you’re accountable for people’s paychecks and happy customers. Buck stops with you.

LM: In the startup world, everyone has an opinion on what you should do next, how to grow the company, etc. They are wise and extremely experienced people but nobody knows your business better than you and your team who are in it day out. It’s important to listen to external input, but not to let it be your only guide. 

Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?

EM: Definitely my father - he has created and built many successful businesses from scratch while remaining committed to his community and his family. It’s pretty impressive to see him as a business example as well as an example of how to balance work and life.

LM: One of my first bosses when I was in my early 20s really took the time to mentor me on both a professional and personal level. She really helped me identify my core strengths and weaknesses so I could really focus on making myself a better employee and eventually a better boss.

What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?

EM: “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely

LM:  "If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not people or objectives." - Albert Einstein

What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?

EM: Hiring people who are a good culture fit. I think it’s extremely important to invest early in hiring people who are good for the company as a whole and not just good for the role or position.

LM: Being too attached to perfection - it’s impossible to make sure everything is perfect in a startup, and sometimes it’s smart just to ship the product the way that it is and iterate on customer feedback as you move forward.

What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?

EM: The most vivid moment was when we placed the first real order we got from a customer that was not a friend or family. It was a client who had found us on their own (not through word of mouth) and signed up through the site and went through the design process - I was absolutely delighted! It was so cool and unique to see that our product resonated with so many people.

LM: Seeing the team grow from just my sister and I to a team of more than 20! It’s crazy to think that what was just a simple idea a few years ago has grown into a company that supports so many people and is also making so many people’s design dreams come true!

What do you look for when considering hiring someone?

EM: People who have a passion for life, a passion for what they do in work and/or a passion for home decor. Startups are hard work. They demand a lot intellectually and emotionally. Passionate people tend to have the inner drive and energy you need to make it through challenging situations. And they are fun to work with!

LM:  Problem solvers or creative problem solvers. The nature of a growing business is imperfection. The company may have a lot of one resource, but be low on another. Problem solvers figure out how to get things done in creative ways with fewer resources or in a different way entirely.  

What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?

EM: Build a solid network. Connect with anyone and everyone and nurture those relationships. You never can be sure where you will end up or who will be able to help you fulfill your dreams.

LM: Always be learning. Everyone you encounter in the workplace has something to teach you. Learn from people with more experience from you and those with less. Learn from people who have the same skill set and those who do something completely different. You will become a more versatile, well-rounded person this way and be able to work well with a wide range of people. 

Breast Cancer Awareness month is coming to an end, so we’re giving you one last chance to support the cause!

We’ve teamed up with our official media partner Elite Daily, Birchbox, Trust, The Brave Collection and Lomography to give away a Breast Cancer Awareness-inspired prize package totaling more than $200!

We’re giving away Birchbox’s Power Pose Featured Box which includes a bunch of awesome skincare products like: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Mega Melon, Darphin STIMULSLIN PLUS Multi-Corrective Divine Cream for Dry Skin, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Synchronized Complex II and Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Classic.

We’re also giving away Trust’s Key to a Cure Necklace, made of copper chain and rose quartz comfort stone, as well as The Brave Collection’s coral “Brave” bracelet, handmade in Cambodia to support local artisans and to celebrate women around the globe, and Lomography’s Lomo’Instant Kyoto Camera, inspired by Kyoto Japan, to take with you take wherever you go!

We are giving one lucky winner the chance to win all of these incredible prizes in one spectacular prize pack! Head over to Elite Daily to read more, and enter now to win.

Breast Cancer Awareness Round Up

We love a good PSL like any basic twenty something girl, but not only are we fall-obsessed, we're Halloweeen-obsessed too. And, Starbucks just *gets* us. To help us get into the Halloween spirit, a limited edition Frappula Frappuccino will be available starting on Wednesday, Oct. 28th.

Cosmopolitan breaks down the vampire-inspired drink, explaining that the drink has mocha sauce and whipped cream on the bottom of the cup (fluffy AND fudgey!), then white chocolate mocha frapp is poured over that. And to finish off this Halloween treat, raspberry syrup is drizzled on top to create a sweet yet bloody-looking drip effect.

