Big girls are beautiful

to be attractive, desirable and successful seems to be constantly imprinted into our brains by the media.

The public is taught to believe that the abnormally thin actresses and supermodels are the norm, instead of the exception.

jeans as the newest covergirl.

Movie stars like Kate Winslet and America Ferrera, who actually look natural and healthy, are Hollywood’s true beauties.

The contrast of body types is something that the media likes to hype. No longer does the media just portray skinny as desireable but now shows that any size is beautiful. ASST COPY EDITOR

DLT723@CABRINI EDU

Since when did deathly skinny actresses and models become the epitome of beauty?

What happened to the days when voluptuous sex symbols such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Raquel Welch graced the silver screen and no one uttered a degrading comment about their size 12 physique?

There is no doubt that the Hollywood stigma of “thin is in” is being bombarded throughout television, movies and magazines.

The message that one has to be a size two in order

It is disgusting to watch images of stick-thin celebrities like Kiera Knightley, Kate Bosworth and Nicole Richie on every news outlet. Even worse, these celebrities claim they are average weight and not that skinny at all. What message is this sending to easily influenced teens?

Growing up is hard enough and a lack of selfconfidence can be common during the teenage years.

Having it indirectly broadcasted to you that you’re just not skinny enough is a burden that no one should have to carry.

Getting caught up in the skinny hype is easy. I even catch myself counting calories, setting aside time to go to the gym and trying to squeeze in the same size

These stars are confident in their appearance and refuse to conform to anyone’s standards. These are the role models that should be covered and applauded. It’s a sad society we live in today, when these women do not receive as much recognition as celebrities who have exploited sex tapes and are a size two.

Let’s counter Hollywood’s message.

A female’s beauty and success should not be determined by their waist line. The girls who are kind, confident and their own person radiate the most beauty inside and out.

Girls of all shapes and sizes should be able to walk outside with their head held high, a smile on their face and think, “Damn, I’m beautiful.”

I love the bright colors that come along with spring clothes. I’d much rather wear a skirt and flip-flops over jeans and sneakers. When it comes to shop-

I despise searching through cluttered racks of clothing. I’d much rather pay the extra money at Express or Abercrombie and Fitch, where I can find the pieces of clothing and accessories that I need in a fast and easy shopping experience. Stores like Wet Seal and Charlotte Russe that can be found in the King of Prussia Mall have prices like those of bargain stores but are towel organized so you can find what you are looking for.

During the day, the perfect spring or summer outfit includes a comfortable pair of shorts or a skirt with a tank top and flip flops. You can never own enough flip flops! For a hot spring or summer night, I love a cute dress or skirt and a cute pair of wedges or heels.

In My Opinion

Every time I go into a

Avoid getting sick this spring

and particularly at Villanova University a virus which I had never heard of was spread to the point of unbelief.

Students infected with the virus at our neighboring college were either sent home or sometimes driven to the hospital for flu-like symptoms such as stomach pain, dehydration and even “spells of unconsciousness.” wash my hands I just put a dab on my hands and rub it in. Hey, it’s better than nothing!

As our parents always told us, washing our hands is very important. Majority of germs are from hands and mouths.

Who doesn’t love shopping for spring? Why not use your money at the King of Prussia Mall, where you can shop in several stores and won’t have to dig through cluttered racks just to find a cute halter top? STAFF WRITER ARC725@CABRINI EDU

Yuck! Being sick is the worst. Even if you only have a minor sore throat, being ill takes its toll.

When you feel under the weather, it can create a day that feels so long and torturous that you want to just crawl under the covers immediately.

First starts the sore throat then continuing on to a headache and temperature. Once the chills kick in, you know you are in for a not-so-fun ride.

In my opinion, nausea is the most unpleasant feeling. I’d rather have a sore throat and a headache then feel queasy.

The empty seats in classrooms are not a rare sight. The flu, strep throat or even the common cold can be dreadful. Hearing of someone going home is not rare right now for the illnesses are so bad this time of year that it is highly contagious.

In our surrounding area

So how can we avoid getting sick when highly contagious viruses like these or even more mild illnesses resembling the common cold are spreading around the housing of colleges and the local area?

Think about this: it is almost a guarantee that not everyone washes their hands or at least not enough to keep them clean. People use their hands for virtually everything including picking things off the ground, flushing toilets and coughing.

We can’t exactly put ourselves into isolation in order to avoid getting sick!

I live off campus so it is a little easier to avoid the coughs in closed rooms and dormitory showers, but the basics of staying healthy are all the same.

Hand sanitizer is my new best friend! I got one of the miniature bottles of Purell that has the rubber key chain attached to it. I keep them on my keys and every time I leave a public place and am unable to

As an everyday example, when you open a door to a building you are not only touching the doorknob or handle, but you are also touching the germs that were on the hands of the people who opened the door before you.

Keeping my immune system up is also something that I try to do in order to help prevent illness. Ways I do this is to exercise regularly, drink a lot of water, eat healthy and stay hydrated. In my opinion, your body can’t stay strong enough to fight an illness if it is not healthy to begin with!

This is the prime time of year where bodies need strength to fight infection. We should all do our bodies a favor and take care of it. After all, you only have one!