Sara Vinson

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Photoshop use generates individual body issues

Porn is the new norm

The piece written by a Duke University student/porn performer shocked the Internet for a few days and swept through our daily conversations. While many praised her writing and her confidence, I would like to urge everyone to get over the shock of pornography.

Valentine's excitement grows as holiday approaches

Long distance relationships can work with planning

Sex education should be a positive, uniform experience

I’ve talked with countless people about their sex education. It varies so widely, it is amazing we can all come to any of the same conclusions about sex. Sex is almost universally desired and experienced, unlike almost every other subject we learn in school.

Black Friday shopping should take a backseat

I love the tradition of Black Friday. On Thursday, I eat a gigantic meal with my family. Thursday night my mom and I look through all the department store flyers for Black Friday deals to decide where we will go and when. We’re up before the sun, eating McDonalds’ breakfast on the go and have waited in countless lines for early bird or door-buster deals. But Black Thursday crosses the line.

Stop sharing sensational 'news' online

Recently, a story about the Salvation Army circulated on Facebook that said the nonprofit hates the LGBTQ community. It even mentioned that the Salvation Army wants gay people to die. A member of the charity spoke on its behalf, and pictures of posters composed of hate speech coordinated with the article. I read it, I have heard about the Salvation Army’s stance about LGBTQ community in the past, I was horrified and I chose to share it. It was the most shared thing I have ever posted—multiple friends gave in-depth comments and shared it themselves.

Feminism stands for gender equality

Feminism takes a lot of heat. It is a stigmatized word. Celebrities like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry refused to call themselves feminists. Even Beyoncé does not consider herself a feminist. I think the word feminist, like the term rape culture, has connotations that are warped from any recognizable definition. I am here to set the record straight. Feminism is nothing more and nothing less than the desire for equal rights and opportunities for men and women. It is about humanity, not hatred. Anyone calling their hatred for men “feminism” should probably just take a vow of silence. If you hate men, that is a personal problem, not a political stance. So stop using the word that way, and stop hating feminists because of it.

Eating right is a lifestyle

Plenty of people consider themselves to be health experts. They alone know what is truly healthy and unhealthy, and other people should be judged and corrected for their silly dietary mistakes. Here is the secret: everyone is wrong to some extent. Healthy eating is not about fad diets or fasting, and it is certainly not about finding the perfect combination of diet and exercise either, because that does not exist.

Inconsistencies in Bible are a deal breaker

There are a million things that can influence a person’s religion or lack-there-of. For me, it was the Bible. Personally, the translation, interpretation and manipulation makes faith in the Bible as a holy book impossible.