The drink will be around until Nov. 1, so if you're in need of a little sugar high to get you through midterms, get your cute, costumed booty over to Starbucks. 

Count us in! (Get it, like *Count* Dracula?)

Halloween is right around the corner, and what better way to get in the spooky spirit than by visiting a haunted house? Sure, the last time you visited one was when you were like 5 years old and you left crying like a baby, but now that you’re older, you can definitely handle the fake blood and faux zombies. And even if you do get a little scared (not like you would admit it), it’s all for fun, right? The emotional stages you go through while in a haunted house are all part of the experience.

1. The Excited Stage

On the drive over, you’re pumped. Haunted houses are fun, not scary.

Those knots in your stomach? Pure excitement - NOT anxiety.

You’re here. You’re ready. Bring on the monsters.

2. The Denial Stage

As you get in line, you start to feel butterflies in your stomach like you're 5 years old again, but you shake it off.

You’re in college now! You’re brave!

No silly haunted house will scare you. Nope. No way.

3. The Bargaining Stage

You take your first couple steps into the house and take in your surroundings. Fake lightning? No big deal. Spiderwebs (aka silly string) hanging from the ceiling? Won’t scare you.

But that creepy clown in the corner is looking a little menacing...

But you’re not scared. It’s okay. You’re going to be fiiinneee. It'll be over before you know it.

4. The Slightly Scared Stage

Alright, the eerie music is a little creepy. And that zombie’s costume looks freakishly real.

Did something just touch your leg? OMG, that guy in the mask is definitely coming to kill you.

5. The Rationalization Stage

With a quickened pace, you start to reason with yourself. None of this is real.

That isn’t real blood. These are people in costumes. All of this is fake.

Relax, breathe - just BREATHE.

6. The Completely Terrified Stage

Suddenly something jumps out at you, and you can’t help but jump 10 feet in the air and scream.

Your heart is racing, and your palms are sweaty. This isn’t fun anymore. You feel like you're 5 years old again and want your mom.

You want out NOW.

7. The Relief Stage

You sprint through the maze of monsters and past the guy with the chainsaw, and you finally spot the exit.

As you push through the door, you can’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

8. The Nonchalant Stage

When your friends come out making fun of all the fake ghosts, you laugh along with them.

It wasn’t that bad. You totally weren’t scared. 

But once is enough. Forever.

Jamia Wilson is basically a feminist rockstar. She's a media activist, writer, speaker and the executive director of Women, Action, & the Media (a non-profit organization fighting for gender justice in the media). She's also a reader of Her Campus! 

Her articles have been featured in the New York Times and the Huffington Post, among other publications. She has spoken at TED Talks, universities around the country and world, and various other engagements. 

Wilson found time to speak with us right before a speaking event at SUNY Old Westbury. We talked about what feminism truly means, what more can be done to further the cause and why people are so averse to improvements for women's rights.

HC: What do you think the state of the feminist movement is today? What more do you think needs to be done in terms of women's rights?

I think at this point, a really exciting opportunity that we have right now is that there’s a big pop cultural conversation that has emerged around feminism. Thanks to proclamations of feminism from celebrities like Beyonce, J. Lo, Emma Watson, Katy Perry, even Miley Cyrus, those feminist proclamations have helped make this conversation on feminism more mainstream. That is a good thing in terms of getting people in the public conversation talking about gender, justice and equality.

I’m also thinking there’s a lot of work we have to do: You know, we still don’t have an equal rights amendment. We have a situation where there’s a pay gap, and for women of color specifically that pay gap is even deeper. There still needs to be a lot of work done to protect reproductive rights and health access for women and girls. We do have a lot of work to do, but I do believe that there is a lot of energy that is happening right now, and social media and blogging has allowed for more democratization of voices and for feminists to be able to amplify their voices in more accessible ways. 

What do you think can be done right now, in the short term time frame, about this issue?

I think that we need to continue to keep this increased energy sustained. We should definitely be using our collective energy to continue to keep these issues surfaced in the daily conversation, so that when people are thinking about the issues of the day, they reflect a feminist lense. When they reflect a feminist lense, then that means everyone is counted because feminism is a belief in the cultural, social and political equality of all genders and all sexes. So my belief is that when we are talking about any issue, be it economics or any other issue of public import, that people are thinking about the intersections of race, intersections of class, intersections of gender in that conversation, and making sure that we are surfacing the needs of our marginalized people.

You mentioned the gender pay gap, which has existed ever since women began entering the workforce and has persisted until today. Why do you think it still exists and why isn’t anybody doing anything about it on the legislative level where it matters?

I think that there needs to be a larger conversation about what is really at stake, and how much of a disparity there is. I think there needs to be more awareness about that. Over a lifetime it really adds up, and when you think about the fact that the gender pay gap is worse for mothers for example—It continues to grow with age which is impacting families. When you think about the pay gap being present in almost every single occupation that exists, that is very disturbing.

So it’s really important for us to think about what that means for this economy as well as what that means for fairness and our values. And also what it means around our lifetimes, because we women tend to live longer statistically as well, so that means that when women are living longer and they are getting paid less over a lifetime, they are lacking in retirement benefits and also the money that they didn’t get paid over time. That is a dire situation. When you think of all the other expenses that we also have to face, when you think about the fact that it’s just plain unfair, when you think about the fact that there are people who have to pay for a tampon tax, you know these are things that people just shouldn’t have to do.

Sorry – what’s this about a tampon tax?

So there are people in some communities around the world being taxed on tampons. And when you think about women who are homeless or low income for example, and the cost of getting basic needs that women need—Women who are identified in their bodies or trans people who bleed, they have additional expenses that they have to pay. The fact that there are some contexts where there’s a sales tax that’s applied to this basic service, and the fact that we’re paid differently, is just another way to illuminate how women have these extra added costs to the basic experience of womanhood. There are actual countries where the tax does exist; you know here in the U.S. it’s sales tax that in the states applies to tampons, but there are other countries where there’s an actual tampon tax.

We are seeing more and more often that feminism is receiving almost a backlash from people who believe that certain feminists are too overzealous, or that feminism is unnecessary in today's modern society. What would you say to the skeptics and naysayers?

I actually think that a lot of times the backlash comes from the fact that we are making progress, and I think that sometimes there’s a fear of actual change because there’s fear of people stepping outside their comfort zone or losing privileges that they’ve had. I think that people should recognize that feminism means equality for everyone. With the liberation of women will come the liberation of men. Men are also harmed by patriarchy, and it creates social problems that affect us all—That’s the paradigm shift that we need. Women’s issues are issues that impact the entire community. We are a majority of the population and when women are liberated, then that trickles to others in the community.

I also believe that when you’re talking about racial justice as well, and gender justice. The day that black transgender women are free will be the day that I will be free. If all of our systems and our culture were set up in a way that they were free from oppression, then that means I would be free too, and that means that any man or woman of any race would be free because of the level of marginalization that currently exists in our society.

Jennifer Lawrence recently published an essay in Lenny newsletter commenting on the systematic sexism that prevailed in Hollywood, from a ridiculous pay gap to a double standard in the treatment of actresses and actors when they voice opinions. Have you seen workplace sexism in your professional experience?

I’ve definitely seen it in my personal experience, and I’ve seen it blatantly but I’ve also seen it most often as small microaggressions and covert coded language and harassment. Oftentimes those are more insidious, because it can sometimes be harder to name or to fit into existing policies, in terms of reporting and that sort of thing. I do see it and I do think it’s really important for us to combat that sort of culture, because that sort of culture can create the sort of hostile environment that can lead to even greater impact and more harm.

Do you have any advice for our readers who are hoping to work in media?

My advice would be to write and write every day, and write anywhere that you get the chance! Amplify your voice, create media. We need to own media without allowing it to own us. Create the media that you want to see, pitch the places that you like to read. Put yourself out there and tell your story because your story is important and your story matters, and it’s a very revolutionary act when women amplify their voices and take their righteous place and make themselves heard in a culture where we’re often rendered invisible and silent.

Our Her Campus readers are pretty savvy to most of these women’s inequality issues which we have discussed so far. What advice can you give to our readers about how to make a difference and promote a solution to these issues?

I think that what young women and women in general should do is to really amplify our voices: We need to tell our stories, we need to shape the public narrative about these conversations because culture is so important and the media is such an important public education tool that we need to leverage. Also we need to make sure that we are amplifying our voices to decisionmakers and policymakers about the policies we need to see for equality. We need to organize, and I think that a lot of people feel that they’re alone, but they’re not. There are other people who agree with us, and it’s important for us to create a strong network together so that we can collectively use our strengths to make change.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

If people are interested in joining our movement to build a more inclusive, more equal, more robust movement for gender justice and media, you can check us out at womenactionmedia.org and start a chapter in your community or join one of our existing ones.  

Also be sure to follow Jamia on Twitter and check out her website here!

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. The first two photos are courtesy of the SUNY Old Westbury Women's Center.

Adacia Chambers, a 25-year-old who drove her car into a crowd of spectators at an Oklahoma State University homecoming parade, faces charges of second degree murder as well as a DUI charge, according to Yahoo! News. The accident killed four people at the parade and injured many more.

Chambers' attorney, Tony Coleman, said at a press conference that he ruled alcohol out as a factor in the crash, but said that his client possibly suffers from mental illness which could have contributed to the accident. Police are still waiting for test results to determine if alcohol or drugs were in Chambers' system.

"She doesn't remember a whole lot about what happened," Coleman said. "There was a period where I think ... she could have even blacked out."

Oklahoma State University students and faculty in the meantime are banding together during the difficult times. CNN reports that the president of the university, Burns Hargis, made a statement calling the crash an "incomprehensible tragedy."

2015 has certainly had no shortage of big pop culture moments. From a certain voluptuous brunette’s attempt to break the Internet to a lovable roster of wacky fictional characters we’ve come to love, there’s inspiration for your Halloween costume waiting around every corner. We’ve curated these 13 costumes for the pop culture obsessed collegiette in us all.

1. Cookie Lyon from Empire

She’s the diva that had tongues wagging this year with her sassy one-liners and on-point style. Yes, we’re talking about Cookie from Empire. All you need for this costume is an elaborate outfit—especially one that includes lots of fur, animal prints and flashy jewelry—and an attitude that won’t quit.

2. Hillary Clinton’s inbox

Dressing up as the Democratic presidential hopeful is too expected. Going as her controversial inbox of deleted emails, though, is a real conversation starter. Try crafting a poster modeled after an email inbox, with hidden messages and obvious clues that point to it being Hillary’s. Strap it around your neck, and you’re ready to debate.

3. Snapchat icon

Remember when everyone in your kindergarten class wore ghost costumes to trick-or-treat in because they were too young to care about putting some effort into their ensemble? The Snapchat icon offers you a chance to dust off a classic costume from your childhood and make it topical again. Design your own Snapchat tank—paired with a yellow tutu, of course—or dress for a new take on an old favorite.

4. Baymax from Big Hero 6

Who wouldn’t want to dress up like a giant balloon for Halloween? Sure, Baymax is really a robot/superhero. But his bubbly bod is what makes him so unforgettably cute. To pull this costume off, wear all white and make a simple mask of his face. Or go full-on inflatable suit and own it.

5. A female’s face on the $10 bill

With this, you could go the traditional way by wearing a dress made of Photoshopped female-fronted money. Or you could create a cutout for your own face and parade around like the feminist you are.

6. Taylor Swift in her “Blank Space” video

There are tons of outfits you could mimic from this T. Swift video. The black gown, the-tasteful-lingerie-and-knife-in-hand look, or even the head-to-toe leopard ensemble. One thing you mustn’t forget: that tear-streaked mascara and red lips are essential to pulling off crazy-eyed Tay.

7. Stella from OITNB

If an Orange is the New Black costume seems so last year, that’s because it kind of is. But not when there’s an entirely intriguing and newly introduced character for us to emulate. Stella’s brown jumpsuit and short cropped hair should be easy to copy. Add as many fake tattoos as you can muster, and show off your sure-to-be impressive Australian accent.

8. Left Shark

Splurge on the actual full-body costume or wear one of the hundreds of t-shirts mocking Katy Perry’s infamous Super Bowl backup dancer. No matter how you choose to evoke Left Shark you’ve got to have those off-beat dance moves and a general confusion about who and/or where you are.

9. Chanel from Scream Queens

We’ve only just met our new favorite mean girl, but we’re already smitten with her killer wardrobe. Think soft pinks, pearls, fur and maybe even that knockoff Chanel bag you totally pretend is real. Finish this look off with sharp remarks and Chanel’s already trademark blatant, unapologetic b*tchiness.

10. Dancing lady emoji

Red dress. Red heels. Salsa swagger for days. How much simpler could this emoji-inspired costume be? Plus, no one will have trouble guessing who you are when you strike that instantly recognizable dancing lady pose.

11. Kim Kardashian breaking the Internet

This costume is for the girl who’s tired of dressing like Marilyn Monroe every year. A fab sequined black dress and a bottle of bubbly should play second fiddle to your oh-so-curvy derriere. And your friends said you’d never use those butt pads from last Halloween’s Nicki Minaj costume again!

12. Deflategate

Throw on your Tom Brady jersey and carry around a suspiciously deflated football all night. People will probably get the reference quickly, but playing paranoid couldn’t hurt your persona either.

13. Joy from Inside Out

Joy is one of the best Pixar characters we’ve seen in years, and she has a fun look to boot. A blue spiky wig and floral green dress shouldn’t be hard to track down. Be extra peppy and upbeat to prove you’re nothing like Sadness.

In a society that upholds separate standards for males and females starting from toddlerhood, acceptance of gender neutrality is difficult to achieve culture-wide. While support for the boy with the pink flats and Riley’s rant on gender-based toy packaging is growing, there are still haters who will go out of their way to call a two-year-old terrible words for playing with a kitchen set.

For their son Owen’s second birthday, Andrew and Jessica Hook built a toy kitchen set from materials they found at Goodwill. With all the thought and work they put into crafting such a gift, Owen happily played with the kitchen set. And why wouldn’t he? The gift is three times his size!

It’s cleverly crafted. Andrew and Jessica thought of everything; the kitchen set is complete with a sink, stove, oven, and refrigerator.

When Hook posted pictures of Owen playing with the gift on Imgur, internet trolls spoiled the posts with homophobic comments. Commenters said that he and Jessica were turning Owen gay. They crawled out of their abyss of close-mindedness to make more sleazy comments, including “How to turn your son gay 101” and “You are what’s wrong with your country...I hope your kid gets beat up at school.”

Fortunately, Hook had the perfect response: 

“...Going off of comments I have received both online, and in person regarding my wife and I’s decision to make our SON a kitchen playset and several ‘daughter’ comments and ‘but he is a boy,’ let me be perfectly blunt. F*** you. Any time we go to our local science center, or to the children’s museum, he always wants to play in the kitchen playset area. He always wants to watch us cook and likes being involved, so we thought this would be a good idea. Furthermore, if my kid wanted a barbie doll I would get it for him. If that is what he wants, then that is what he wants. It’s his decision what he wants to play with. Not mine.”

Andrew and Jessica did not build the gift with the intention of rebelling against “gender-based” toys. They did it solely for the love they knew their son would have for the gift.

“Gender-based” toys have risen as a source of controversy for parents of young children. The common notion that “Barbies are for girls” and “Hot Wheels are for boys” have forced children to identify with a mold that society has predetermined. Children need the freedom to experiment; they need to be allowed to choose what they like, rather than be conditioned to like something. And this is precisely what Andrew and Jessica are allowing their son to achieve.

So apply ice to that burn, haters. And get it from your own fridge.

Yes, it's true: Reese Witherspoon has announced that she would totally be down for a third installment of every collegiette’s favorite movie, Legally Blonde! Witherspoon made an appearance on Fasionably Late with Rachel Zoe last week to give the inside scoop on a possible Legally Blonde 3. 

"A lot of writers over the years have come up with different ideas for it. I actually think it's kind of great right now because we're talking about women in politics and how important that is,"Witherspoon said of the timing.

Legally Blonde 2 came out 12 years ago, so is it too late to do a third movie? Never! A third movie gives us the opportunity to channel our inner Elle Woods one last time, and who knows... maybe the third movie will be the best! (Third time's the charm, right?)

Though Witherspoon admitted that the third movie isn't quite in the works yet, she ended her interview by suggesting, "Call MGM. I have no idea." Let's cross our fingers in hopes that our favorite flirty feminist Elle Woods makes her way back to the big screen one last time.